My HG story

The HER foundation contributed letters from our forums members for a show that featured Hyperemesis as a topic. The show aired in April of 2007.

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My HG story

Postby jackie » Feb 28, 2007 12:23 pm

Dr. Phil:

I don't know how you are going to find the time to read all of our stories, but hopefully at least a few will get to you.

My story is not nearly as heartbreaking as some, but I still feel the need to tell it.

I became pregnant for the first time when I was 19. It was not a planned pregnancy, but I have a very supportive family, so I wasn't worried. A few weeks after I found out the vomitting began. I threw up everything I tried to keep down from gatorade to Ramen noodles. I finally went to the ER because I literally felt like I was dying. I couldn't even walk. The ER staff told me there was nothing they could do for me since pregnant women couldn't be given anything for nausea because it would cause birth defects. I begged them to do something, but they refused to help me. I didn't know what to do. They didn't even give me a diagnosis or any suggestions. I made an appointment to have an abortion. I traveled an hour and a half vomitting all of the way and decided that I couldn't go through with it. I figured it had to get better. Work was a living hell. I worked in a Deli, which was horrible because the smells made me extremely ill. After finding me on the bathroom floor, my boss proceeded to tell me she had six children and if she could get through it, I could too. I felt like I was a failure at being a mother before my baby was even born! I ended up going through with the abortion. I literally felt like I had to do it in order to survive. Within 24 hours I felt completely normal again. The grief and guilt I felt and still feel cannot be described in words.

My second HG pregnancy began in March of 2006. Once again, within a few weeks of taking my pregnancy test, I began to get sick. The doctor prescribed me Phenergen, but it didn't help. After throwing up every 20 minutes for three days, I called the doctor in tears begging for some relief. The nurse told me to go to the ER. They took blood and immediately began giving me IV fluids. It took multiple sticks to get the IV in since I was so dehydrated. I was admitted for the first of 14 times during my pregnancy. I went into pre-term labor at 31 weeks due to severe dehydration. The medicine I was given to stop labor caused me to be violently ill and did not stop my labor. I was given something else, which worked, but deep inside I wished it wouldn't have. You see, even the thought of having a pre-term baby who might only weigh a few pounds was better than suffering eight more weeks of hell. I managed to make it to 38 weeks. I had lost a significant amount of weight, and my doctor decided to induce.

My son is the best thing to ever happen to me. I absolutely love being a mother. However, I can't ever see myself going through that again. There is not a doubt in my mind that without these wonderful women to support me and validate my feelings, I would not have made it through with my sanity. Unless you have had HG, you cannot understand. My mother, grandmother, and sister are nurses and still don't comprehend the gravity of HG. Thank you for making our voices heard.
Jared HG 6 weeks-Delivery
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jackie
HG Diva
 
Posts: 2185
Joined: Apr 23, 2006 12:18 pm
Location: Carbondale, IL

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