Ignorance of Hyperemesis

[katismommy]

Four and a half years later and I am still suffering reprecussions of my struggles with Hyperemesis. My daughter Kati now a beautiful preschooler shows now ill side effects of the battles we shared throughout the pregnancy. She was born full term at 4lbs 10oz, and it took the last three years to put her growth and weight on the charts but she is now thriving and at a very normal 25%growth on the charts.

I started vomiting when I was 7 weeks pregnant and continued to vomit until the second my daughter was born. My husband and I once counted 80 seperate trips to the bathroom in one day to vomit, but I am sure it was more than that at times. I spent most of my pregnancy hooked up to a PICC line and alone on the couch or bathroom floor. I was hospitalized four seperate times for uncontrollable vomiting and dangerously low levels of potassium and sugar due to the vomiting. I also had the unlucky experience of having severe allergic reactions to every antiemetic drug that I was given. I was eventually put on prednisone and pepcide with a side of benadryl to control the vomiting. I had an in-home nurse stop by once a week to change my dressings on my PICC site and check my urine for dehydration.

My doctors were unsympathetic and in a practice of 8 OBs all but one of them seemed to remotely care about what this was doing to me and my family. My husband worked full time and my other two boys ages 2 and 6 had to be taken to daycare; we had to borrow money from our in-laws to put my children in someone elses care because I could no longer find the strength to care for them.

My mother at one point even asked me if I was doing the vomiting on purpose and if I was anorexic. My sister printed out materials about Hyperemesis from websites but these were all very archaeic and put most of the blame on the mother and her nutritional habits. I had emergency room doctors give me lectures on proper diet and accused me of purposely not eating right. One of my OBs told me to try eating ice chips and mashed potatoes because it had worked for many other women with "morning sickness". I hated that word "morning sickness" it does not even compare to the violent vomiting and nausea that I had for almost 6 mos+. I had a nurse in my fourth month tell me that I should just have had an abortion and that this was god's way of telling me something was wrong with the baby. This was a nurse that was sent to my house to help me?

I hated myself, and I was so distressed I wanted to put myself in some sort of magical sleeping coma until the baby was born. I would wake up most nights crying and feeling like I was on some wicked roller coaster ride. Even water would not stay down. I was at one point throwing up blood in the hospital and the doctor came in and discharged me saying there was nothing else to do. I remember holding a bucket and being wheeled to my husbands waiting car in a wheel chair still vomiting as the nurse had my husband sign my discharge papers.

It was a hellish nightmare to say the very least. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy. To this day I am still struggling with those after effects. My weight sky rocketed and fatigue is a never ending partner. Dr's don't know what is wrong but I know that I have not been even a shell of myself since HG. I used to be an athelete at 105lbs. I ran 5ks, I taught gymnastics, and I enjoyed Thai kickboxing along with being a full-time working mom of two. Now I cannot walk a block without having to take a nap I can't stand to look at myself, and my marriage is dwindling. I am no longer who my husband found so attractive. I don't work and I can't go a day without a nap.

I hope family members and doctors listen to these womens stories and start to take these women seriously. It is not a case of "morning sickness" nor is it a choice of diet! Give these women kind words of encouragement. Do not push them aside as a depressive issue, it is imperative that someone pays attention to them and gives them a hug each and everyday!


Marcie
mom of three
HG survivor!

[Susannah]

I am so sorry you have continued to have health effects of the hG. Have you been tested for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue? There are diet/lifestyle/medication treatments to help alleviate the effects of FM and CFS if that is what you have. PM me if I can be of help.

[katismommy]

Yes, I have been told I have Fibromyalgia/CFS/IBS. I have also been told that this is not a "true" diagnoses, but a "trashcan" diagnoses due to process of elimination of all other possible causes.

I have been to many different physicians, internists, gyns, rheumatologists, homeopathics, psychiatrists, you name it. I have an appt with an Endocrinologist next month. I have taken antidepressants, birth control pills, thyroid medications, anti-inflamatories, guaifenesan, allergy meds, beta-blockers, vitamins, detoxifiers...and the list goes on. At this point my primary is weaning me off of medications one at a time and is going to start back at square one. I no longer have a period, and I have gained 20lbs since August, I have acne which I never had even as a teenager, I have so many ridiculous "symptoms" that I feel like a hypocondriac to mention them all.
I do not eat a lot of anything, I watch my diet but am not overly strict. I do not eat sweets, or sodas, red meats, chips, or junk foods. I eat a lot of vegetarian foods and drink lots of water. However I do splurge once or twice a month on the occasional latte -fat free, sugar free, and a piece of chocolate which I cannot deny myself! I used to body build and was a college athelete I know how to exercise and eat right, I just cannot excercise without having a major backlash of fatigue that can last for weeks afterwards. I have been gradually working up to twenty minutes a day 6 days a week. But still the weight continues to be gained.

I appreciate your ideas and look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for the reply,
katismommy

Your baby is absolutely beautiful by the way![/img]