Replies to '04/12 Twin Tug of War'

Quote From: daisyfairside

I just had to post to say  "thank you" for bringing attention to HG as well as the effects it can have on its sufferers, including the friends and family involved. 

I am in the midst (18 weeks along) of a second HG pregnancy.  I've had four hospital visits for rehydration and treatment, Zofran since week 7, and this past week learned the excessive vomiting had caused a hernia and abdominal muscle separation.  And my HG is a very mild case!!!  I've spent many days crying on the bathroom floor, struggling to take care of my two year-old, and overwhelmed with the guilt of knowing I'm not the mother/wife I was and want to be.  I find myself too weak to function many days... there have been days that I'm sooo incredibly thirsty and starving, but can't even manage to swallow any drinks or nourishment.  Imagine having the stomach flu or food poisoning for months on end?  Can a person in such condition really be expected to make any logical decisions?  Or be capable of looking after themselves?  Forget working and managing a household... it's impossible. 

The sympathies of friends and family wear out quickly.  I can't tell you how many times I've been told "Oh, so sorry to hear you are one of the unlucky ones with morning sickness... have you tried ginger ale and crackers???"  This is more than simple vomiting... for me, it has meant constant vomiting/nausea, dehydration, rapid heart rate, shaking, weakness, constant lethargy, hot/cold flashes, and now the hernia/abdominal issue.  It's more than not keeping meals down... there's blood, bile, and more yukkiness than I had ever experienced before pregnancy.  And to those who think it's psychological... for many HGers, the symptoms began before we even knew we were pregnant, myself included.

I was not an unhealthy woman.  I was fit, walking miles and miles a day, trim, and on a very balanced healthy diet.  I began prenatals six months before conception and had a preconception check-up and labs before even considering a second pregnancy (due to my previous pregnancy and experiences with HG).  Despite my good health and best efforts, HG struck again.  I lost 10% of my body weight by week 7 of this pregnancy.  I couldn't stand up without making myself ill.  And the Zofran, while it helps, certainly did not put an end to the nausea/vomting. 

But the worst is the lack of support and being forced to second-guess myself.  And all HGers experience this to some degree.  Marriages, relationships, friendships suffer.  Family wonders why we can't "suck it up" and deal with pregnancy like every other woman does.  I've been told "What do working pregnant women do?  If they can manage, why can't you?"  Do you really think an employer would tolerate having an employee running to the bathroom hourly???  Not to mention the fact that I barely have the energy/strength to hold my head up some days.  Yes, every pregnancy is uncomfortable, that is the nature of pregnancy... but HG is not a normal pregnancy symptom and women suffering from HG should not be expected to tolerate it as a normal pregnancy happening.

I recently read of Alison Quets story... Being abroad presently (in Australia) I had not heard her story.  After hearing of her here, on Dr Phil's website, and catching up on her story online, I feel nothing but sympathy for her.  A person with a real, debilitating, life-threatening illness should never be placed in a position to make such a life-changing decision.  To be so misunderstood and placed in such a circumstance... my heart goes out to her.  HG is so often overlooked or misdiagnosed, to think of the horrible position it places so many women in is... well, it's nauseating! 

Best of luck to Alison Quets and other HGers out there... It's a battle, but a battle worth fighting.  I have one adorable daughter to show for my first HG efforts, and soon, in four months time, I'll have another reward to hold and snuggle.  Thank you, Dr Phil, for addressing this horrible illness and helping women out there who are suffering but did not yet have a name for their disease.  Bringing attention to HG has the potential to save many lives and the sanity of many suffering already.

Quote From: daisyfairside

I just had to post to say  "thank you" for bringing attention to HG as well as the effects it can have on its sufferers, including the friends and family involved. 

I am in the midst (18 weeks along) of a second HG pregnancy.  I've had four hospital visits for rehydration and treatment, Zofran since week 7, and this past week learned the excessive vomiting had caused a hernia and abdominal muscle separation.  And my HG is a very mild case!!!  I've spent many days crying on the bathroom floor, struggling to take care of my two year-old, and overwhelmed with the guilt of knowing I'm not the mother/wife I was and want to be.  I find myself too weak to function many days... there have been days that I'm sooo incredibly thirsty and starving, but can't even manage to swallow any drinks or nourishment.  Imagine having the stomach flu or food poisoning for months on end?  Can a person in such condition really be expected to make any logical decisions?  Or be capable of looking after themselves?  Forget working and managing a household... it's impossible. 

The sympathies of friends and family wear out quickly.  I can't tell you how many times I've been told "Oh, so sorry to hear you are one of the unlucky ones with morning sickness... have you tried ginger ale and crackers???"  This is more than simple vomiting... for me, it has meant constant vomiting/nausea, dehydration, rapid heart rate, shaking, weakness, constant lethargy, hot/cold flashes, and now the hernia/abdominal issue.  It's more than not keeping meals down... there's blood, bile, and more yukkiness than I had ever experienced before pregnancy.  And to those who think it's psychological... for many HGers, the symptoms began before we even knew we were pregnant, myself included.

I was not an unhealthy woman.  I was fit, walking miles and miles a day, trim, and on a very balanced healthy diet.  I began prenatals six months before conception and had a preconception check-up and labs before even considering a second pregnancy (due to my previous pregnancy and experiences with HG).  Despite my good health and best efforts, HG struck again.  I lost 10% of my body weight by week 7 of this pregnancy.  I couldn't stand up without making myself ill.  And the Zofran, while it helps, certainly did not put an end to the nausea/vomting. 

But the worst is the lack of support and being forced to second-guess myself.  And all HGers experience this to some degree.  Marriages, relationships, friendships suffer.  Family wonders why we can't "suck it up" and deal with pregnancy like every other woman does.  I've been told "What do working pregnant women do?  If they can manage, why can't you?"  Do you really think an employer would tolerate having an employee running to the bathroom hourly???  Not to mention the fact that I barely have the energy/strength to hold my head up some days.  Yes, every pregnancy is uncomfortable, that is the nature of pregnancy... but HG is not a normal pregnancy symptom and women suffering from HG should not be expected to tolerate it as a normal pregnancy happening.

I recently read of Alison Quets story... Being abroad presently (in Australia) I had not heard her story.  After hearing of her here, on Dr Phil's website, and catching up on her story online, I feel nothing but sympathy for her.  A person with a real, debilitating, life-threatening illness should never be placed in a position to make such a life-changing decision.  To be so misunderstood and placed in such a circumstance... my heart goes out to her.  HG is so often overlooked or misdiagnosed, to think of the horrible position it places so many women in is... well, it's nauseating! 

Best of luck to Alison Quets and other HGers out there... It's a battle, but a battle worth fighting.  I have one adorable daughter to show for my first HG efforts, and soon, in four months time, I'll have another reward to hold and snuggle.  Thank you, Dr Phil, for addressing this horrible illness and helping women out there who are suffering but did not yet have a name for their disease.  Bringing attention to HG has the potential to save many lives and the sanity of many suffering already.