Quote From: daisyfairsideI 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.
I just read your post and thought it was me writing it! I would like to talk to you about the abdominal separation. I recently had surgery for it and want to pass on the info. I also had a huge ventral hernia and my abdominal wall never closed- Email me at pattyk813@hotmail.com with subject HG. I want to tell as many people as I can about this! If anything I would like to make a friend online with someone who is so simular to me. I am still recovering and my kids are 4 and 1. Hope you had a good day -
Allison Quets made headlines around the world when she allegedly kidnapped her 17-month-old twins across the border into Canada this past Christmas. She had given them up for adoption, but did she do so under duress? She now says she suffered from a pregnancy disease called hyperemesis that left her malnourished and sleep deprived to the point of complete exhaustion. See an exclusive interview with Allison from behind bars where she awaits trial on two counts of international parental kidnapping, with a possible sentence of three years behind bars. Then, look inside the life of a woman who is only three-and-a-half months pregnant and so sick with hyperemesis she spends most of her day on the bathroom floor. Plus, find out what all women need to know about hyperemesis: How you get it, how to know you have it, and whether it could kill you or your unborn child. Join the discussion.
