I found out I was pregnant in November of 1996. I was very excited because
we got pregnant on the first try. I thought "How Lucky Are We!".
I was incredibly energetic and healthy until about the 5th week of pregnancy.
I started getting nausea and vomiting at all hours. At least 5 times a day
at that point. Unfortunately, my OB was not experienced in any thing other
than mild morning sickness so I was his guinea pig. He advised me to eat
crackers and drink lots of fluid.
I very quickly dehydrated and passed out at home. My husband was a traveling
sales man at that time and by chance he was home that morning. We called the
doctor and he told us to go to the outpatient center at our hospital to be
hydrated and then to go home and rest. I thought "wonderfull, this should
fix it". I was so wrong.
It continued to get worse. My doctor finally figured out I had HG after
about 20lbs of weight loss and weeks of desperation. My doctor ordered a
home health care nurse to come to my house every 2 days to insert a new IV so
that I could continue hydration from home with IV administered Phenergan
which made me a zombie. My husband would leave for an overnight trip and
find me in the same position on the couch with a bucket of vomit next to me
the next day. I never had to use the bathroom due to the severe dehydration.
My doctor consulted with another doctor and decided that the illness I had
was all in my head so the decided to try a treatment called sensory
deprevation. They placed me in a hospital room with no light, tv ,telephone
or food. No communiction from anyone including my husband. This is how I
spent my new years. I had never been so sepressed and desperate. I felt if
I would have known what I was in for I would have terminated the pregnancy.
I spent a total of 2 months alltogether in the hospital.
I never knew how serious this illness was until my home nurse advised that
the Catholic Church allows abortions due to this illness. I wanted to die.
By now I had no veins left. I needed a Central Line Cathetar to continue
hydration. This is a tube inserted into your chest directly into the
superior vena cava. After this procedure the HG became easier to deal with.
NOT EASY but easier.
I delivered my healthy daughter 6 weeks early with no other complications.
Throughtout all of this, I almost lost my husband and now I know I almost
lost my life as well as my daughters. It has made my husband and I a much
stronger couple as well as individuals. I do not recall being pregnant, just
being sick for 8 months.
I am now considering to consider having a 2nd child but in duing some
research on HG have decided to pospone my considerations.
MY DAUGHTER WAS WORTH EVERY DAY I WAS SICK, keep in mind while your suffering
that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I vomited all the way till
the day I delivered and as soon as my daughter came out, I felt 100% again.
Good Luck and hold on!
Back to HuGS!
