PSA: Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Just a public service announcement about Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). Do you know what it is? Most people do not. As a sufferer, I wish there was more public awareness of this disease. Lots of good information can be found here about it. Wikipedia defines it as "unrelenting, excessive pregnancy-related nausea and/or vomiting that prevents adequate intake of food and fluids." I think of it more as non-consensual bulimia. It's like having the stomach flu or food poisoning for months on end, really. It's thought that about 2% of pregnant women suffer from it.

A little comparison between morning sickness and HG:

Morning Sickness	Hyperemesis Gravidarum
You lose little if any weight.	You lose 5-20 pounds or more. (> 5% of pre-pregnancy weight)
Nausea and vomiting do not interfere with your ability to eat or drink enough each day.	Nausea and vomiting cause you to eat very little and get dehydrated from vomiting if not treated.
You vomit infrequently and the nausea is episodic but not severe. It may cause discomfort and misery.	You vomit often and may vomit bile or blood if not treated. Nausea is usually moderate to severe and constant.
Dietary and/or lifestyle changes are enough to help you feel better most of the time.	You will probably require fluid hydration through a vein and/or medications to stop the vomiting.
You typically will improve gradually after the first trimester, but may be a little queasy at times during the remainder of your pregnancy.	You usually feel somewhat better by mid-pregnancy, but you may continue to be nauseous and/or vomit until late pregnancy.
You will be able to work most days and care for your family.	You will likely be unable to work for weeks or months, and may need help caring for yourself.

I had it with my daughter. I started throwing up at 4.5 weeks. Stopped at just shy of 39 weeks when she was delivered. There were 10 days in between that I hadn't thrown up at least once. It was frustrating, to say the least. I lost almost 25 lbs the first 5 months. My doctor dismissed it as being one of the unlucky women who was sick the whole time (although she did prescribe drugs to help). Fortunately, my schedule was flexible and I was able to stay home most of the time in my drug induced comatose state with a bucket nearby.

I'm expecting again. Have HG, again. Have a new doctor that has been aggressive in treating it from very early on. I've seen my doctor almost weekly for weight checks, ketones in urine, blood draws for malnutrition, hydration, etc. My elbow pits (yes, that's what I call them) are finally feeling/looking like normal from having needles in them. I've actually started to feel like I'm not dying. However, I'm still sick. It's just instead of throwing up 10-20+ times per day, I throw up 3-5ish times per day.

Maybe the most important part of this PSA, things not to say to me (or I might just hurl on you):

1.Try eating crackers, ginger, dry cereal etc.
Really? You mean I threw up for 35 weeks with my daughter and 13+ weeks so far this time and this was all I needed to do? Um, I can't keep down my own saliva. I've tried eating these things. The result: I throw them up.

2. You just have to keep eating. Just keep something in your stomach.
See reply above.

3. I had morning sickness too. You'll feel better in a few weeks.
I'd like to believe I'll feel better in a few weeks. If by 'few', you mean 20, you're right. I will hopefully be enjoying a little newborn then. And, I don't want to hear about your nausea and throwing up 3 times but feeling like you were going to vomit. I wasn't exaggerating when I compared HG to having the stomach flu or food poisoning for months on end. I'm sorry that you didn't feel well, but unless you had HG I can guarantee you it's not the same and I feel worse.

4. At least you will not have a lot of weight to lose after the pregnancy.
That's true. I weighed less than I did pre-pregnancy when I left the hospital with my daughter. However, I would rather gain 70 lbs and have to exercise for 4 years to lose it than feel like crap all of the time.

5. You should try to not take so much medicine.
If I don't take it (sometimes even if I do) I will end up in the hospital with IVs in my arm.

6. Exercise will help, go for a walk.
Okay, I usually don't have strength to get from my bed or couch to the toilet and have a bucket nearby but let me go for a brisk constitutional around the block. On good days I might make it downstairs to do laundry and throw up promptly upon my return back upstairs.

7. What do you want to eat? Do you want to go to lunch/dinner sometime?
Food doesn't taste very good the second time around. I'm at a point where the idea of eating is depressing and nauseating. Yes I still eat, but it's more of a chore. I have already had to apologize more than I'd like to restaurant staff when I haven't made it to the restroom.

8. It will all be worth it.
Yes, it will be worth it. However, I don't need someone else to tell me this. Maybe it's just the pregnant, emotional me, but when people say this I feel like they are completely dismissing how I feel now.

In addition, I appreciate contact from the outside world since I don't get out much. Generally, I don't want to see you in person unless I feel comfortable in my pajamas throwing up in a bucket in front of you (which there are very few people that qualify) or I am having a good day and feel somewhat decent. I also don't feel like talking on the phone much, but texts and emails are always good.

Hopefully this PSA has been informative. If not, at least is was somewhat therapeutic for me to write it. Just remember that with me and others, this disease is real. It's not something that is a consequence of action (other than becoming pregnant) or lack of will power. The suffering that comes as a result is not a choice any more than having cancer, MS, or other diseases. The best thing that you can do as a friend or family of someone suffering is to be nice, be as understanding as possible and be willing to help.