One Year Ago...

It's so hard to believe that one year ago today, April 17, I had a baby... it still trips me out when I think about it or look at his smiling face LOL

I look at him and I think about what I went through with HG. I was so miserable for so long with so many complications that it just makes me appreciate him more, so much more in fact that I am no longer going to spend time blogging here.

I want to cherish every moment I can and I want to spend as much time with him watching him grow and laugh and play and well, you know... he's growing up so fast.

If I find any new research or news I will certainly post it here, but I think I just want to be a Mommy.

I hope that the information I have posted in my other posts will help you or someone you know. I hope you will find hope in this blog. That it will help you keep the faith, know that HG is a very serious disease but that with proper treatment you can endure.

Always,
Raynie & Zane

Trying to understand God's purpose...

Hi all...
I haven't blogged or done any podcasts in a while, and well honestly... it is because

I AM IN A FUNK.

You may have had a similar experience, or are yourself in a funk as we speak.
Let me tell you why.

In the not so far off past I worked my way to a certain position in a certain industry and admittingly it was hard work, but in a fun industry. I was a pit boss at a Casino. I had worked my way up with Harrah's, furthered my education on my own dime, and had been working for the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino (formerly the Reno Hilton) before I was diagnosed with HG.
It was a good career and when I learned I was pregnant I was relieved that I had this great career that I could provide a good life for my child. It is the same for every single Mom out there... you want to provide a good life for your child, and have a great career... the best of both worlds.

When I was diagnosed with HG, my world was turned upside down! The disease forced my resignation from a job I loved. I had no medical insurance, no income, and a baby on the way. I also had bills to pay... 3 credit cards and a gas card which I only accepted because I wanted their free gas! (LOL) My credit was decent.

Fast forward to mid pregnancy, hospitalized for the 3rd time, my dear friend, Scott, back in Reno tells me the bills are stacking up (which when you are fighting for your unborn child's life and your own... is the least of your worries!) He told me when I feel up to it to try to write a letter explaining the situation and maybe they can work with me, he'd make copies and send them all out and see what happens.

I did and in hind sight I am thinking maybe I should have paid the extra whatever for the insurance all credit cards offer... the (to quote Chris Rock) "In case shit" insurance (LOL). I have never been hospitalized in my life, never had anything worse than the common cold or flu... so why on earth would I subscribe to an insurance that I will never use, that is just a scam to get more money out of most people?

BECAUSE!!! In case shit happens like me getting some RARE pregnancy disease!!! Whoda thunk???

Whatever! I was so over it as they charged me off as a "Bad Debt"... Yes, I am now in financial ruin. BUT! The story doesn't end there.

I knew when I got better and was able to at some point return to work, I would like a phoenix rise from the ashes and rebuild my life. I could go back to my career and clean up my finances and everything would be wonderful!

WRONG

Fast forward to the past few weeks...
I applied for and was offered a great position with one of the biggest casinos in So Cal! I was sooo happy! However, a few days later... bad news... they cannot approve my gaming license (nor will any casino in So Cal)!!! Why???? Charge offs and unpaid Medical bills. They said if I paid it off I was welcome to re-apply... ok, great... how do I do that without a job? and... the position I applied for is now going to "the second best candidate" because obviously I was the best candidate or they would not have made the offer!!!

So with that feeling of elation, my bubble was burst and I am now in a FUNK...trying to figure out God's purpose! As you can see it is disturbing my sleep, keeping me up at night... my son is finally sleeping through the night, and I am up at 3:28 am worrying about...
what the @%&! (expletive) I am going to do now!

I am angry. I was robbed. I was robbed of my health, robbed of the enjoyment of pregnancy, robbed of a family, robbed of future children, and now my career.

Ahhhh...the eternal optimist in me speaks...
There must be a REASON. I dont know what it is yet, but there must be.
I know with every fiber of my being that my child is the greatest gift in my life. He is the reason I smile every day. He was meant to be and my intuition tells me that the universe conspired to make sure he came to be...and here he is.

Maybe I was on the wrong path and this is how my path is changed, so I find the right one.
I remember a quote : "God's delays are not God's denials"
I tend to be quite impatient so... perhaps it is time to learn PATIENCE... it is a virtue after all (LOL)

My son is growing up so fast and he gets frustrated sometimes when he is doing stuff...and I always tell him "patience my son, patience is a virtue", I guess it is true... when you teach you also learn!

If you are going through something similar... here is what gets me through...
think back to your darkest hour... Mine was sitting in the emergency room all alone (they wouldnt let my Mom back with me at the time) and after suffering from HG for months... having the doctor tell me at that moment my life could be in danger from a pulmonary embolism, that I could die, and I needed to choose right then and there... my life or my child's? No parent should ever have to face that. I took a chance, must have been the "gambler" in me... but sometimes faith is strong medicine. That was my darkest hour, and here WE are... my son and I.

I guess what I am trying to say is... "Keep the faith" (haha...a Padres plug!) Something i am trying hard to do right now.

Thanks for letting me vent, I'll get over this funk and back to my task soon!

Spreading the word and maybe some HOPE...

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=612690

I was contacted by the Arts Editor from the Reno News and Review about my book, Letters to Zane. He was interested in my story and I am happy to say...

This week's issue: January 10, 2008 is going to help me in my efforts of spreading awareness for this terrible pregnancy disease!

I hope one day there will be better treatment to ease the suffering of so many women, and maybe even give us some concrete answers to so many questions we have especially... Why did this happen to me?

I would like to thank:
Peter Thompson, Arts Editor, Reno News and Review
Cherie Louise Turner, Writer
Todd Upton, Photographer
and
The Reno News and Review

Thank you for making this story available to your readers and helping me spread the word on HG!

Hypnosis? I said I was sick... not CRAZY!

Hypnosis in the Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990700ap/letters.html

TO THE EDITOR:
Patients with hyperemesis gravidarum are commonly seen by family physicians. Up to 90 percent of pregnant women have symptoms of "morning sickness," and some develop full-blown hyperemesis gravidarum.1 This condition often leads to serious risks for the mother and her fetus, as well as lengthy and costly hospitalizations. Medical hypnosis may be a powerful adjunct to the typical medical treatment regimen, and empiric studies of the efficacy of this treatment approach for hyperemesis gravidarum are well documented.2-3

In a study of 138 hyperemesis gravidarum patients who were completely recalcitrant to conservative medical treatment (consisting of antiemetic drug therapy, isolation by hospitalization and intravenous rehydration), 88 percent stopped vomiting completely after one to three sessions of medical hypnosis.4 Therefore, it may not come as a surprise that medical hypnosis has also been shown to be an effective treatment for hyperemesis secondary to chemotherapy5,6 and hyperemesis secondary to "motion-sickness." In my clinical experience with hypnosis in the treatment of 30 to 40 patients with hyperemesis gravidarum, symptoms fully remitted within three or four treatment sessions in the overwhelming majority of patients.

Hypnosis may effectively treat hyperemesis gravidarum in at least two ways. One component of the treatment mechanism is that, in a hypnotic state, patients may be induced into a deep state of physiologic relaxation. This decreases sympathetic nervous system arousal, and symptoms associated with hyper-sympathetic arousal tend to remit. Further, it is well established that patients often respond to hypnotic suggestions that are independent of sympathetic or parasympathetic arousal and, interestingly, responsiveness is often independent of the patients' conscious awareness or memory of the suggestion. Patients may be given both indirect and direct suggestions to relax their stomach and throat muscles, causing their nausea, gagging and vomiting to subside. By suggesting that muscle tension in the stomach and throat and/or nausea become a hypnotic cue either to engage in particularly pleasant imagery or to hold cognitions that mentally reframe the experience, the nausea can immediately subside.

Before embarking on hypnotherapy to treat hyperemesis, patients should have a thorough medical evaluation to rule out other diagnoses. The differential diagnosis for hyperemesis gravidarum includes the following: gastroenteritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, peptic ulcer disease, pyelonephritis, fatty liver of pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, appendicitis and hyperthyroidism. Patients may also benefit from a psychiatric evaluation if psychiatric co-morbidity is suspected, in which case a referral to a mental health practitioner may be warranted. Finally, while in 1958 the American Medical Association declared hypnosis to be a legitimate form of medical treatment, it should be emphasized that only an appropriately trained practitioner of medical hypnosis should apply this treatment.

ERIC P. SIMON, PH.D.

Department of Psychology

Behavioral Medicine & Health Psychology Service

Tripler Regional Medical Center

Honolulu, Hawaii 96859

REFERENCES
Broussard CN, Richter JE. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Gastroenterol Clin North Am 1998; 27:123-51.

Torem MS. Hypnotherapeutic techniques in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. Am J Clin Hypn 1994;37:1-11.

Fuchs K. Treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum by hypnosis. Aust J Clin Hypnother Hypn 1989;10:31-42.

Fuchs K, Paldi E, Abramovici H, Peretz BA. Treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum by hypnosis. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 1980;28:313-23.

Redd WH, Andresen GV, Minagawa RY. Hypnotic control of anticipatory emesis in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. J Consult Clin Psychol 1982;50:14-9.

Redd WH, Rosenberger PH, Hendler CS. Controlling chemotherapy side effects. Am J Clin Hypn 1982;25:161-72.

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

The views expressed in this letter are almost as bad as "crackering". We dont need a Psychiatric Evaluation or visualizing pretty scenes in our minds... we need someone with all your edumacation and medical "expertise" to figure out HG and stop our suffering!

Maybe hypnosis would work for some, but I think this article makes it sound like it is all "in our minds" which no matter how many happy scenes I tried to think of my mind could not stop the physiologic junk that forced me to throw up everything including my own spit.

Subcutaneous Metoclopramide Therapy for HG?

http://www.nvp-volumes.org/p1_12.htm

"It looks like SMT is a safe alternative therapy for this condition, justifying prospective studies for an indication for nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy," Dr. Barton said. "This agent could represent a new step forward in making pregnancy more comfortable and doing so outside the hospital setting."

For their study, the investigators prospectively collected and analyzed data from January 2000 through February 2002 on 426 women who had singleton or twin gestations and had reported 5 or more days of SMT.

What is metoclopramide?

Metoclopramide increases the rate at which the stomach and intestines
move during digestion. It also increases the rate at which the stomach empties
into the intestines and increases the strength of the lower esophageal sphincter
(the muscle between the stomach and esophagus).
Metoclopramide is used to
treat diabetic gastric stasis (slow
movement of the stomach), which causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, decreased
appetite, and prolonged fullness after eating. It is also used to treat gastric
reflux or heartburn (the regurgitation of stomach acid into the esophagus),
prevention of postoperative nausea and
vomiting, prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy,
facilitation of small bowel intubation, and to facilitate x-ray examination of
the stomach and intestines. (http://www.healthline.com)

"Fifty to 80% of pregnant women will have nausea and vomiting during a pregnancy," said lead researcher John Barton, MD, researcher and clinician at Central Baptist Hospital, division of maternal-fetal medicine, in Lexington, Kentucky. "And if it feels bad enough, or is perceived to be dangerous, it can lead to emergency room visits and sometimes hospitalisation. We wanted to see if these symptoms could be controlled using another antiemetic agent not yet indicated for SMT and if such control could impact the dislocation and costs of hospital visits."

Conclusion:
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a complication that occurs in a small percentage of pregnancies but accounts for approximately 78,000 patients annually. Historically, this condition has had high costs in loss of productivity, physical and emotional sequellae, and prolonged and/or recurrent hospital admissions. The use of home subcutaneous metoclopramide therapy appears to be effective, safe, economical, and a way to treat these woeful patients in a familiar, secure, and emotionally supportive environment, which may hasten recovery.

Outcome in these patients was very encouraging. In Group I, 195 (54.7%)
patients had resolution of their hyperemesis gravidarum. This improved to 640
(75.0%) patients in Group II. These are very positive numbers for a single form
of therapy. Historically, this success rate has been achieved with hyperemesis
gravidarum patients largely through the use of multiple therapies/agents in
sequence or in combination, normally requiring prolonged or recurrent
hospitalization. Worsening of the symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum in spite of
therapy is common; however, it occurred in only 43 (14.3%) patients in Group I
and 59 (6.9%) patients in Group II. This is positive data to recommend home
subcutaneous metoclopramide therapy. The percentage of patients who discontinued therapy due to side effects remained low and fairly constant at 10.6% and 12.7%
in Groups I and II respectively

Interesting...

Hi All...
I wanted to share a couple new links I found:

http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~frederic/hg/
http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~frederic/hg/results/feb2001.html
http://www.stat.ucla.edu/~frederic/papers/hg.html

Apparently an HG study conducted in 2001/2002, just thought others may find it interesting.

In particular I think we all are VERY interested in the "reoccurance" of HG. I know I personally have been so traumatized by HG. I once wanted 2 or 3 children, but now.... I am too scared to have any more. I am scared that next time I will not make it. My life and my son's life were in danger many times over the course of this "experience", thats what I call it... not my happy baby belly days as it should have been!

So as far as this research could say based on it's limitations was the following:

3. Recurrence
From results of surveys of women with HG, one can find a
variety of statistics that appear at first glance to shed light on the question
of the recurrence rate. For example, about 40 percent of patients with HG are in
their first pregnancy, and about 45 percent of women with HG who have been
pregnant once before were treated in the hospital for HG in their prior
pregnancy.6, 7
A moment's reflection reveals that the above statistics are of
little value to the sufferer of HG who may be wondering what her chances are of
getting HG again in a later pregnancy. The only data that is directly relevant
to the recurrence rate of HG is longitudinal (i.e. data obtained by following up
on patients over many years).
Unfortunately, it appears that only one such
longitudinal study has been done on HG, and the study was very small and is now
potentially out-of-date. The study, done by J. Fitzgerald from 1938 to 1953,
examined just a few dozen women based in Aberdeen, Scotland.7 Nevertheless the
Fitzgerald study is still cited by many authors. It is important to realize
that, while numerous articles state that HG in a prior pregnancy is a risk
factor for HG in a subsequent pregnancy (e.g. 3, 6, 11), by and large the only
evidence upon which this claim is based comes from the Fitzgerald study.
Here
is a summary of Fitzgerald's recurrence data. Fitzgerald followed 159 women who
had HG in their first pregnancy. Fifty-six of these women then had another
pregnancy that was recorded by Fitzgerald, and nineteen women had two subsequent
pregnancies recorded by Fitzgerald.
• 27 of the 56 women had HG in their
second pregnancy.
• 7 of 19 women had HG in their third pregnancy.

I found some of the other results interesting, as well as saddening. If you take a look at the drug effectiveness table it lists not only drug effectiveness, but fetal loss as well. :( It makes me sad to think of going through HG only to lose your child or be forced to abort. There needs to be more research!

The "Hyperemesis Diet"

If you can keep any of it down... Here is the suggested diet that was given to me by the hospital nutritionist while I was suffering from HG

Hyperemesis Diet

Nause and/or vomiting are common during the first 3 months of pregnancy. This is also known as "morning sickness" even though it can occure any time of the day. If vomiting becomes persisitent and severe, IV fluids & electrolyte replacement is necessary to prevent complications from dehydration.

Tips for relief:

• Eat small meals or snacks every 2-3 hours
• Avoid hunger, eat before getting out of bed in the morning
• Dont skip meals
• Select low fat protein foods: Lean meats, broiled or canned fish, poultry without skin, eggs, boiled beans
• Select easily digested carbohydrates: Fruit, fruit juices, pasta, rice, potatoes, toast, crackers, dry cereals
• Drink fluids between meals rather than with meals
• Avoid fried foods or any other foods that cause stomach discomfort such as gassy or spicy foods
• Cold foods can sometimes decrease the aroma or smells that can trigger nausea
• Drink a small amount of 100% fruit juice (apple, grape, cranberry) every 1-2 hours
• Avoid drinking beverages that contain caffeine or alcohol
• Have a snack before going to bed
• Try certain salty, high fat foods such as: potatoe chips and cheese curls
• Also try cold, tart drinks such as : Lemonade

In some cases IV nutrition may be necessary to meet the nutrition needs of the mother and fetus.

I am posting this because maybe it will be helpful to some of you suffering from HG.

When I was really sick... nothing would help me and I eventually did require IV nutrition, but when I was beginning to hold some food down I literally lived on ice cream and baked potatoes for months!!

The cold of the ice cream seemed to calm my tummy and the potaoes were all I could (sometimes) keep down. Although I wouldnt recommend Ice Cream or Milkshakes when you are at your worst because nothing is worse that throwing up curdled milkshake, milk or ice cream... and good luck getting that smell out of your nose!!! which just adds to your nausea!

I also for a while ate salty ruffles potatoe chip which were more "comforting" than anything... just knowing I could keep a little handful down some days made me feel better.

Hang in there ladies... you will eventually feel good enough to eat and enjoy your pregnancies!

I remember the first time I went to a resturant I had been keeping food down for about a week, and my car sickness was subsiding, so I gave it a shot! (But...I took my bucket with me just in case) I had breakfast, an omlet and potatoes... and I can tell you it was the MOST WONDERFUL breakfast ever! LOL

I enjoyed every bite without "incident" LOL

Poster

I was looking at the funny posters on Despair.com and they have a tool that you can make your own "motivational" posters... so here is mine :)

Elaine Cho's HG Story

Hello,
My name is Elaine Cho. I live in Bothell, WA and have been married to my best friend for the past five years. We have a great house, goodpaying jobs and two loyal dogs. We were very content with our life,but last year, the in-laws started pressuring us to start a family. I had never really been comfortable around children and wanted to makesure that we got pregnant on OUR terms, and not theirs. But fortuneately for them, after all of my friends started to get pregnant, I began to have baby envy. I decided that the time was right to start trying because we had been married almost five years, and I was approaching my thirties while he was in his mid thirties. Now, all we had to do was get pregnant... easy as that!

We started trying in January of 2007, but after months of not being able to conceive, I began to worry. I have friends who have been trying for years and have undergone fertility treatments with no success. I was afraid of being one of those women who spent her entire life trying not to get pregnant, only to find out that she was sterile after deciding that she wanted children. The irony!!!

So, after six months with no luck, I decided to distract myself by looking for a new job. We decided that the timing was off, and that we could start trying again next year after I found my dream job. I had several interviews with exceptional companies all lined up, and was excited about the prospects of having a new career with a higher salary. I thought, we could finally afford that trip to Europe I hadbeen talking about!!!

No sooner did I start calling my references didI realized that I had missed my period. My periods have always been inconsistant, so I didn't think much about it. But my breasts had never been that big or tender. My husband laughed and said I was probably pregnant, but I knew that there was NO WAY I could be, because we didn't have sex until after my ovulation window. After a few days of telling myself that my period would start "any day now", I finally caved and bought a pregnancy test.

I took the first one and sat in awe as the plus sign started to come over the test strip.There was no way!!! I was grinning from ear to ear, but thought,"this test is wrong". So I pulled out the second test and tried again. Another PLUS sign!!! The first thing that came to mind was,"HOLY CRAP!!! WHO'S GOING TO HIRE ME NOW!!!". But after that passed, I was so excited. I had planned on making a special dinner with baby themed foods, like baby carrots and baby corn with small cornish hens etc., to surprise my husband.

I had purchased a onesie and a bib thatsaid "I love daddy" months before to present to him when we finally did get pregnant. It was a great plan, right? Well, I'm very impatient and easily exciteable, so I didn't get to surprise him the way I had planned. Instead, I got the onesie and bib which were already pre-wrapped and ready to go, and I woke him up from a deep slumber. I made him open the gift while he was still half asleep and took pictures of his reaction. He looked thoroughly confused and shocked. It was great!!! Once he finally got his barings, we celebrated with a little cry and a warm embrace. This was going to be a great time in our life.

So a week had passed and I was feeling wonderful!!! We decided that Iwould continue my pursuit of a new career without informing them of my pregnant state and we also decided to wait the obligitory three months before announcing the news to our friends and family. I was always hungry and my cravings were running rampid, but unlike my mom who claimed to be sick the entire 9 months of pregnancy with both my brother and I, I had no signs of morning sickness. This was GREAT!!! Or so I thought.

The Friday going into my sixth week, I started getting acid refluxafter dinner. I had never had that before, so I just assumed it was a symptom of being pregnant. No big deal. Saturday rolled around and I was extremely nauseous. I drove to the grocery store, making myself car sick, to pick up the pre-requisit morning sickness arsenal of soda crackers and ginger ale. My mom happened to call me while I was shopping and could hear the sickness in my voice. She immediately asked me if I was pregnant, to which I replied "NO".

I got home and drank the ginger ale and started to feel a lot better. My family was having a party for my uncle's 60th birthday that day, so I had to do everything I could to look normal in front of everyone. We stayed at the party for a couple hours, but the smell of the food started to bother me. I asked my husband to take me home so that I could try to sleep off the illness, but the car ride proved to be worse than the party.

I barely got back into the house when I threw up for the first time. To preface my story a bit, I have probably only thrown up five times my entire life before this pregnancy, and it was usually tequilla related, so to throw up that Saturday was a huge deal for me. After I puked, I felt much better and decided to go to bed early because my husband and I were going to drive 50 plus miles to visit his parents the next morning.

I didn't need an alarm to wake me up on Sunday, because I had projectile vomit spewing out of me in the wee, small hours of the morning. I was so sick, and depressed that I was experiencing morning sickness like this. I ran downstairs to the kitchen to get my soda crackers and ginger ale, but it didn't work. Nothing burns quite as much as ginger ale coming out your nose. I told my husband to go to his parents on his own, because there was no way I was putting myself in a car for that long a trip. Even though I felt like crap, I thought that there was no way that I could feel any worse and that it would go away in a few days. Boy was I wrong.

I had a doctor's appointment the following Monday with my primary care provider. She did some blood work to confirm my pregnancy and prescribed some B6, Unisom and Phenergan for the nausea. She printed out some information on morning sickness and warned me to take the Phenergan cautiously, as there was not enough information on the potential side effects on the baby. Basically, she made me scared to take the medication. I tried the B6 and Unisom combination but it did nothing. I took half of the Phenergan and fell asleep.

By this time, I hadn't eaten since Saturday afternoon, and had probably thrown up 8 or 10 times. My husband urged me to eat, but nothing looked, smelled or sounded any good. In fact, by this point, his smell started making me ill. The next morning I started vomitting bile and dry heaving every five minutes. My husband called the OBGYN to set my initial appointment and told them how bad my condition was. They told him to get me to the ER right away for hydration therapy.

I was bawling my eyes out because I didn't want to get in the car, but he was adamant that we go. Upon arriving at the ER, I found out that I had lost 8 pounds in the three days that I felt sick. They gave me a shot of Zofran and put four litters of IV in me. I slept the entire time and was so hungry by the time I woke up. The ER doctor gave my husband a print out on Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and told him that it was important to make sure that I was hydrated. They sent me home with a prescription of Zofran and set me up with an appointment at the OBGYN's office for that Thursday.

When I got home, I ate two crackers, threw them up, and tried to sleep. But the nausea robbed me of that as well. I just sat up crying all night thinking, "how am I going to do this?". My husband finally gave up and called my mom, hoping that she could get me to eat. She had no idea that I was pregnant, so she was both thrilled and worried when she got the news. She rushed to the house to be by my side, and force fed me a milkshake. She retold her pregnancy horror story and apologized forgiving me her genes. Having her there made me feel calm and relaxed and I was able to fall asleep in her arms. After she left though, it started all over again.

By Thursday, I had lost 14 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. The doctor seemed empathetic and started me on a higher dose of Zofran and Phenergan. I felt more at ease about taking the drugs because the specialist was prescribing it. She told me I could take it every eight hours, which was better than the once a day regimine I was on. However, I didn't feel any better so on Friday, I went to an acupuncturist.

I was willing to try anything and everything to make myself feel better. While the acupuncturist was placing the needles in my ears, head, wrists, stomache and feet, I felt the sudden urge to vomit. But the woman twisted the needles slightly in place and the sensation went away. Hallalujah!!! I thought I had found the cure. For two whole hours after the session, I was on cloud nine. My husband and I went to McDonalds where I ordered a Fillet O' Fish and Seven-Up. It took me two hours to finish it, but I swear, it was like manna from heaven:)

That day was our five year anniversary and we had dinner reservations at a very exclussive restaraunt. I was so happy that I was feeling better and that we would be able to make it to dinner, when it all hit me again. Needless to say, we have yet to celebrate our fifth year. Anyway, I went to the acupuncturists dilligently, every day for a full week with only minimal benefit. I would be saved for a couple hours a day, but the rest of the day was committed to vomitting. I was now throwing up on average, upwards of forty times a day.

On my second visit to the OB's, they decided that I needed home IV treatment. They set me up with Matria for IV and subcutanious Zofran. But somehow the wires got crossed, and the started me on IV and Reglan. Well, the Reglan did nothing but cause me to become extremely anxious and nervous. My emetic episodes were more severe and now I couldn't even sleep. After 26 hours of straight vomitting, I called my doctor's office in hystarics. They told me to come in right away to get hospitalized. My husband drove me to the office looking like death. Neither one of us had slept, and his patience with me was waining.

When we walked into the office, they rushed me into a patient room and the doctor came in soon after. She discussed all treatment options including termination. At that moment, the idea of aborting the baby to feel normal sounded great. She said that I should be admitted to the hospital for observation that night, but I didn't want to. I just couldn't stop crying for some reason, so my husband made the decision for me and had me admitted.

One night became "just through the weekend" to maybe one more night, and the next thing you knew, I was there for a full week. My husband started the paperwork with my company to get me on short term disability and my doctor gave me the worst news I could've ever heard. She told me that I did in fact have hyperemesis, and that the majority of women suffering with the illness experienced it through at least the first five months. WHAT!!!

She said that she was not comfortable sending me home without an IV which meant that I would have to have a PICC line put into my arm. I was not happy about this at all, but what other option did I have. While in the hospital, they had me on a steady dose of Anzemet and Reglan, and I was able to eat several small meals throughout the day. I had put about four pounds back on thanks to the IV and was looking a lot less like death warmed over, so they were ready to send me home.

So that long drawn story took me to about week nine or ten. From there, I was successfully treated at home with the IV, Anzemet andReglan regiment. I was still throwing up about twenty times a day,but in the comfort of my own home. I couldn't more than two hours a day thanks to the Reglan, I couldn't watch TV because it was overstimulating, but I was slowly getting on the mend. At 19 weeks, I started to feel like a new woman. I was down to only five emetic episodes per day, and by week 20 the PICC line was removed. I am now at week 25 and still throwing up at least once a day, but I am completely off the meds and am sleeping a solid four to five hours aday. I can feel my baby girl move inside me, which has made this experience all worth while.

My husband and I had always said that we would like three kids, but sadly, I don't know if I could do this again. I just wouldn't feel right, allowing my daughter to see me in that state. How could I care for her when I can't care for myself, and would she have harsh feelings towards the baby that is making her mommy so sick? Anyway,that was my LONG story. I still have a ways to go, but now I know I can survive it!

Podcast: Episode 4 Book Reading

Episode 4 Book Reading

Today's reading from my book, Letters to Zane, included:
Page 34, A letter dated August 18, 2006
Page 35, A letter dated August 19, 2006 thru August 21, 2006

Also, the continuation of my adventures with HG : "How debilitating HG is and My Flight Home."

Also visit my activist page:
http://my.care2.com/lokelani33
Sign my petition to encourage government funding of much needed HG research!

I am looking for women to share their HG Stories!
If you have suffered from HG and want to tell your story please email me : letterstozane@yahoo.com

Have A Happy Turkey Day!
Sorry for the not so great quality of this week's recording...still figuring out this mic!

New Avatars

Hi All...
Here are a few new avatars :)
Feel free to use them but please do not link directly to the pic!
Right Click and save to your computer.

Episode 3 Podcast available...

Episode 3 is up! It includes:

Pages 27, A letter dated August 12, 2006
Pages 32, A letter dated August 16, 2006

Also, the continuation of my adventures with HG : "My hair falling out & resigning from my job."

Dont forget to visit my activist page:http://my.care2.com/lokelani33

Sign my petition to encourage government funding of much needed HG research!

Also! I am looking for women to share their HG Stories!
If you have suffered from HG and want to tell your story on my podcast please email me : letterstozane@yahoo.com

Theories, Theories everywhere...

But no cure yet for us...

Here are some theories of where HG may come from:

What causes hyperemesis gravidarum remains unknown despite active research.
The more popular theories are categorized into 3 areas:

Hormonal
Elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or a component of this hormone may play a role in inducing vomiting. This hormone has been shown to be in women with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Thyrotoxicosis or hyperthyroidism is also believed to be associated with hyperemesis gravidarum. A portion of the hCG hormone, called beta-hCG, is thought to stimulate an increase in serum thyroid hormones, which are associated with hyperemesis in pregnant women. It is not known whether this is a cause or effect of hyperemesis.

Another hormone thought to be the involved is serotonin. This is a brain chemical that affects both the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These effects are believed to induce vomiting. During pregnancy, the upper GI tract may slow down and thus contribute to increased nausea and vomiting. Several studies have shown that this slowdown in the GI tract is increased in pregnant women with severe vomiting.

Gastrointestinal
Helicobacter pylori bacteria that live in the intestinal tract may cause the development of peptic ulcer disease. These bacteria are found in a greater percentage among pregnant women and greater still in those with hyperemesis gravidarum. Antibiotics are used to treat all these conditions.

Psychosocial
Although the idea is controversial, some researchers think the condition may be a woman's psychological reaction against the pregnancy and might arise from conflict within the family and her home environment. In these cases, counseling has been used.

http://www.emedicine.com/aaem/topic260.htm