As I was telling J. yesterday, I have been really bad about keeping up this blog. Someone suggested that the way to get my blog more "out there" on the web was to post constantly, an idea with which I heartily concur, but so far I'm managing more like once a week. I've been really bad about posting my research as well. I have an entire notebook, and I need to buckle down and get more of it on this blog.
But anyhow, I just wrote a longer version of my own HG story for posting on another HG site that solicits stories, and I thought that I might as well post it here! At least it makes for another blog entry that I don't have to do massive amounts of work for (work's already done!).
For any HG mums out there, I have already said this before, but it bears repeating: Compared to many of you, my version of HG was very minor. No hospital visits, etc. So if you're looking at for the dramatic stuff, you'll have to search elsewhere! But anywhere, this should hopefully give non-HG people a nice glimpse of this oh-so-yummy condition. Here it is! ............
We decided to try to have a baby in March of 2005, so I went off the pill and we were pregnant almost immediately. Having little to no knowledge of pregnancy, I missed the signs that I was carrying a pregnancy doomed to miscarriage (a “blighted ovum”) – a lack of pregnancy symptoms and a weak positive test. I miscarried at eight weeks.
One warning sign which I completely missed until it was revealed by hindsight was the fact that although I had no other pregnancy symptoms, I did have nausea – almost to the point of throwing up. With a should-be-symptomless blighted ovum pregnancy, this should not have happened. Preview of coming attractions….
We decided to try again, and I only had one period before testing positive. It was a strong positive test with immediate pregnancy symptoms, so we were much more hopeful. We were very, very excited. We told everyone right away (with our first baby, we had waited to tell everyone, and had ended up telling our family the night before I miscarried, and didn’t get around to telling our church family until it was too late).
Everything went swimmingly for a week or two. I called around excitedly looking for a childbirth preparation class. When I spoke to one teacher, she asked me if I had had any morning sickness. I replied that I had not. She said, “Well, don’t worry – it’s mostly in women’s heads anyway!” I agreed oh-so-cheerfully.
My morning sickness came on gradually – a slow, surging tide. At first it was so slight as to seem imaginary. Then it got worse, but it didn’t stop getting worse – it just kept going. At first I tried to follow all the unhelpful advice they give – eat what you can, eat often, eat dry crackers, etc. The week when we knew something was definitely wrong was somewhere around week 6. I dragged myself in to work on Tuesday and Wednesday (I work 10 hours a week at our church) and sat staring blearily at the computer screen, dutifully nibbling dry crackers. I threw up for the first time at work. By Thursday, I was almost too sick to move. I was supposed to do a two-day training at a Crisis Pregnancy Center, but I just couldn’t do it. I called the coordinator and told her that I didn’t think I could even make it out to my car without collapsing, let alone do an all-day training. I went back to bed and stayed there (except for long bouts of lying on the bathroom floor throwing up and begging God for relief). By this time I wasn’t throwing anything up – just dry heaving. I had stopped eating and drinking for several days because it only came right back up, and the smell and thought of food was overwhelmingly repugnant.
By Friday night we both knew that (a) this wasn’t normal, and (b) something was seriously wrong. By then I had lost somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds. Joe called our midwife and told her what was going on. Her advice was direct – Give up all solid foods, try liquids-only for 24 hours, and after that head to the hospital. Joe headed to the store and bought Ensure and Gatorade, and I held my breath and forced them down.
Thank God, that did the trick for at least getting it under control. I didn’t feel better – in fact, I continued to feel worse. But the vicious cycle of uncontrollable vomiting was stopped, and I only threw up a reasonable amount of times per day.
After a week on the liquid diet, I decided that I must be better by then, and decided to try the “eat what sounds good” theory (food was oddly attractive, even though it was revolting at the same time – kind of a weird combination). So I spent a day eating whatever I wanted (fried fish, 7-layer burrito). It took me about a week to recover!!! I was horribly, horribly sick. After that, I had learned my lesson – I didn’t try solid food again. (And incidentally, I have never again eaten either fried fish or a 7-layer-burrito! Ugh.) I did try a bite or two of something once or twice, but each time I was overwhelmingly sick for at least 48 hours afterwards, so I soon learned to stay away from solid foods.
From then on, my diet consisted of Ensure, Boost, Slimfast, and Jell-O. Once an hour, on the hour, I would go over to the fridge, hold my nose, and quickly gulp down half a Boost and a couple spoonfuls of Jell-O. If I didn’t watch the clock carefully, I would start throwing up when my stomach got empty. It was revolting, but it did bring a measure of relief. I also had to get up in the middle of the night to eat – I couldn’t get through the night without it. A couple of times when I got up I fainted, which was definitely an interesting experience – I’d wake up on the floor with an aching head and ringing ears thinking, “How on earth did I get here?” LOL I much preferred fainting to throwing up – much more romantic, much less unpleasant.
Extreme fatigue was a huge issue. For the first trimester or so, I just slept. The most I could manage was a shower most days and brushing my teeth once a day. Those two activities were absolutely exhausting. I did manage (somehow, I’ll never know how) to keep attending church and to keep working my 10 hours at the church. However, my “work” was basically just staring at the computer screen trying not to throw up. Had I had a normal job, I would have had to quit, and had I had a strict boss, I probably would have been fired. (Thank you, Pastor Jon!) As I started to feel a bit better, I spent some of the time in bed reading. A dear friend, C., lent me all of her Agatha Christie books that I didn’t have, and I read them endlessly.
Our life pretty much fell apart during this time. We didn’t participate in any church or social activities, have friends over, or go places. We had to back out of all social commitments. Our life consisted of sitting around at night watching endless movies (in between my trips to the bathroom) and even-more-endless episodes of Sherlock Holmes (we had a complete set, and boy, were they boring – and that’s coming from a big Sherlock Holmes fan).
Joe had to do all of the laundry, errands, and shopping. Housework didn’t get done at all – I didn’t vacuum, dust, wash, or do anything else for over six months. Yuck!! Joe pretty much ate junk food and TV dinners, since he’s not one to cook on his own. He had to make his coffee in the bathroom with the door closed and the fan on, and I went into the bedroom and shut the door whenever he put anything in the microwave or oven. Oh, food smells! How they can drive one up a wall!! I had to avoid my beloved cooking magazines, too, as reading about food made me nauseous. (And I’ve never been able to enjoy coffee properly since!)
The memory of almost anything connected with that time still has the ability to make me mildly nauseated – things like the thought of our apartment, things we had around, etc. We bought a CD during my sickest time that we had on a lot, and listening to that CD is still unpleasant to this day because it brings back memories of nausea! Weird!
We expected the nausea to disappear magically after the first trimester. Needless to say, it didn’t. The real point where it finally started to improve was around 20 weeks. Somewhere around then I also started to eat. By then I was ravenously hungry, and my biological need to chew things was driving me insane. I could have chewed on our cat at that point – and enjoyed it! I think I ate more my third trimester than I ever have since! I had an especial fascination for hamburgers (which had never interested me before).
The list of things that I could tolerate grew slowly. Firstly it was (oddly enough) white bread and spiced pork products (especially barbecue). We spent a fortune on Tom’s Barbecue (which, again, I have never wanted since, and I have to hold my nose when Joe gets it!). Then bagels, ice cream, scrambled eggs – I was eating like it was going out of style. If you’ve ever been on a liquid diet, you know the feeling!!
By the time I started to come out of it, I was extremely weak. I couldn’t even walk slowly over level ground without gasping for breath, since I’d basically been on body-mandated bed rest for months. Also, my body was just worn out. I didn’t actually feel completely better until our baby was about 15 months old.A real God-send at this time was a work trip for Joe to Virginia on which I was able to accompany him. We were gone for two and a half weeks, and I was able to leave my normal responsibilities behind and truly rest, in beautiful surroundings with lots of wildlife and time for walking and getting back to normal. The difference in my body between the time we left and the time we came back was night and day – I felt like I could face life and was much healthier than when we left.
Our baby was born at home, healthy and at normal weight, three days after my estimated due date. I was still a mess, physically, but he came out of the whole experience swimmingly – never better.
The nausea and occasional vomiting lasted until birth, and then rapidly decreased during the first week postpartum. However, it took a good year for it to completely dissipate (occasional spurts of mild nausea would appear randomly) and now (2 years postpartum) I am not sure that it is even yet completely gone. I seem to be much more prone to nausea than I was pre-conception (when hungry, etc.).
In a lot of ways, writing a story about HG for anyone who has not experienced it is an exercise in futility. For one, there is just no way to communicate the feeling of HG - the unstoppable, unremitting nausea that just overwhelms one to the point of desperation. Although I never, never, condone abortion, HG is one situation for which I can say, "I understand." (Not encourage or approve, but understand.) I've been there. Also, it is simply impossible to communicate the utter despair and hopelessness that come with this condition. There's just no way. Until someone's been down this dark path, communicating the depths to which it can take one is largely hopeless - even to one's much-loved friends and family.
I have read HG stories that absolutely make my hair curl, and I am so thankful that I do not personally know the depths to which HG can take a person. In terms of HG, I was lucky. I stayed out of the hospital and off of anti-emetics. I didn’t have to deal with IV’s, PICC lines, TPN, or any of that jazz. But even so, HG was the worst experience of my life, physically and spiritually, and the thought of it occurring again fills me with overwhelming, sickening fear and panic. I am still trying to sort myself out afterwards and come to grips with the possibility of recurrence.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Book Review: "Beyond Morning Sickness: Battling Hyperemesis Gravidarum"
This is the review as I have posted it on Amazon.com. I really cannot say enough in praise of this book! Here goes:
"Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of “morning sickness” which is characterized by one or all of the following: unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting, dehydration and/or malnutrition, rapid weight loss, and the inability to keep food and/or liquids down (or even eat at all).
If you are reading this review, you are most likely suffering from HG, a past sufferer from HG, or the friend, relative or caregiver of someone suffering with HG.
If that is the case, here is my recommendation: Before you read any further, stop, go back to the top of the page (on Amazon), and order “Beyond Morning Sickness: Battling Hyperemesis Gravidarum.” You need this book.
As a matter of fact, order a couple. One for you, one for your doctor or caregiver, and one for family members. If you’re exorbitantly rich, buy a small stack and hand them out to every insensitive person who says, through word or deed, “Oh come on. We all dealt with morning sickness. Stop whining and get over it.”
After my own relatively-minor bout of HG, I started looking for answers. Where does it come from? What can we do about it? Well, no one knows the answer to the first question (theories abound), and there are multiple answers to the second (although each person requires specialized treatment – what works for one may not work for another). This book deals in depth with treatment options for HG, from the minor to the life-saving, giving details, risks, procedure descriptions, drug information, and oodles of personal testimonies.
I first found Ashli McCall through her excellent blog, which details her fourth trip through this fiendish disease:
http://www.hyperemesisgravidarum.blogspot.com/
There is literally no experience having to do with HG that this amazing woman has not dealt with, from the amusing to the tragic. She is truly the be-all-end-all in terms of knowledge about this disease, because she has dealt with almost every drug, treatment and procedure for HG that currently exists. One of the best parts about this book is the realization that “Oh my gosh, someone FINALLY understands!!” HG sufferers know firsthand the infuriating comments that we get by the handful:
“Oh yeah, I had bad morning sickness too. Couldn’t eat bacon for weeks.”
“Go outside and get some fresh air. You’ll be fine.”
“Stop thinking about yourself so much. You’re making yourself sick. Just snap out of it.”
“Eat crackers and drink ginger ale.”
Due to the rarity of this condition, most people have not heard of it. When you combine that with the fact that most women have dealt with some sort of morning sickness at one point or another, that adds up to a bad combination – and the result is that HG sufferers almost never get taken seriously, by friends/family/coworkers/general acquaintances or by doctors and caregivers. By outsiders, HG is seen as the subject of an amusing joke. “She’s really making a fuss over such a common thing. She needs to get over it.” etc. etc. etc. This book is incredibly validating in that it gives me something to give to people and say, “Here. Read this!” For myself as well, it was a very healing process to learn that there are other people out there who have been through this nightmare (and, let me say, with versions of HG that made mine look like a bad sneeze).
I recommend that one have this book in hand whenever one is dealing with the medical community. My husband and I are thinking of trying to get through a second pregnancy, and I will be taking this book with me everywhere I go.
Especially helpful are some of the appendices – There is an appendix of antiemetic drugs, with all of their classifications, alternate names, and information. There are also lists of books and websites that are of invaluable assistance to address the needs of HG women.
This is the best book that I have read on the subject, and I HIGHLY recommend it. You cannot afford to be without this book.
Thank you, Ashli!!!
"Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of “morning sickness” which is characterized by one or all of the following: unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting, dehydration and/or malnutrition, rapid weight loss, and the inability to keep food and/or liquids down (or even eat at all).
If you are reading this review, you are most likely suffering from HG, a past sufferer from HG, or the friend, relative or caregiver of someone suffering with HG.
If that is the case, here is my recommendation: Before you read any further, stop, go back to the top of the page (on Amazon), and order “Beyond Morning Sickness: Battling Hyperemesis Gravidarum.” You need this book.
As a matter of fact, order a couple. One for you, one for your doctor or caregiver, and one for family members. If you’re exorbitantly rich, buy a small stack and hand them out to every insensitive person who says, through word or deed, “Oh come on. We all dealt with morning sickness. Stop whining and get over it.”
After my own relatively-minor bout of HG, I started looking for answers. Where does it come from? What can we do about it? Well, no one knows the answer to the first question (theories abound), and there are multiple answers to the second (although each person requires specialized treatment – what works for one may not work for another). This book deals in depth with treatment options for HG, from the minor to the life-saving, giving details, risks, procedure descriptions, drug information, and oodles of personal testimonies.
I first found Ashli McCall through her excellent blog, which details her fourth trip through this fiendish disease:
http://www.hyperemesisgravidarum.blogspot.com/
There is literally no experience having to do with HG that this amazing woman has not dealt with, from the amusing to the tragic. She is truly the be-all-end-all in terms of knowledge about this disease, because she has dealt with almost every drug, treatment and procedure for HG that currently exists. One of the best parts about this book is the realization that “Oh my gosh, someone FINALLY understands!!” HG sufferers know firsthand the infuriating comments that we get by the handful:
“Oh yeah, I had bad morning sickness too. Couldn’t eat bacon for weeks.”
“Go outside and get some fresh air. You’ll be fine.”
“Stop thinking about yourself so much. You’re making yourself sick. Just snap out of it.”
“Eat crackers and drink ginger ale.”
Due to the rarity of this condition, most people have not heard of it. When you combine that with the fact that most women have dealt with some sort of morning sickness at one point or another, that adds up to a bad combination – and the result is that HG sufferers almost never get taken seriously, by friends/family/coworkers/general acquaintances or by doctors and caregivers. By outsiders, HG is seen as the subject of an amusing joke. “She’s really making a fuss over such a common thing. She needs to get over it.” etc. etc. etc. This book is incredibly validating in that it gives me something to give to people and say, “Here. Read this!” For myself as well, it was a very healing process to learn that there are other people out there who have been through this nightmare (and, let me say, with versions of HG that made mine look like a bad sneeze).
I recommend that one have this book in hand whenever one is dealing with the medical community. My husband and I are thinking of trying to get through a second pregnancy, and I will be taking this book with me everywhere I go.
Especially helpful are some of the appendices – There is an appendix of antiemetic drugs, with all of their classifications, alternate names, and information. There are also lists of books and websites that are of invaluable assistance to address the needs of HG women.
This is the best book that I have read on the subject, and I HIGHLY recommend it. You cannot afford to be without this book.
Thank you, Ashli!!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Babies, Babies Everywhere
Something weird is happening.... All the babies at church who were born around the time that Caleb was born are now getting siblings. How weird is THAT? I feel a combination of incredulity, envy and amazement.
We had a huge rash of babies the year that Caleb was born at our church - about eight, to be specific - which was nothing short of amazing, considering that we only have about a hundred people at our church! (I'm also counting the pastor's daughter, who attends a different church.) And if we counted grandbabies (whose mums aren't connected at the church), that number would more than double!! But of those babies, let's see..... one mum is open to another, two are done (but had babies again when their first babies were C's age), one is done involuntarily (hubbie abandoned them), one just had another baby (wow!!!), and two are pregnant!!! And the three that are/were pregnant had babies at least six months to a year younger than Caleb. Wow!!!
After experiencing childbirth, my first thought was that women, as a species, must be first-class chumps to ever be willing to do it again. I still maintain that thought, but the sad fact is that I have joined that class of forgetful women - I'd be willing to do it again too. First of all, I'd like a chance to do a better job at labor. I don't think I did that great of a job. Now that I know what it's really like, I want to take a proper childbirth class (Bradley or the like) and practice like HECK. I also want to get another doula (I loved my doula, but I want one who is much more intensely involved -I probably should have told her that, but I didn't know until afterwards). I'm also excited about trying for a waterbirth this time (didn't quite make it last time - got out for the last hour or so). Also, second babies have a reputation for being fast!!! So maybe I wouldn't have to repeat the whole 18-hour thing. That, and we absolutely adore our midwife, so we love spending time with her, and she is so awesome at births. I love her non-interference and the fact that she made gentle suggestions rather than commands. I didn't have to fight off nurses with pain control, IV's, directed pushing, electronic fetal monitoring and all that nonsense. But that's the subject of another blog!!
So anyway, childbirth does make me somewhat nervous to consider again, but I am also somewhat excited about doing it again. What really, really, really scares me is the possibility of HG again. I don't think anyone ever says that she wants another chance to get severe food poisoning and "do a better job at it." Like heck!!! The thought of recurrence is enough to give me the beginning of a panic attack. But frankly, I don't think anyone who hasn't been there can really understand the despair and the hopelessness. I could just sit here talking all day and it still wouldn't really resonate with people. We need a medication that could replicate HG for a day! That way when someone says, "Oh come on, we've all had morning sickness," we could say, "Mm hmm. Try this and see what you think." But enough negativity.
Moving on, I can only say that I am really impressed by the number of women who are willing to jump back in to the pregnancy journey after doing it so recently. Hats off to them! Seriously, though... On a practical note, I don't know how they do it. I'm so tired all the time now just with one toddler!!! I don't know how I would do it with a toddler and a newborn.
Well, as usual I have a ton to say, but the clock is ticking and I have a TON that needs to be done before our little guy gets up. It'll have to wait!!!
We had a huge rash of babies the year that Caleb was born at our church - about eight, to be specific - which was nothing short of amazing, considering that we only have about a hundred people at our church! (I'm also counting the pastor's daughter, who attends a different church.) And if we counted grandbabies (whose mums aren't connected at the church), that number would more than double!! But of those babies, let's see..... one mum is open to another, two are done (but had babies again when their first babies were C's age), one is done involuntarily (hubbie abandoned them), one just had another baby (wow!!!), and two are pregnant!!! And the three that are/were pregnant had babies at least six months to a year younger than Caleb. Wow!!!
After experiencing childbirth, my first thought was that women, as a species, must be first-class chumps to ever be willing to do it again. I still maintain that thought, but the sad fact is that I have joined that class of forgetful women - I'd be willing to do it again too. First of all, I'd like a chance to do a better job at labor. I don't think I did that great of a job. Now that I know what it's really like, I want to take a proper childbirth class (Bradley or the like) and practice like HECK. I also want to get another doula (I loved my doula, but I want one who is much more intensely involved -I probably should have told her that, but I didn't know until afterwards). I'm also excited about trying for a waterbirth this time (didn't quite make it last time - got out for the last hour or so). Also, second babies have a reputation for being fast!!! So maybe I wouldn't have to repeat the whole 18-hour thing. That, and we absolutely adore our midwife, so we love spending time with her, and she is so awesome at births. I love her non-interference and the fact that she made gentle suggestions rather than commands. I didn't have to fight off nurses with pain control, IV's, directed pushing, electronic fetal monitoring and all that nonsense. But that's the subject of another blog!!
So anyway, childbirth does make me somewhat nervous to consider again, but I am also somewhat excited about doing it again. What really, really, really scares me is the possibility of HG again. I don't think anyone ever says that she wants another chance to get severe food poisoning and "do a better job at it." Like heck!!! The thought of recurrence is enough to give me the beginning of a panic attack. But frankly, I don't think anyone who hasn't been there can really understand the despair and the hopelessness. I could just sit here talking all day and it still wouldn't really resonate with people. We need a medication that could replicate HG for a day! That way when someone says, "Oh come on, we've all had morning sickness," we could say, "Mm hmm. Try this and see what you think." But enough negativity.
Moving on, I can only say that I am really impressed by the number of women who are willing to jump back in to the pregnancy journey after doing it so recently. Hats off to them! Seriously, though... On a practical note, I don't know how they do it. I'm so tired all the time now just with one toddler!!! I don't know how I would do it with a toddler and a newborn.
Well, as usual I have a ton to say, but the clock is ticking and I have a TON that needs to be done before our little guy gets up. It'll have to wait!!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
"Beyond Morning Sickness": Preview of a Review
Well, I started devouring "Beyond Morning Sickness" yesterday, and got through about the first hundred and thirty pages or so. I will post a review on this site as soon as I get through it and have a day or two to think through it. It is one of the most awesome books I have read! It is absolutely incredible.
However, I think I'm already going to have to give it a break for a day or so, just because this book is so heart-wrenching to read. Some of the personal stories that included are absolutely horrifying. For one thing, many women experience the same thing in the medical world that one experiences in the the personal world - getting the big brush-off from unsympathetic doctors who tell them, "You're not sick, you're just pregnant. Go home and stop whining." Or "Stop wasting my time so I can deal with people who are really sick." Or "Go outside, get some fresh air, eat saltines, and stop bothering me." Grrrrr. And one of the tragic realities of HG is that many of the severe cases end in abortion, even with the most wanted of wanted babies. As an adamant pro-lifer who is already grieved and sickened by the abortion industry (if you want proof positive of the existence of evil, there it is), reading these accounts just makes me weep - with compassion for the women in these stories (I know how they felt) and anger with the abortionists who eagerly snatch them up and prey upon their feelings of hopelessness to do whatever it takes to get an abortion out of them.
I have found that I have a marked inability to deal with the physical realities of abortion. I did some training at a pregnancy center three years ago where we watched a video that told about the inside of abortion clinics, including footage of a live, early-term abortion, and I have been horribly haunted by it ever since. So, since I am actively working in the pro-life movement (although in an auxiliary capacity) and am not ignoring abortion, I have felt OK about trying to keep from knowing too many of the horrible details (although I do know the basics, or rather, more than the basics - it's hard to avoid when you're working with pro-lifers!). This book deals with the stories of many HG women who aborted in a moment of desperation and regretted it for the rest of their lives, and their stories are heart-breaking.
That said, if you are suffering with HG, have had HG, or are related to someone who has HG, I will say this now - You need this book. Order it NOW! It is so incredibly helpful. The author has so, so, so much information on treatments, preparation, and other considerations, and it is an invaluable resource for dealing with HG. I am planning on reading and re-reading it, and taking it to both my midwife, my physician and my OB.
This book has also been inspiring in that it also gives me motivation to do the things that I need to be doing now - and some of them I'm already doing. You see, waiting to prepare for HG until you see the two pink lines is like waiting until a hurricane starts to run to the store for supplies. One needs to have contingency plans in place, medical support and back-up in place, research done, and basically be ready for the storm before even trying to conceive, let alone conceiving and then trying to do homework.
With that in mind, here is my basic plan at the moment:
(1) Try to be in really good shape physically through top-notch whole foods diet, and exercise.
(2) Do as much research into HG as possible, obtaining a thorough knowledge of allopathic and naturopathic remedies.
(3) Meet and set-up with all needed physicians: midwife (done), OB (done), chiropractor (done), and naturopath (still need to do).
(4) Set up support system through family and deaconesses.
Working hard on this project has been really good for me. The more knowledge I obtain, the more "in control" I feel. My pregnancy notebook has been a great exercise in organizing myself and feeling like I can actively participate in my own health care - both in regards to HG and in terms of general pregnancy. I still giggle at how utterly ignorant of pregnancy and childbirth I was when I got pregnant with Caleb. For example, I thought that the placenta and the amniotic sac were the same thing - and was so puzzled when Wendi would say, "I think the placenta's over here." (Me: "How can the placenta, aka the amniotic sac, be anywhere??? Isn't it everywhere?") But now that I can discuss a lot of pregnancy components and complications with some knowledge (although I have a looooonnnnngggg way to go), I feel much, much better. That's one big reason why the childbirth class we took (which shall remain unnamed) really didn't work out for me - it encouraged us not to know about pregnancy and birth complications for fear that we would "think them into existence." Not for me - knowledge is power.
Well, time is running out before our little guy gets up!! I'll post more on the book soon!!
P.S. When I started this blog, I thought that I would have enough material to post for a week or two, and then have to quit. Not so! I am absolutely bubbling over with material for blog entries and am having to hold back for the sake of my home and family. :) I never would have guessed that I'd have so much to say.
However, I think I'm already going to have to give it a break for a day or so, just because this book is so heart-wrenching to read. Some of the personal stories that included are absolutely horrifying. For one thing, many women experience the same thing in the medical world that one experiences in the the personal world - getting the big brush-off from unsympathetic doctors who tell them, "You're not sick, you're just pregnant. Go home and stop whining." Or "Stop wasting my time so I can deal with people who are really sick." Or "Go outside, get some fresh air, eat saltines, and stop bothering me." Grrrrr. And one of the tragic realities of HG is that many of the severe cases end in abortion, even with the most wanted of wanted babies. As an adamant pro-lifer who is already grieved and sickened by the abortion industry (if you want proof positive of the existence of evil, there it is), reading these accounts just makes me weep - with compassion for the women in these stories (I know how they felt) and anger with the abortionists who eagerly snatch them up and prey upon their feelings of hopelessness to do whatever it takes to get an abortion out of them.
I have found that I have a marked inability to deal with the physical realities of abortion. I did some training at a pregnancy center three years ago where we watched a video that told about the inside of abortion clinics, including footage of a live, early-term abortion, and I have been horribly haunted by it ever since. So, since I am actively working in the pro-life movement (although in an auxiliary capacity) and am not ignoring abortion, I have felt OK about trying to keep from knowing too many of the horrible details (although I do know the basics, or rather, more than the basics - it's hard to avoid when you're working with pro-lifers!). This book deals with the stories of many HG women who aborted in a moment of desperation and regretted it for the rest of their lives, and their stories are heart-breaking.
That said, if you are suffering with HG, have had HG, or are related to someone who has HG, I will say this now - You need this book. Order it NOW! It is so incredibly helpful. The author has so, so, so much information on treatments, preparation, and other considerations, and it is an invaluable resource for dealing with HG. I am planning on reading and re-reading it, and taking it to both my midwife, my physician and my OB.
This book has also been inspiring in that it also gives me motivation to do the things that I need to be doing now - and some of them I'm already doing. You see, waiting to prepare for HG until you see the two pink lines is like waiting until a hurricane starts to run to the store for supplies. One needs to have contingency plans in place, medical support and back-up in place, research done, and basically be ready for the storm before even trying to conceive, let alone conceiving and then trying to do homework.
With that in mind, here is my basic plan at the moment:
(1) Try to be in really good shape physically through top-notch whole foods diet, and exercise.
(2) Do as much research into HG as possible, obtaining a thorough knowledge of allopathic and naturopathic remedies.
(3) Meet and set-up with all needed physicians: midwife (done), OB (done), chiropractor (done), and naturopath (still need to do).
(4) Set up support system through family and deaconesses.
Working hard on this project has been really good for me. The more knowledge I obtain, the more "in control" I feel. My pregnancy notebook has been a great exercise in organizing myself and feeling like I can actively participate in my own health care - both in regards to HG and in terms of general pregnancy. I still giggle at how utterly ignorant of pregnancy and childbirth I was when I got pregnant with Caleb. For example, I thought that the placenta and the amniotic sac were the same thing - and was so puzzled when Wendi would say, "I think the placenta's over here." (Me: "How can the placenta, aka the amniotic sac, be anywhere??? Isn't it everywhere?") But now that I can discuss a lot of pregnancy components and complications with some knowledge (although I have a looooonnnnngggg way to go), I feel much, much better. That's one big reason why the childbirth class we took (which shall remain unnamed) really didn't work out for me - it encouraged us not to know about pregnancy and birth complications for fear that we would "think them into existence." Not for me - knowledge is power.
Well, time is running out before our little guy gets up!! I'll post more on the book soon!!
P.S. When I started this blog, I thought that I would have enough material to post for a week or two, and then have to quit. Not so! I am absolutely bubbling over with material for blog entries and am having to hold back for the sake of my home and family. :) I never would have guessed that I'd have so much to say.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Pretty Awesome!
Today I've got to write about the coolest thing - getting an email yesterday from Ashli McCall, who is my hero in the world of hyperemesis gravidarum. She has been through this nightmare four times, and her experiences with this monster make it look like I'm whining about a mild sneeze. She's got the best HG blog on the web (and unfortunately one of the only HG blogs on the web):
http://www.hyperemesisgravidarum.blogspot.com/
If you have a few minutes, you've GOT to check this blog out and read her entries, because it is magnificent. One of the only day-by-day accounts of hyperemesis out there. I read it a year or two ago and have admired her ever since.
Ashli also wrote a book which I plan to read soon, "Beyond Morning Sickness," which is a compilation of HG stories (among other things). Here is the description from the website:
"Over 50,000 American women are hospitalized annually due to hyperemesis gravidarum. Some terminate wanted pregnancies because of the debilitation of the disease, lack of information and the lack of social and medical support. Consisting of medical data and personal stories, Beyond Morning Sickness provides information on treatment options, validates the disease experience, and offers insight that can enable caregivers to better meet the needs of sufferers."
Here's the link for the website:
http://beyondmorningsickness.com/
I'll post a review here in my blog after reading it, because it's probably the best resource for HG women - I don't think there are any other books out there devoted solely to this condition.
Anyhow, I had emailed her with my own blog, and she was very encouraging about it. I also compared notes with her as to the comments and weird looks that I/we get when saying that I'm afraid of getting pregnant again because of morning sickness, and how frustrating they can be. (If I've sent you this link, you haven't said any of these things, so worry not!!) Here are some of them: (1) "Oh, everyone is sick with their first baby. You'll be fine." (2) "You probably won't get it again. Quit worrying." or (3) A variety of odd looks which all mean, "Come on, lady. We all get morning sickness, so shut up, quit whining, suck it up and deal with it like we all do."
The problem is that almost every woman in the world has dealt with some form of nausea, queasiness or vomiting during her pregnancy, or known someone who has. It's extremely common. So trying to tell people that you are downright terrified of morning sickness gets one the same looks that one would get if, say, one said that one was considering suicide rather than endure another head cold. LOL!!!! If one had cancer and told people that one was dealing with horrible chemo-induced nausea, people would immediately understand, but pregnancy-induced nausea is considered by 99% of the population to be manageable. Pretty much the only way one can understand it is by having it. My friend J. has blogged about some of the hurtful comments that people give infertile and/or adoptive couples, such as, "But don't you want any of your own children?" or "What will you do about the children's real parents?" etc. etc. etc. And people do that all the time with grieving people (I know I have!), i.e. "He's in a better place," etc. etc. etc. So I guess that every life condition has its own insulting/hurtful comments to go along with it. Joe knows that if he wants to get me good and mad, all he has to do is say, "Oh, come off it - you won't get sick again, so stop worrying and just get pregnant." After that, I just jump him. :)
But anyhow, I have wandered far afield. It was just so awesome to connect with another HG mum - I don't really know any others. I am looking forward to reading her book very much. But I was so pumped to connect with her! Check out her awesome websites!!!
http://www.hyperemesisgravidarum.blogspot.com/
If you have a few minutes, you've GOT to check this blog out and read her entries, because it is magnificent. One of the only day-by-day accounts of hyperemesis out there. I read it a year or two ago and have admired her ever since.
Ashli also wrote a book which I plan to read soon, "Beyond Morning Sickness," which is a compilation of HG stories (among other things). Here is the description from the website:
"Over 50,000 American women are hospitalized annually due to hyperemesis gravidarum. Some terminate wanted pregnancies because of the debilitation of the disease, lack of information and the lack of social and medical support. Consisting of medical data and personal stories, Beyond Morning Sickness provides information on treatment options, validates the disease experience, and offers insight that can enable caregivers to better meet the needs of sufferers."
Here's the link for the website:
http://beyondmorningsickness.com/
I'll post a review here in my blog after reading it, because it's probably the best resource for HG women - I don't think there are any other books out there devoted solely to this condition.
Anyhow, I had emailed her with my own blog, and she was very encouraging about it. I also compared notes with her as to the comments and weird looks that I/we get when saying that I'm afraid of getting pregnant again because of morning sickness, and how frustrating they can be. (If I've sent you this link, you haven't said any of these things, so worry not!!) Here are some of them: (1) "Oh, everyone is sick with their first baby. You'll be fine." (2) "You probably won't get it again. Quit worrying." or (3) A variety of odd looks which all mean, "Come on, lady. We all get morning sickness, so shut up, quit whining, suck it up and deal with it like we all do."
The problem is that almost every woman in the world has dealt with some form of nausea, queasiness or vomiting during her pregnancy, or known someone who has. It's extremely common. So trying to tell people that you are downright terrified of morning sickness gets one the same looks that one would get if, say, one said that one was considering suicide rather than endure another head cold. LOL!!!! If one had cancer and told people that one was dealing with horrible chemo-induced nausea, people would immediately understand, but pregnancy-induced nausea is considered by 99% of the population to be manageable. Pretty much the only way one can understand it is by having it. My friend J. has blogged about some of the hurtful comments that people give infertile and/or adoptive couples, such as, "But don't you want any of your own children?" or "What will you do about the children's real parents?" etc. etc. etc. And people do that all the time with grieving people (I know I have!), i.e. "He's in a better place," etc. etc. etc. So I guess that every life condition has its own insulting/hurtful comments to go along with it. Joe knows that if he wants to get me good and mad, all he has to do is say, "Oh, come off it - you won't get sick again, so stop worrying and just get pregnant." After that, I just jump him. :)
But anyhow, I have wandered far afield. It was just so awesome to connect with another HG mum - I don't really know any others. I am looking forward to reading her book very much. But I was so pumped to connect with her! Check out her awesome websites!!!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Research - Herbs I
Wow, it's been over a week! I don't seem to be too good at this blogging thing! Toddlers are not good for the upkeep of blogs. :)
Anyhow, I am titling this "Herbs I" because there'll probably be more than one entry on herbs. Herbal remedies just keep showing up - tons of them!!
I'm not sure how good any of them will be for HG. Frankly, a "light and stimulating tea" isn't going to be worth a hill of beans when you're vomitting so badly that you can't even see or think straight! I really don't know. By the time I tried my only herbal remedy during HG (dried ginger pills and ginger tea), I was too sick to keep the pills down and the tea was so revolting (and I hate tea of all kinds anyway) that it made things worse. My own opinion would be that if one knows that one is likely to get HG, it would be a good idea to hit the herbal remedies full bore from pre-conception onwards (my plan); if one already has it, good luck, but go for Zofran!! LOL
I am just going to list the herbs and the quotations to back them up. Let me know if anything I list works or has worked for anyone out there!!
GINGER
This is the main herbal remedy for morning sickness, so I'm going to devote an entire blog entry to it later.
RED RASPBERRY LEAF
Found a lot of references to this one. It's also a known uterine tonic, known to prepare the uterus for labor and make for easier labor (just for that, I'm planning on downing it by the gallon next time!!).
"Red Raspberry leaf is a classic uterine toner and pregnancy tonic. It prepares the uterus to function at its best. The leaf can ease morning sickness and gently aid digestion."
- "Heart and Hands" by Elizabeth Davis (p. 47)
"Herb teas to try: peppermint, chamomile, and red raspberry."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, p. 170
PERILLA
Don't even know what this is - have only seen one reference.
"In Chinese medicine the herb perilla, taken as a tea, is used for morning sickness."
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., "Herbal Remedies for Dummies," p. 240
YELLOW DOCK
"Yellow Dock: 25-50 mg per day. This is one midwife's first remedy to try."
- "Relief for Morning Sickness" (website unknown - forgot to record it)
MILK THISTLE
Have seen several references for this - it seems to be mainly preventative. I've been taking it for several months as a preventative.
"I have found milk thistle (standardized to contain at least 70 - 80% silymarin) to be invaluable in preventing morning sickness. I began taking 2 tablets each day two months prior to this pregnancy and increased to 3 tablets daily when our pregnancy was confirmed. Milk thistle is liver supportive and protective. I feel this is why it worked so well to prevent the nausea and vomiting I have had with every other pregnancy. This would be especially helpful for those moms who vomit bile during pregnancy."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy," p. 171
ANISE
"Anise infusion makes a great morning tea that also curtails morning sickness."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
PEPPERMINT & SPEARMINT
".... a peppermint or spearmint infusion first thing in the morning lifts the spirit and acts as an effective antinausea remedy. Spearment infusion also soothes evening sickness due to hormonal imbalances. Drink 2 cups every 3 hours."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
"Several years ago, when I was at a concert, the promoter sought me out and asked if I had anything for nausea - quick. The band was ready to go onstage, but the lead singer was doubled over behind the curtain, vomiting. Fortunately for her and the anxious crowd, I had a vial of peppermint waters with me. This wasn't anything fancy - it was similar to the peppermint flavoring you can buy at grocery stores. The singer took this remedy and in ten minutes, she appeared onstage, all smiles, and went into her first song."
- Kathi Keville, "Herbs for Health and Healing," p. 94
PEACH LEAF
"Dried peach-leaf tea relieves nausea and morning sickness as well...."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
WILD YAM ROOT
"Wild-yam-root infusion or decoction is slower acting, but far safer, than any over-the-counter medications for severe or persistent morning sickness."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
LEMON JUICE
"Drinking water with a wedge of lemon squeezed in it is refreshing and liver cleansing."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy," p. 171
ALFALFA
I don't have any research to back this up - this was just testimonial evidence from a woman on the Arizona Birth Network who said that she used it to tame severe morning sickness. Alfalfa is very high in vitamin K, so that might perhaps have something to do with it. Whatever works!!
BASIL
"After trying every antinausea drug she could find, she tried a tea of basil leaves - and her vomiting ended. Since I wrote that article, I have heard of numerous doctors who recommend basil to stop vomiting."
- Kathi Kevill, "Herbs for Health and Healing," p. 94
CHAMOMILE
"Herb teas to try: peppermint, chamomile, and red raspberry."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, p. 170
LAVENDER FLOWERS
"Prepare nausea-preventing tea infusions like ginger rhyzome, lavender flowers, peppermint leaf, peach leaf and/or wild yam root."
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., "Herbal Remedies for Dummies," p. 240
RECIPE FOR ANTI-NAUSEA HERBAL TEA
Mix 1 teaspoon each
Fresh ginger
wild yam root
orange peel
lavender flowers
in 4 cups water. Simmer the herbs for a few minutes, then steep the mixture for 20 minutes. Drink 1 cup of the tea 2 or 3 times daily, before meals. If you prefer, mix 2 teaspoon each of the individual tinctures in 1 cup of water and drink 1/2 cup, 2 times daily.
Taken from "Herbal Remedies for Dummies" by Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac.
Well, that's all for now!! I'm sure there'll be more later!!
Anyhow, I am titling this "Herbs I" because there'll probably be more than one entry on herbs. Herbal remedies just keep showing up - tons of them!!
I'm not sure how good any of them will be for HG. Frankly, a "light and stimulating tea" isn't going to be worth a hill of beans when you're vomitting so badly that you can't even see or think straight! I really don't know. By the time I tried my only herbal remedy during HG (dried ginger pills and ginger tea), I was too sick to keep the pills down and the tea was so revolting (and I hate tea of all kinds anyway) that it made things worse. My own opinion would be that if one knows that one is likely to get HG, it would be a good idea to hit the herbal remedies full bore from pre-conception onwards (my plan); if one already has it, good luck, but go for Zofran!! LOL
I am just going to list the herbs and the quotations to back them up. Let me know if anything I list works or has worked for anyone out there!!
GINGER
This is the main herbal remedy for morning sickness, so I'm going to devote an entire blog entry to it later.
RED RASPBERRY LEAF
Found a lot of references to this one. It's also a known uterine tonic, known to prepare the uterus for labor and make for easier labor (just for that, I'm planning on downing it by the gallon next time!!).
"Red Raspberry leaf is a classic uterine toner and pregnancy tonic. It prepares the uterus to function at its best. The leaf can ease morning sickness and gently aid digestion."
- "Heart and Hands" by Elizabeth Davis (p. 47)
"Herb teas to try: peppermint, chamomile, and red raspberry."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, p. 170
PERILLA
Don't even know what this is - have only seen one reference.
"In Chinese medicine the herb perilla, taken as a tea, is used for morning sickness."
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., "Herbal Remedies for Dummies," p. 240
YELLOW DOCK
"Yellow Dock: 25-50 mg per day. This is one midwife's first remedy to try."
- "Relief for Morning Sickness" (website unknown - forgot to record it)
MILK THISTLE
Have seen several references for this - it seems to be mainly preventative. I've been taking it for several months as a preventative.
"I have found milk thistle (standardized to contain at least 70 - 80% silymarin) to be invaluable in preventing morning sickness. I began taking 2 tablets each day two months prior to this pregnancy and increased to 3 tablets daily when our pregnancy was confirmed. Milk thistle is liver supportive and protective. I feel this is why it worked so well to prevent the nausea and vomiting I have had with every other pregnancy. This would be especially helpful for those moms who vomit bile during pregnancy."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy," p. 171
ANISE
"Anise infusion makes a great morning tea that also curtails morning sickness."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
PEPPERMINT & SPEARMINT
".... a peppermint or spearmint infusion first thing in the morning lifts the spirit and acts as an effective antinausea remedy. Spearment infusion also soothes evening sickness due to hormonal imbalances. Drink 2 cups every 3 hours."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
"Several years ago, when I was at a concert, the promoter sought me out and asked if I had anything for nausea - quick. The band was ready to go onstage, but the lead singer was doubled over behind the curtain, vomiting. Fortunately for her and the anxious crowd, I had a vial of peppermint waters with me. This wasn't anything fancy - it was similar to the peppermint flavoring you can buy at grocery stores. The singer took this remedy and in ten minutes, she appeared onstage, all smiles, and went into her first song."
- Kathi Keville, "Herbs for Health and Healing," p. 94
"Herb teas to try: peppermint, chamomile, and red raspberry."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, p. 170"
PEACH LEAF
"Dried peach-leaf tea relieves nausea and morning sickness as well...."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
WILD YAM ROOT
"Wild-yam-root infusion or decoction is slower acting, but far safer, than any over-the-counter medications for severe or persistent morning sickness."
- Jaqulene Harper-Roth, "The Pregnancy Herbal," p. 58
LEMON JUICE
"Drinking water with a wedge of lemon squeezed in it is refreshing and liver cleansing."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy," p. 171
ALFALFA
I don't have any research to back this up - this was just testimonial evidence from a woman on the Arizona Birth Network who said that she used it to tame severe morning sickness. Alfalfa is very high in vitamin K, so that might perhaps have something to do with it. Whatever works!!
BASIL
"After trying every antinausea drug she could find, she tried a tea of basil leaves - and her vomiting ended. Since I wrote that article, I have heard of numerous doctors who recommend basil to stop vomiting."
- Kathi Kevill, "Herbs for Health and Healing," p. 94
CHAMOMILE
"Herb teas to try: peppermint, chamomile, and red raspberry."
- Shonda Parker, "The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, p. 170
LAVENDER FLOWERS
"Prepare nausea-preventing tea infusions like ginger rhyzome, lavender flowers, peppermint leaf, peach leaf and/or wild yam root."
- Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., "Herbal Remedies for Dummies," p. 240
RECIPE FOR ANTI-NAUSEA HERBAL TEA
Mix 1 teaspoon each
Fresh ginger
wild yam root
orange peel
lavender flowers
in 4 cups water. Simmer the herbs for a few minutes, then steep the mixture for 20 minutes. Drink 1 cup of the tea 2 or 3 times daily, before meals. If you prefer, mix 2 teaspoon each of the individual tinctures in 1 cup of water and drink 1/2 cup, 2 times daily.
Taken from "Herbal Remedies for Dummies" by Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac.
Well, that's all for now!! I'm sure there'll be more later!!
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