THROWING UP 24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK

THROWING UP 24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK

My husband and I were so excited to find out we were pregnant with our first child in September. We had been married since June and weren’t preventing our family to start growing as soon as possible. My husband a little more nervous then I was, worried about finances, who will watch the baby when it is born, sleepless nights, and everything that comes with being a first time parent. We called and told my parents, brother, and grandparents and everyone was so excited. I called to make an appointment with my OBGYN but they wouldn’t see me until I was 3 months along and I was about 4 weeks. It didn’t matter I was excited, I even went and bought maternity shirts because I knew I was already showing at 4 weeks, I wanted the whole world to know I was pregnant and proud ( I was obviously not showing yet)!

I look back and wish I could have felt that way the whole pregnancy, but sad to say the worse was yet to come. I had no idea what was about to hit me. I was 5 weeks pregnant and started throwing up 5 to 10 times a day, I assumed it was morning sickness and life went on, I kept on working and throwing up in a trash can at work because the bathroom was just to far away. The vomiting became worse over the week and I started throwing up 20 to 30 times a day. I felt like I was dying I was throwing up so much I couldn’t eat or even keep anything down. Water was impossible to even keep down. I called my OBGYN who I hadn’t seen yet and the nurse told me it was morning sickness and I was most likely over reacting to the whole situation. The next day while laying in bed in our small apartment my husband at work I called my father who was also at work and told him I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even roll over, I was dehydrated and throwing up blood. My father rushed over and called the doctor and told the nurse I was coming in and I was coming in now, something was wrong! I thought the worse as my dad carried me to the car, I was all bones all my weight had disappeared. As we made it into the doctor’s office and they weighed me I noticed I had lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks. I had to pee in the cup and my urine had proteins in it and the doctor put me in an infusion unit at the hospital to receive fluid. He said in a few weeks this would all be over with just a bad case of morning sickness. Boy, do I wish he was right.

I went to the infusion until for 5 hours and on the way to the car afterwards I throw up every ounce of fluid they put in me. The doctor prescribed zofran (a drug they give chemotherapy patients) but I would throw that up also, I couldn’t keep it down. I went back to the doctors a few days later and I was admitted to the hospital. I would get out of the hospital and put back in a few days later. I lost over 30 pounds my first trimester. What was wrong with me! Why does the doctor keep calling it morning sickness? I was going to die! How was this affecting my baby! I had never been sick in my life!

After the first trimester I thought this would all end but I was wrong I was this sick for 9 months! All my friends and family would have a different solution on how to help me: fish oil, cream on your belly, raw potatoes, you name I have heard of it. I threw up so much I clogged the drains in both of our toilets and the Plummer recommend not to throw up in the toilet anymore. I never needed to wear maternity clothes and I never really showed. My doctor never had an answer for me what was wrong with me. I literally laid and bed and died for 9 months, and worked because we needed the money and my doctor would not put me on disability. So, I would lay at work and die as well! I could barely walk at some points and hated everything about being pregnant.

After 7 months of pregnancy I developed high blood pressure –preclempsia, and was induced a few weeks before my due date. I throw up during delivery, for 9 months straight I threw up every single day 20 times plus. I was induced at 6am and had 24 hours of labor, with 3 hours or hard pushing. You think I endured 9 months of pain the labor could have been somewhat easier, but it wasn’t. They had to end up suctioning the baby out, the guess for weight on the baby was 5 pounds or smaller due to the size of my belly and that I never gained weight. Well, one more thing they were wrong about! It was a little girl, a beautiful little girl 8 pounds 13 ounces, a huge baby for me! I looked at her and realized everything I went through for 9 months was well worth it, I loved her and she loved me for making it through and never giving up.

I want women out there to know the disease I had is called hyperemesis and it is real! It is not in your head and it is not a mental illness. I will most likely have this with every pregnancy I will ever have. Will that stop me from having more children? No! If I can do it any women can do it, if you are sick and it is more then morning sickness seek help from a doctor who knows about this condition. If I would have had a better doctor I think I would have received better medical advice.