Transcript Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Hyperemesis Gravidarum
When the joy of creating life turns
into a struggle for survival and hope
I Wish . . .
I wish that I had never tried to get
pregnant
I wish that in a few months I would
be able to hold my baby
In Honor of Casey Lee
Lost and
Loved Angel
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
"I weighed 96 lbs at one point and looked like walking death. I
wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
HG is a debilitating and potentially life
threatening pregnancy disease marked by
rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and
dehydration due to unrelenting nausea
and/or vomiting with potential adverse
consequences for the newborn(s).
“With more information, we can
help families bring their babies into
this world with as little struggle as
possible.” Karen
- The HER Foundation
All information is provided by the HER Foundation and survivors of HG
Complications for the Mother
 Debilitating fatigue – inability to work or take care
of their families
 Malnutrition and dehydration
 Frequent vomiting of blood or bile
 Organ dysfunction/failure – gallbladder,
liver, gastrointestinal,
heart
"I lived on my bathroom floor with my
 Depression and
down comforter over me or in the
anxiety
hospital getting an IV... My life turned
upside down... I went from a vibrant,
 Post traumatic
happy, loving, spontaneous, career
stress disorder
driver type A personality to essentially
- nothing."
Complications for the Baby







"I have had 5
unsuccessful pregnancies
in a period of nine years.
I had my gallbladder removed
and had pancreatitis due to
the severe HG. I went from
weighing 125 pounds to
weighing 98 pounds. I do
not even know where to get
help. I really want to
experience
being a mother."
Pre-term labor
Low birth weight
Developmental delays
Congenital heart disease
Skeletal malformations
Behavior/emotional problems
Pregnancy loss and miscarriage (25% for
HG pregnancies)
A Journey Through HG
“To add insult to injury, our OB refused to authorize Zofran
and told Jen she was no longer eligible for disability.
On January 10th we had our follow
up appointment with our doctor.
She still refused medication and,
even though Jen was still 5 pounds
below her pre-pregnant weight at about
23 weeks pregnancy, she would not allow
further disability time.”
In honor of Jordan William, Trisomy 18, son to a HG mom
Lost and Loved Angel
The Voice of HG Women
“HG robbed me of the joys
of pregnancy. It shattered
my dreams of having a large
family.”
"I hate that this disorder
makes me PETRIFIED of
pregnancy, that it has to be
so life altering, that I have
to feel so sick for so long.
Every day I think about
HG, I feel like I am not
the same person since I
have endured so much,
dramatic as that sounds."
Kendis
"My 19 year old daughter
died on March 19 2002.
She was 13 weeks
pregnant. and had been to
the hospital twice the
week before and
diagnosed with
Hyperemesis Gravidarum."
“HG I have found touched
every bit of my life, like
tentacles, reaching into the
farthest corners of my soul. “
A Journey Through Severe HG
“I was having a ton of iv's and my arms
were covered in bruises. “
For some women,
the vomiting is so
severe that they
must be placed on
PICC lines or
feeding tubes to help
sustain them and
their developing
babies.
“I have had IVs every
week for 4 weeks and
my arms have bruises
up and down them. I
have been trying to
fight off having to have
one because of the
risks, but it has got to
the point where I am
92 pounds . . .”
“The experience is so raw and scary and yes the outcome is glorious but the
journey almost killed me."
How You Can Help
"With no family or support, we reluctantly put
our daughter into daycare because I was
unable to care for her."
•Provide emotional support – Listen
without judgment
•Provide practical support – Help with
household chores and childcare,
transportation to medical appointments
•Provide financial support – The more
severe HG is, the higher the medical care
costs involved
•Be an advocate – Visit the HER
foundation website to find practical ways
that you can help those you know
struggling with HG today and those who
may struggle with it in the future
"I was hospitalized
[from] 5 ½ weeks
[until] 17 weeks with
admissions till delivery,
the emotional [and]
physical toll were horrific.
[I was] vomiting 70+ times
a day, nose bleeds, torn
esophagus, burst blood
vessels in my eye . . . My
son has
special needs."
Good works are links that
form a chain of love.
- Mother Teresa
Where to Find Help
HER Foundation
“Hyperemesis Education & Research Foundation
provides education & support for mothers suffering from
hyperemesis gravidarum and those who care for them.”
With the right information, we can help others.
www.HelpHER.org
Information
Support
Hope
The HER Foundation was founded in 2000 by a registered nurse, Kimber Wakefield
MacGibbon, after suffering from nine months of severe hyperemesis gravidarum.
You don't know me now
Warm smiles, Dreams, Raucous laughter
Energy, Passion ,Drive
That was all before
What HG Has Done to Me . . .
Before the flood of vomit came pouring out of me
Ripping out my soul, my mind
Taking with it the sure knowledge of who I am and what I am capable of
All that is left is the memory
of dark rooms and dark places
in the corners of my mind
that I did not know existed and fear may rise again
There is no joy in creating life for me . . .
Just the endless torment of days spent hoping, to no avail, that I could eat,
or drink, or at least sleep until it was over
At the end of each day there is no hope
Just the prospects of another day with this new person
Merely a shadow of my former self
for a part of me died with you
and now there is no reward
Karen