HG Awareness Day

I have not blogged in a REALLY long time, but today's post is too long for a simple Facebook status update.  Today is Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum is a pregnancy sickness marked by unrelenting nausea and vomiting for much, if not all of a pregnancy.  I suffered during over half of my pregnancy with Addie and because of it, I hope I can bring awareness to as many people as I can so other women get the help they need.

HG is NOT morning sickness.  It does not go away with ginger or gatorade or sea bands or crackers.  It does not end in the first trimester.  In addition to the constant vomiting, the emotional turmoil a sufferer goes through is tremendous and it can linger for a long time after the pregnancy.

It's true that you don't get HG until you GET HG.

So before you tell an HG sufferer that you know how they feel because you also had morning sickness, take a second to educate yourself on what it means to actually suffer from HG.  So much of my journey is burned into my mind.

I remember the unrelenting nausea that turned into nonstop vomiting over and over and over again.  I remember the time I was so incredibly sure I could not ever be pregnant again, let alone make it through this pregnancy.  I remember being so hungry, but so unable to eat a single bite of food or drink water. I remember having Jon uninstall every app on my phone that had anything to do with food.  I remember not wanting to talk on the phone for fear that I would have to cut the conversation short. I remember not being able to shower without vomiting and feeling dizzy, so I took baths and Jon helped me in and out.I remember driving to the ER over and over again to get IV fluids.  I remember my first care provider treating me like I was being silly.  I remember watching the scale go down every time I stepped on it.  I remember having to remind myself what I was sick for.

I remember holding my sweet 7 pound, 1 oz baby in my arms and knowing it was all worth it.  

The hardest part of suffering, besides feeling weak and sick all the time was the loneliness.  As much as people tried to empathize, they would never know what it felt like.  There were long days of being home alone in bed just dying to have my husband home from work.  I wished so much that someone would just come sit in the same room with me.  There were even longer nights when I would just pray for the sun to come up while I was sleeping on the bathroom floor so Jon would be by my side again.  And there was a very lonely 4 day hospital stay, even with family in and out, Jon could not stay with me because of work.

But I didn't even have it as bad as some.  Addie and I survived, which is more than can be said for some. I had a few months of good days, some don't have any.

So today remember those who have suffered, are suffering and will suffer.  Pray for them and especially for those who lose their babies because of this horrible condition.