Hyperemesis Sucks

I have battled Hyperemesis Gravidarum (severe morning sickness) through both my pregnancies. It started at seven weeks with both pregnancies. This time around, I have managed to stay out of the hospital. That’s sort of a record for me considering that I had already been twice at this point with my first pregnancy.

Sunday night my winning streak came to an end. The hyperemesis won. At 11:00 pm, convinced I was actually dying, I let my husband take me to the emergency room.  I was literally vomiting from 4:00 pm that afternoon until just before they hooked me up to the IV. I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t breathe. I had made my husband promise to do things like make sure our son gets a good education and goes to church on Sundays. He laughed at me. Perhaps I was being pretty dramatic, but I really didn’t think it would ever stop.

On top of the awful sickness, I had a migraine headache. I was certain a steam engine was chugging it’s way through the center of my brain. That or someone was splitting my skull with an ax. That’s what I told the doctor in the ER. As soon as the drugs in the IV entered my system I started to feel a little better.

I was still sick on the way home and it became clear I was going to have to have a prescription for something from my regular doctor to get me through the rest of this pregnancy. Okay Hyperemesis, you win… again. I loathe the sickness. There are two things I hate just as much as the actual being sick part though.

The first is the people who think it isn’t real or isn’t that serious.  I encountered one of those people on the phone with my doctor’s office today of all places. It’s a different office than the one I used with my first pregnancy. The receptionist making my appointment said “What do you need to make this particular appointment for?” so I explained that I have Hyperemesis and needed to be seen following a visit to the emergency room this past weekend. Her response made me want to come through the phone and pop her on the head like we were actors in a V8 commercial.

Politely, she said “Hyperemesis? What is that? I have never heard of that?” After I explained she said “Oh, is that a real thing?”

Face palm.

I wanted to say a thousand things to her, but maybe I’ll just wait until I run out of meds and then drive myself to her office and throw up on her desk. That is exactly what will happen when I run out of antiemetics.

The second thing that I really hate about the hyperemesis is the effect it’s having on my son, the one who’s already born. My poor toddler is so confused by what is going on. He doesn’t understand why Mommy is so sick all the time and I hate that he has to witness this.

Written by: Sara Parise