Duchess Kate and Hyperemesis

For those of you living under a rock, Duchess Catherine is pregnant!

What really has me interested about Kate's pregnancy is that she has been diagnosed and hospitalized with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).

The media is calling HG a "severe type of morning sickness."

I am calling B.S. on this description.

"'Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is vomiting during pregnancy that is so excessive that women can become dehydrated and start to lose weight because of inadequate nutrition,' said Dr. Amos Grunebaum, director of obstetrics at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. 'If not treated properly with intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medicine, it can be life-threatening to pregnant women and their fetuses,' he said."
from Health on Today

Some of you may recall, when I was 2 months pregnant (after 2 miscarriages, years of trying, and infertility treatment), I was taken out of work and put on bed rest for HG.

I rapidly lost weight.

I could not keep food or liquids down.  At all.  Ever.
I threw up if I ate anything.
I threw up if I drank anything.
I threw up if I smelled anything.
I threw up if I thought about food or beverages.
I threw up when I stood up or changed positions.
I threw up when I woke up, any time of day or night.
I threw up if I was on my feet for more than 20 minutes.
I threw up if I was in the car for more than 15 minutes.

And while J thrived, I honest to God felt like I was dying.

Kaiser has an HG program that I was admitted into around 16 weeks.  I had a nurse call me every day asking me how much I had thrown up, how much I had drank, and making appointments for me to go get hydrated every other day.

Because I was so chronically dehydrated, many veins were blown out while attempting to start IV's.  No joke, I can show you all the veins in my hands and arms that are now useless for IV's.  There are maybe 2 spots on my hands/arms that are still usable for IV purposes.

Because IV's were so difficult (and sometimes impossible) to start on me, I had to wait until I was severely dehydrated before I could get IV fluids.  Which only made things worse.

On March 16, I had a permanent IV line placed because I was rapidly running out of veins, which was very alarming to my OB. Once my PICC line was in, I was able to receive 3 liters of IV fluid (D5LR) 2-3 times a week minimum.  (I had standing appointments on Mondays and Thursdays at Kaiser to get hydrated.)  This hydration continued until J was born.

During my pregnancy, I was hospitalized for heart problems, dehydration, severe allergic reactions and chemical burns to adhesive and my PICC line, and blood clots.

I tried every medication and combination of medication in an attempt to curb the nausea and vomiting.  IV Zofran was the only thing that helped a little.

I never gained weight while I was pregnant and my "baby bump" didn't show up until 7 months.  I was never able to keep down a meal.  I now hate Gatorade, Powerade and Sprite.

Each day, each hour, each minute was a challenge.
And I honestly didn't think I would make it through to the end.
I thought I was going to die.

And other women have had it worse.

Amanda Tynes, the wife of NFL player Lawrence Tynes, had such severe HG, she was told she needed to choose between aborting her babies or dying while trying to carry her child to term.

 Author Charlotte Bronte is thought to have died from it after a four-month bout of extreme nausea that left her dehydrated and emaciated.

So, dear Duchess Catherine, I am so deeply sorry for your suffering.  Pregnancy should be a time of celebrating and happiness, which is next to impossible when you feel like you're dying.

And dear media outlets calling HG "severe morning sickness," I hope you'll take the opportunity to learn more about this disease and not write women who suffer from it off as dramatic or weak.

If you or someone you know is suffering from HG, please check out the HER Foundation.
If you want to talk about your experiences with HG or have any questions or concerns about HG, please email me at landon {dot} wheeler {at} gmail {dot} com.  I will do my best to give you a listening, empathetic ear and/or to help you navigate your way with HG.