The Conformity That Conquers

[ashlimccall]

A dear friend wrote with a very common concern: drug trepidation. What follows is an excerpt from my reply that I hope you find worthwhile:

"Even though the goal is to successfully 'battle' HG, imho, a big part of beating HG is being able to 'roll' with it. If one can learn to conform to the life HG creates, for the limited time it takes, instead of trying to make HG conform to the life one normally leads, imho, HG is more 'do-able.' There's a scene in a movie where some kids get tangled up in vines. The more they struggle against the vines the tighter and more impossible the vines get. However, the kids figure out that if they relax, conform, the vines loosen, and they eventually escape. I often think of HG in those terms. For example, when eating and drinking became impossible, I stopped eating and drinking. I learned not to force the situation but to roll with it. Forcing HG to conform to the way I wanted life to be only made things worse. Conforming to it spared me a lot of agony. I ate and drank through a tube, but I would have needed it anyway after making myself insanely sicker by trying to force the situation.

If it were me (and it was) I would (and did) take all the Zofran I could get, and I would take it at prescribed intervals whether I felt I needed it or not. And I would do so until my HG completely resolved, and I would not bat an eye. Because if I did bat an eye, I would probably learn my lesson, as I did when I tried to stop taking it early and vomited >40 times a day instead of only 8 times a day. Vomiting once every hour is a lot different than vomiting every 8 minutes; Zofran is my friend! Again, check out my [Zofran baby] (http://www.hyperemesisgravidarum.blogspot.com), and remember that I was on a Zofran pump getting it CONSTANTLY, not every few hours, but CONTINUOUSLY for months."

Go, fight, WIN!

Ashli

[Alayna]

I agree 100%. My urge was to try to "beat" HG, but became exhausting and frustrating because no matter how hard you try, you fail...the food/water will come back to haunt you. Everyone around you keeps trying to give you "just a sip" of water or "just a bite" of food. When the doctor decided to put a feeding tube in along with the PICC line for IVs and continuous flow of Zofran, it was actually a big relief. Although having a feeding tube was not comfortable in the slightest, I no longer had to stress about not keeping anything down and neither did anyone around me. I was receiving the nutrients that the baby and I needed and allowed me to "roll with the punches". I have since gotten the feeding tube out after having it for over a month and a half =) and another couple weeks after that the PICC line.=) I continue to take the Zofran orally around the clock and am not yet willing to even try to see what would happen with a lesser dose. Although the "waiting game" is not fun and can be down right depressing, I felt that when I let nature take it's course instead of try to force results the whole situation was better.
For those who are batting HG, know that you are in my thoughts and we can do this!
~Alayna

[ashlimccall]

Excellent post, Alayna! Thank you so much for your willingness to spur others on in the midst of your own HG battle. May all be well with you and your little one.

Go, fight, WIN!!!


Ashli

[sbarclay]

Hi Ashli, thanks for this website, it is amazing. I am in my 24th week and have had huG since week 6 and been on zofran since week 9. I have stories similar to others with constant vomitting and being bed ridden for weeks and months, and going to hospital to be on a drip. The most bizaar symptom I have had was when the vomitting got so intense that I burst heaps of blood vessels around my eyes and the next morning I woke up with big red patches around them... it looked like I made a mess with red eye shadow!

I was in tears reading the stories before as I finally felt like other people out there knew what I had (still am) going through. It is amazing the lack of knoweldge and support that is available, considering women have been suffering huG for so many years. Anyway, I would like to come back to this site after my baby is born in November and write my story. In the meantime I was wondering if you could send me some more information about your knowledge of zofran and the link to birth to defects? I have given myself such a hard time about taking medication, and I am trying very hard to work on my "self talk" but the guilt is really hard to deal with at times. I feel particularly bad about starting meds in the first trimester when apparently that is the "crucial development" time and now I am week 24 and the brain is being developed. The baby appears to be ok except for a concern regarding his kidney, which they say he could grow out of (I'm praying overtime!). My vomitting seems to be subsiding and I am trialling coming off it today (I have been trying every week since week 20 in the hope that I can manage without it). I am always wondering how many times a day (of vomitting )is a reasonable amount to warrant coming off the tablets?....

If you have any further insights I would be so greateful. I know no one can give any guarantees about the impact on the baby, but any information would be most welcome.

Thanks agaqin for this website, it is wonderful!

[ashlimccall]

Sbarclay, re: Zofran and other meds: I started taking meds at 5 weeks preg. Ultimately, I had over 12 meds and tons of early pregnancy X-rays too. I had a PICC infection, etc. Lots of problems and issues...and my daughter was not born with any challenges. In fact, she is above average in many ways. Meanwhile I have friends who had glowing pregnancies with no drugs and they had precious children, some of whom were born with challenges. You mentioned praying, and my point is simply that the outcome of your pregnancy is ultimately beyond your control. You are doing the best you can to optimize positive outcomes, and that is great! But sometimes NOT taking needed medications during pregnancy increases the risks. You are not taking prescribed meds to harm your baby, you are taking them specifically to create a better pregnancy environment in order to help your baby. You are acting very responsibly as a mother.

From my lay person's point of view, I regard Zofran as innocuous as a Flintstone vitamin and equally, if not more, helpful. I only mean to say that I just DO NOT WORRY about Zofran. I was a tad nervous taking steroids for the first time, but even that worked out just smashingly. I've had four HG pregnancies, and if I had a fifth, I would gobble up all the drugs they prescribed and not bat an eye.

If you believe in God then have faith that He can hide your child in the shadow of His wing. Pray that prayer and release the guilt and fear. Your lives are in God's hands, and you know that to be true. Cling to Him. You can get through this, and anything, with Him.

I talk at length about medications in the book Beyond Morning Sickness: Battling Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Send me a private email with your address, and I will be very happy to send you a free copy ASAP.

Hang in there! You are not alone, and you CAN beat HG!

Ashli