Update

Everyone has been asking me how I am doing with this pregnancy so I thought I would write an update. The last time I was pregnant I was sick and throwing up 5-10/day the entire pregnancy. I became seriously dehydrated. Due to severe dehydration the nurses had an impossible time finding a vein for the IV. This was extremely traumatic as I was poked endlessly to get an IV started. Finally I ended up with a permanent PICC Line (a line inserted surgically into your arm that goes through a vein and stops above your heart) so that I could receive IV fluids, Vitamins, and other medicines 24 hours a day - without being poked 6-7 times every dew days. An awesome home healthcare company came to our home and taught me how to take care of my PICC Line and how to add everything to my IV fluid bags. It was BRUTAL. This is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum and only 1% of pregnant women will have it. 99% will be better by 19 weeks.

This time I am educated and know what I am up against. While it isn't guaranteed that you will have it with every pregnancy we were prepared. As soon as I got nauseous at 6 weeks I began to take Zofran (anti-nauseau meds) and I immediately stopped eating anything other than bland foods. I also have to limit fluids because it is a surefire way to vomit immediately. Having said that I was only throwing up once a day because I knew how to manage things this time. We were hopeful that this time would be different. However, as time has gone on I have gradually felt worse and I have to monitor what I eat carefully.

Today the home health care company is coming to hook me up to a Zofran pump that I manage. It is like an insulin pump in that I have to insert a new needle (on my stomach or thighs) every 24 hours and change the meds as they run out. This is not fun because I get hard red knots the size of baseballs wherever the needle and medicine are inserted - these knots last at least a week. Along with that I will be getting an IV inserted so I can get some fluids for a few days. The key here is that hydrating me and getting me on the Zofran pump this early will go a long way in preventing what happened last time. I do everything I can to not throw up - it is hard to stop my body from constantly throwing up once I've started the trend.

I am still in my first trimester so I have a ways to go - but we are praying I will be better by 19 weeks this time!! Thanks for the prays and concerns!!