I suffered with HG for 2 pregnancies. My first was moderate, resulting in a 40 lbs. weight loss and no help from my OB. I received fluids from my sister and brother-in-law, who are medical professionals. They kept us from severe dehydration.
My second HG pregnancy was severe. I lost 20 lbs. in 5 weeks and was unable to care for my toddler or home and felt guilty. By 8 weeks, I had a Zofran pump, but it did not help me. I was maxed out on Zofran and also taking Phenergen with Scopolamine patch changes every 3 days. Still no relief and continued weight loss.
TPN for nutrition
By week 11, they admitted me for a week and had a PICC line placed with TPN. I was able to do care from home and ended up needing the TPN for the rest of my pregnancy.
Around 13 weeks, I developed an abscess from an infected injection site that turned into staph. This was the first of many complications. A couple of weeks later, I developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the arm where my PICC was located, and I was placed on Lovenox from that point on.
While this was happening, I had awful contact dermatitis around my PICC site and eventually needed the line pulled due to phlebitis risk. My line was then moved to my other arm. Thankfully, this line lasted me the rest of my pregnancy with proper dressing changes.
Cardiac problems begin
I was stable for a few weeks before more complications arose. My blood pressure were 70/40s-80s/50s. Fluids would pick it up, but if I did anything at all it would plummet again. I started feeling palpitations and was given a Holter monitor (wearable heart monitor) for a day. It was thought to be random tachycardia.
For anyone mama going through this, I’m so sorry. It is so hard. Speak to someone when you need to, don’t go through the darkness alone.
I had labs drawn weekly with home health to make any needed adjustments to my TPN. But they weren’t able to catch the daily electrolyte shifts I was having. I ended up having an episode of tachycardia at an OB visit where my baby’s heart rate was in the 200s and then plummeted, so they called the ambulance.
Rushed by ambulance to the hospital
I stabilized when I got to the hospital and was able to go home. The next day, I had another episode, but this time I turned white with blue lips and uncontrollable shakes. The ambulance came and rushed me to the hospital. My heart rate was in the 190s and would not come down.
I was placed in the trauma bay, and all these nurses came flying in and placed DEFIB pads on me as well as EKG monitor. Before they were going to cardiovert me, my heart rate dropped once they started an IV. They ran every test you can think of and nothing. I had to spend a week on the cardiac unit. The cardiologist decided to check my magnesium and found that my levels were very low, so they gave me magnesium and kept me on fluids for the duration of my stay.
I was able to leave, but two days later, I had another episode where they found I had extremely low potassium, which caused the abnormal heart arrhythmias. I was given four bags and was told I wasn’t leaving the hospital until baby boy was born.
Sepsis and more complications
They decided I needed to be induced at 37 weeks due to all the complications, and they didn’t want me to suffer any longer than necessary. Unfortunately, I picked up a hospital bacteria that was found in my PICC line a week prior to birth, and they pulled it to prevent further spread. I was on IV antibiotics for a little over a week and wasn’t released until they saw no more growth on my blood cultures.
•133 IV fluid bags
•91 injections for my Zofran pump
•364 Lovenox injections
•26 ER visits
•2 hospital admissions that totaled to 21 days
•Vomiting every single thing you try including fluids, yup even water
•PICC line
•Countless pokes & blown veins
•Weekly weigh ins & high risk doctor visit
I am thankful
I’m so thankful we both made it out alive and back to my husband and toddler. I will never forget the group of women who cared for me. My OB team was outstanding as well as the L&D nurses and mother-baby nurses. I know not everyone is as lucky, and I’ll always be thankful to them for keeping us safe.
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