Many have asked and so I thought this would be a good way to provide an update. On Tuesday, my wife left the hospital after a five night stay. She is pregnant with our third child and has suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) with each of her pregnancies. So far, this pregnancy has been the hardest. We are currently about 11 weeks along in this pregnancy.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum
The basic gist of HG is severe nausea & vomiting. With our first two children the sickness lasted up to and during their births. As soon as they were born, the nausea was gone. The constant sickness naturally leads to dehydration which is what ultimately caused the hospital stay. This time our doctor ordered a PICC line. He then prescribed TPN & Zofran through the PICC line. The TPN is a 12-hour feeding that provides the necessary fluids and nutrients. Zofran is a anti-nausea medication that seems to provide some relief. Fortunately we are able to continue these treatments at home with the help of home healthcare nurses. They are teaching Nicki how to do these treatments and we are almost independent of the nurses.

HG is a strange disease. As recently as 15-20 years ago the widespread opinion was that HG was a mental or psychological illness. The common response by doctors and nurses was “just get over it.” Sadly, this only made things worse for women suffering from HG. Nicki and I have read many stories of women who felt hopeless throughout their pregnancy because they could find no one in the medical profession who would take it seriously. Fortunately, things have changed. Most people now recognize HG as a serious physical illness. (for more information about HG visit the Hyperemsis Education & Research Foundation website.)

We are so grateful for the care that we have received. Our doctor has been wonderful. He has patiently listened to our concerns and has been proactive in his treatment. The nurses that took care of Nicki at The Regency were fabulous. They were kind and provided excellent care.

Thank You
Most of all, we would like to say thank you to all of you, our church family. It is hard to communicate how encouraging you all have been to us. It has been very humbling to have so many people offer to help us. We appreciate all of the meals, phone calls, visits, cards, and babysitting that you have provided. Most importantly, your prayer on our behalf has strengthened and encouraged us. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we travel through the upcoming weeks and months.