Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Pump it up!
Not like the dance. No, no...this is nothing that Salt n Pepa could have written, this is something FAR different. Welcome, to my pump. I had my Zofran pump installed" today. I have been upgraded from "regular mommy" to "cyborg super mommy". All kidding aside, this is a lifesaver. *if you are interested, I can upload a picture, otherwise, here is a stock photo of the unit*
For those who have been emailing and asking, let me clarify what is going on with our pregnancy right now. I am currently 15 1/2 weeks pregnant, and have been diagnosed with late onset hyperemesis gravidarum. It happens in about 1% of pregnancies, and though the cause is unknown, most health care profs think that it can be attributed to hormonal changes during pregnancy. This HG is nothing new to us though. I had a very severe case when I was pregnant with my Trinity. To sum up what it feels like, I can only explain it like this...think about morning sickness, now, add in the feeling you get when you get off the teacups, throw in the feeling you get when you have food poisoning and just for fun, add in flu symptoms...there you go, Hyperemesis Gravidarum has come a knocking on your door. It's virtually impossible to get anything done, showering, walking, riding in the car, eating, even laying down to rest are sometimes unbearable. So, after trips to the ER, admissions to the hospital, dehydration, weight loss, I.V.'s and major vomitting...our midwife concluded it was time to take the next step.
Zofran is the drug that I am currently on. Some women who suffer from HG respond very well to oral forms of this medication, but, not this mama. I have had 4mg every 4 hours, 4 mg every 2 hours, 8 mg every 6 hours, to 8 mg every 4 hours...they take the edge off, let me look like I function like a normal human being, but I still can't keep any food down, only liquids, and in VERY small amounts.
This medication is commonly administered to patients going in for surgeries to bypass any vomitting or naseau that they may experience, and is prescribed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I will most likely have to be on Zofran IV the duration of this pregnancy. So, here is a little list of Q&A for anyone doing research on Zofran. Hope this helps.
Does it hurt? Yes, but like with anything, you get used to it. I can't start a site myself, Shannon has to do it....I am such a wuss when it comes to injecting myself with needles.
Are their any side effects? To me...welts at the infusion site, redness and itching and hardening at the site. At times, it can make you dizzy, but nothing compared to the way I was feeling before the medication. To baby, there are no known side effects, and having a daughter that was a Zofran pregnancy, I can tell you, there are none...maybe just increased language/chattiness LOL.
Does it work?? OMG....does it ever. Like night and day. I go from not being able to sit up or eat and drink, to functioning like a "normal" (whatever that means) person.
Is it expensive? Terribly. If you don't have insurance, be prepared to pay out the ass...and I mean it. The oral medication runs about $30/pill, and I had to take 2 every 4 hours to be semi-functioning. The pump itself is covered through insurance, but if lost or damaged, the $4995 price tag could really set you back. You have to change your site at least every 2 days, and that means new tubing, needles and biohazard/sharps bags. I haven't gotten the run down sheet from the insurance company yet regarding costs, but 7 years ago when I was pg with Trinity, the syringes of medication ran about $85/syringe, and I had to use 2 in a day everyday. YIKES.
How long will you have to be on it? I was on the IV with Trinity until my 8th month. It's likely that I will be on this medication for the duration of the pregnancy. Most women who suffer from HG early onset, will have the symptoms for the first 20 weeks.
Is it big and bulky? No, about the size of a Nintendo DS, but not as heavy. It's fairly easy to conceal, especially if you have a purse you carry...problem..I don't usually carry a purse and I have a big little boy on my hip.
So, hopefully this answered some questions for all of you, hopefully if there are other mamas suffering from HG they are able to read this and feel some sense of preparedness. Ultimately, I have to say how thankful I am. I am thankful for getting and staying pregnant, for having access to lifesaving medication, and for a supporting family and great small circle of friends. Now, lets just get through these next 5 months shall we!
For those who have been emailing and asking, let me clarify what is going on with our pregnancy right now. I am currently 15 1/2 weeks pregnant, and have been diagnosed with late onset hyperemesis gravidarum. It happens in about 1% of pregnancies, and though the cause is unknown, most health care profs think that it can be attributed to hormonal changes during pregnancy. This HG is nothing new to us though. I had a very severe case when I was pregnant with my Trinity. To sum up what it feels like, I can only explain it like this...think about morning sickness, now, add in the feeling you get when you get off the teacups, throw in the feeling you get when you have food poisoning and just for fun, add in flu symptoms...there you go, Hyperemesis Gravidarum has come a knocking on your door. It's virtually impossible to get anything done, showering, walking, riding in the car, eating, even laying down to rest are sometimes unbearable. So, after trips to the ER, admissions to the hospital, dehydration, weight loss, I.V.'s and major vomitting...our midwife concluded it was time to take the next step.
Zofran is the drug that I am currently on. Some women who suffer from HG respond very well to oral forms of this medication, but, not this mama. I have had 4mg every 4 hours, 4 mg every 2 hours, 8 mg every 6 hours, to 8 mg every 4 hours...they take the edge off, let me look like I function like a normal human being, but I still can't keep any food down, only liquids, and in VERY small amounts.
This medication is commonly administered to patients going in for surgeries to bypass any vomitting or naseau that they may experience, and is prescribed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I will most likely have to be on Zofran IV the duration of this pregnancy. So, here is a little list of Q&A for anyone doing research on Zofran. Hope this helps.
Does it hurt? Yes, but like with anything, you get used to it. I can't start a site myself, Shannon has to do it....I am such a wuss when it comes to injecting myself with needles.
Are their any side effects? To me...welts at the infusion site, redness and itching and hardening at the site. At times, it can make you dizzy, but nothing compared to the way I was feeling before the medication. To baby, there are no known side effects, and having a daughter that was a Zofran pregnancy, I can tell you, there are none...maybe just increased language/chattiness LOL.
Does it work?? OMG....does it ever. Like night and day. I go from not being able to sit up or eat and drink, to functioning like a "normal" (whatever that means) person.
Is it expensive? Terribly. If you don't have insurance, be prepared to pay out the ass...and I mean it. The oral medication runs about $30/pill, and I had to take 2 every 4 hours to be semi-functioning. The pump itself is covered through insurance, but if lost or damaged, the $4995 price tag could really set you back. You have to change your site at least every 2 days, and that means new tubing, needles and biohazard/sharps bags. I haven't gotten the run down sheet from the insurance company yet regarding costs, but 7 years ago when I was pg with Trinity, the syringes of medication ran about $85/syringe, and I had to use 2 in a day everyday. YIKES.
How long will you have to be on it? I was on the IV with Trinity until my 8th month. It's likely that I will be on this medication for the duration of the pregnancy. Most women who suffer from HG early onset, will have the symptoms for the first 20 weeks.
Is it big and bulky? No, about the size of a Nintendo DS, but not as heavy. It's fairly easy to conceal, especially if you have a purse you carry...problem..I don't usually carry a purse and I have a big little boy on my hip.
So, hopefully this answered some questions for all of you, hopefully if there are other mamas suffering from HG they are able to read this and feel some sense of preparedness. Ultimately, I have to say how thankful I am. I am thankful for getting and staying pregnant, for having access to lifesaving medication, and for a supporting family and great small circle of friends. Now, lets just get through these next 5 months shall we!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hello little graduate
Trinity graduated from Kindergarten on the 20th. She was so super proud of herself! We can't believe that next year she will be in 1st grade!
Dear Little Baby,
When we first found out about you, I was so excited, and I stayed excited for a while...until I started to get sick. We made the choice not to tell anyone about you, and I even tried not to get too attached for fear that we may just lose you like we have other babies in the past. We have had a hard road with pregnancies, and I felt like this was just going to be another one of those bumpy paths paved with misfortune and heartbreak. But here we are, 15 weeks already and you decided to stick around, I am so happy you did.
I got to see a picture of you yesterday...granted, the circumstances weren't the most desirable, but ER or not, I got to see your beautiful profile...and that little flutter, your heart. I hope you don't think that I didn't want to share you with anyone...I wasn't embarrassed, or ashamed, just fearful, but after the doctor said "You have a little fighter in there"....I knew it was o.k. to tell everyone. I hope that in sharing you with the world, everyone can think happy, positive thoughts for you, and keep you fighting in there...keep you strong in there, so you can be strong out here. Stay strong ok?
I remember when I was pregnant with your older sister Trinity...that pregnancy was much like this one. I too was on special medicine to help keep me from getting sick. But even with the I.V.'s, medicine pumps and endless bouts of sickness, I am always so greatful to be pregnant. I know that there are so many others who are not able to be, and I can't imagine what that must feel like. We start the new medicine tomorrow, and I am happy and hopeful that it will give me a chance to not be sick anymore. I want you to know that you are so wanted, so loved and so anticipated already. We want to meet you, and hope you decide to be born. I never imagined to be going through this again, but, here we are, on a new journey together. I can't wait for you to meet your family.
I got to see a picture of you yesterday...granted, the circumstances weren't the most desirable, but ER or not, I got to see your beautiful profile...and that little flutter, your heart. I hope you don't think that I didn't want to share you with anyone...I wasn't embarrassed, or ashamed, just fearful, but after the doctor said "You have a little fighter in there"....I knew it was o.k. to tell everyone. I hope that in sharing you with the world, everyone can think happy, positive thoughts for you, and keep you fighting in there...keep you strong in there, so you can be strong out here. Stay strong ok?
I remember when I was pregnant with your older sister Trinity...that pregnancy was much like this one. I too was on special medicine to help keep me from getting sick. But even with the I.V.'s, medicine pumps and endless bouts of sickness, I am always so greatful to be pregnant. I know that there are so many others who are not able to be, and I can't imagine what that must feel like. We start the new medicine tomorrow, and I am happy and hopeful that it will give me a chance to not be sick anymore. I want you to know that you are so wanted, so loved and so anticipated already. We want to meet you, and hope you decide to be born. I never imagined to be going through this again, but, here we are, on a new journey together. I can't wait for you to meet your family.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Reading!
For those of you who Facebook, I added a few weeks ago about how Tristan is starting to read. He has added at least 20 more words to his reading vocabulary, and he is learning more everyday. It started as just a little experiment, we were working on sight words with Trinity on the chalkboard, and here is little bub, standing next to his sister, and before she has sounded out the word, he blurts it out...plain as day, "apple". Shannon and I both stared at each other in amazement. This is the same little boy that has so much difficulty forming any words, and he is reading. We added a few more simple words, "Cat, Dog, Boy, Girl" all of which he recognized and said. Though some of the words don't come out sounding like you or I would say them, they are definitely the words. He is doing so well, and he LOVES it. His home therapist works on adding new words every time they work together, and he amazingly remembers them the next time they play. So far, the words we have introduced and he has mastered are:
Cat
Dog
Ball
Apple
Mom
Dad
Albert
Papa
Boy
Girl
Computer
Go
Car
Star
Blue
Train
Kangaroo
Ball
Stop
No
Moon
Snow
Tree
There are more, but my list isn't right here. I think it is so awesome how he is able to do this, it opens so many more avenues to 2 way communication...I can't wait to see what he does next!
Cat
Dog
Ball
Apple
Mom
Dad
Albert
Papa
Boy
Girl
Computer
Go
Car
Star
Blue
Train
Kangaroo
Ball
Stop
No
Moon
Snow
Tree
There are more, but my list isn't right here. I think it is so awesome how he is able to do this, it opens so many more avenues to 2 way communication...I can't wait to see what he does next!
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