So, the fact that I get some level of hyperemesis gravidarum during my pregnancies is no secret. It sucks, but I've suffered through it before and feel like even when it is really bad, the suffering is only temporary.
During past pregnancies, one of my personal "my hg is getting bad" limits is when I wake up from a deep sleep barfing on myself. It's usually a sign that I need to increase medication, I'm too dehydrated, or need other help. This pregnancy I developed an allergy to Zofran that I didn't have before, so that cut out the most typical treatment for HG, leaving me with 3 other meds for treatment. One of the meds I was put on, Reglan, can and has affected my heart some, and so I've been advised to take it only if absolutely necessary. As a result, I've been less likely to medicate myself for my nausea and vomiting during this pregnancy unless I know I'll have a very hard day or if I've puked more than 3 times in the first hour or so of the day. But, as a result, I haven't been medicating myself extra when I'm waking from my sleep with vomit in my mouth.
About 2.5 weeks ago, I caught a minor head cold that my kids had and the extra production of mucus triggered more and more vomiting. 15 days ago, at 5 pm, I had a high fever of 103 hit me suddenly and I was quickly in bed with chills. I still thought it could be cold related but maybe had gone to a sinus infection or bronchitis. I spent the next two days acutely ill with high fever and constant vomiting. Saturday evening I noticed my urine was very concentrated and I called my ob to go into the hospital for fluids. L&d treated me for severe dehydration, the ob didn't come in to examine me but I was advised to go to primary care on Monday.... so I did that. Primary care doc said I sounded awful and discussed the risks/benefits of a chest xray at 30 weeks pregnant and I decided to do the xray, which showed double pneumonia. I went on two antibiotics at home, and improved slightly within the first 24 hours and then continued to worsen. Saw primary care again on Thursday and he said I needed to go to the hospital. When l&d checked me in, my primary care had spoken to my ob, so they had a pulmonology Dr and infectious disease Dr ready to see me, and they've been carefully following me the entire time I've been here.
At first they were exploring a "is this community acquired pneumonia or aspiration pneumonia" route, but after more testing came back, the infectious disease doc said he was pretty certain this was aspiration pneumonia. I'm on day 7 in the hospital, and it is still very difficult for me to breathe. The last two days I've improved instead of worsened though, so I am very happy about that. Without doing more radiology testing, they can't say for sure if the pneumonia is completely gone, but it isn't showing up on xray anymore but there are areas on xray that show alot of scarring and areas where my lungs will just not inflate when I take a deep breath. The Dr explained it as how the lungs heal typically is they expand from the bottom and push the crud out, but because I have an almost full term baby pushing up against my lungs, my lungs are trying to expand but cant. They're just stuck spasming instead. the specialist doctors have been excellent though and have managed everything very well, I just work it was working faster even with their aggressive approach!
In my time here I've been on 3 iv antibiotics, that they've gradually transitioned to oral as I've shown improvement. I've been on high dose iv steroids to help the spasm, which right now they're trying to wean down to see how it goes or of I worsen with those going down. I've also been on every 4 hour breathing treatments of a bunch of different kinds. When they admitted me, they were pretty sure I'd end up in the icu and even put me in an icu bed in a regular room, but luckily so far I've been able to stay out of the icu. They said if my o2 sats are consistently below 95, they'll discuss the icu. I had one day, on Sunday, that they were in the mid to high 80s a couple days ago and they discussed oxygen briefly but were about to get them to increase with more steroids.
Through all of this, baby Robin is doing well. He's measuring nearly 4 pounds on ultrasound and he's 32 weeks gestation today! I can't believe we're still in this hospital, but even with how much I hate hospitals I know it's the best place to be seeing as I get winded just going to the bathroom. early induction or taking the baby early has been discussed some, but only as a measure if I worsen or if Robin isn't doing well from me being so bad. I tore a muscle in my abdomen on Saturday from coughing and l&d were in here in a rush and all sorts of possibilities were being discussed. The biggest concern was that my pain was coming from inside my uterus, not outside. Since all is still holding up well inside the uterus, Robin will stay there and continue to grow. But they are monitoring him very closely to make sure that doesn't change. Ina saw a newborn on the floor recently and said she wished Robin was out now and I was like, no no no. Then he would be in his own hospital room (the nicu). I'd rather him stay kicking away in my belly even if it means it is harder for my lungs to heal and harder for my to breathe.
Rob and the kids have come to visit daily, until yesterday as he and Ina are sick. Poor Ina is by far the most stressed out about me being in the hospital for so long so it doesn't surprise me that she is sick. It's been two days since I've seen Emmy, which stinks. She's so little she doesn't really understand, but rob says she asks for me alot. :( Rob and I got to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary with me in the hospital here. I think we need a real celebration when I'm well! I've had many sweet visitors and appreciate all of them so much. Fr. Bernie came and gave me the anointing of the sick and I've had Jesus brought to me a few times too. <3
Thank you all for your continued prayers, love, help with childcare and meals! <3 I never could have imagined getting so sick while pregnant.... and this is coming from someone who barfs daily my entire pregnancies. Perspective... hg does definitely suck, but aspiration pneumonia, you win the suck award! You suck. But, we will get through this too.
Love <3
