Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Untethered

I'm writing this post without my constant companion of the last few months, my sub-Q pump providing anti-nausea meds.  Over the past several weeks, I had been weaning off the pump, hoping that the hyperemesis would have abated this late in the pregnancy.

My weaning went slower than the averages, driven by a few bouts of severe nausea from which I had to recover before dialing down the meds another level.  One of these bouts happened last week during a tour of our hospital's maternity ward, where I passed out and, eventually, vomited.  It sucked to pass out, but if you're gonna have to do that, where else but in the hospital?  We were able to do a "test drive."  :)  (The nurses checked out my blood pressure, which was fine, and the baby's heart rate, also fine.  After a consultation with my OB, we concluded that I hadn't eaten enough prior to the tour, and that the heat and humidity was getting to me.  I was discharged a couple hours after I checked in).

My insurance company had been working actively to get me off the pump since I reached 12 weeks, and had only dialed up the shrieking in the past few days.  Now, at least, getting me off the pump makes sense, since: a) my hyperemesis has abated, b) my nausea is, for the most part, under control, c) I'm no longer having issues with dehydration, since I'm able to eat and drink, and d) my weight has finally stabilized after a way too rapid weight loss in my first trimester (total weight loss of 45 pounds in 12 weeks; 35 of those happened in only 4 weeks).

So, I'm off the pump.  It's pretty cool, and I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to stay off of it.  :)

20 comments:

SassyCupcakes said...

Woo! That's great news! Congrats on regaining your freedom. :)

S said...

Good to "hear" from you!

45 lbs lost in 12 weeks?! Wow, I can see why you desperately needed the anti-emetics!

I'm glad to hear that your hyperemesis is resolving and you are off the pump. Great news!

Here's hoping for a healthy and uneventful rest of your pregnancy.

Anonymous said...

YAY for being off of the pump!! That is awesome. I am so sorry you have been going through so much with this pregnancy. I didn't realize you had lost that much weight- how scary!
I am glad to hear from you. Thanks for commenting on my blog! <3

HereWeGoAJen said...

That's awesome! I hope you manage to stay untethered.

Anonymous said...

YAY for no pump!

Quiet Dreams said...

That is some CRAZY weight loss, girl!

I hope that you just feel better and better as your pregnancy progresses.

Michelle said...

oh my 45 pounds!! I hope you feel great for the rest of the pregnancy.

Julie said...

Great news! I hope things get a bit easier!

Searching for Serenity said...

Breathing a sigh of relief that you are now without the pump. Hopefully you can now focus on enjoying your pregnancy and nurturing the little being growing inside you.

Cheers!

Somewhat Ordinary said...

That is good news and I really hope that from here on out you can enjoy this pregnancy!

Me said...

Good news! Yay!

Photogrl said...

Yay for no pump!

~Hollie said...

Fantabulous news! Yeah to getting rid of that ole thing!
I hope you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. Happy and Healthy!!

'Murgdan' said...

I am just so so happy to hear you are untethered now! May it just get better and better from here on out!

LJ said...

I'm sure it's a relief to be not entirely nauseated by life. Whew! I can't imagine how hard that has been.

Jessica White said...

YAY! How exciting to be free of it, but most importantly the nausea! (sorry it took me so long to post, it's been cra y!

Anonymous said...

So glad you're feeling better and were able to wean off the pump - I got off mine...an hour after I delivered Tobie!

Sorry about the dum dum and stupid doctor, but glad your doctor supports you. You're doing great. Incidentally, I know it's now a moot point, but the sub-q pump can be put in your outer thigh - that's where I always had mine (they never suggested any other place for it, actually), and so it didn't interfere with ultrasounds. Not that I'm suggesting you'll need the pump again in this or subsequent pregnancies (if that's what you desire), just that if it ever comes up, that's an easy fix.

mckala7 said...

Glad to hear you are off the pump. Congratulations on being 20 weeks. I'm envious. I wish I was 20 weeks already so I could find out what I'm having. I'm only 12 weeks and 2 days. Try not to let the nasty comments get you down. People are always more prone to be more vocally critical when they have a feeling of anonymity (such as the internet). Hopefully the rest of your pregnancy will go more smoothly. Good luck!!

Amanda said...

Hooray for being pump free!!! I hope the rest of your pregnancy is blissfully uneventful and nausea free!

SassyCupcakes said...

It's been a while. How are you going?