Project 52: Hyperemesis Gravidarum

These project 52 posts are supposed to give you a glimpse into motherhood and I try to include things that also give you a glimpse into our life here in Tanzania. This week I’m showing you a glimpse of my hospital room at Bugando Hospital in Mwanza last week.

This isn't what all the rooms at Bugando look like. I was fortunate to get in a VIP room rather than on a ward, which enabled me to have some privacy and Carson to come and go any time.

I was in the hospital due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum which is basically when you are pregnant and your body tries to kill you! Ok, that’s not what the dictionary says, but, hey, that is how it feels at times! It’s a severe form of morning sickness, and Wikipedia says this of the actual term,”Hyperemesis gravidarum is from the Greek hyper-, meaning excessive, and emesis, meaning vomiting, as well as the Latin gravida, meaning pregnant.”  You’ve probably heard a variety of techniques for dealing with morning sickness and maybe even had the occasion to try some out for yourself. It might seem that severe morning sickness would just require a bit more or the “cures”. Unfortunately, not so much. Sunday night my body stopped accepting food, water, medicine. Wednesday night I was admitted to the hospital and started on fluids and meds to stop the vomiting. I didn’t stop vomiting for a couple more days and continued to have a variety of symptoms, but by Monday I was able to leave. We decided to change our tickets and come home a month earlier than expected so that we could recover surrounded by family and familiarity and be in the states in case I needed further medical care. So, we're back in Tennessee. I did really well on the flights (so did Jude) and we are relaxing. I'm still on three different medications that are helping me to keep down wonderful food like Pop-Tarts! 

We really couldn't have survived this without the help of other missionaries in Mwanza who spent lots of time watching Jude and housing and feeding both Jude and Carson. We are also very thankful for the American doctor who treated me. We are so blessed with good friends in Tanzania as well as all of our friends in the States who were praying for my recovery and our travels.

I hate that Hypermesis Gravidarum is a part of my motherhood experience. I was really sick with my first pregnancy as well and most likely had the same thing, though I was never diagnosed and never had to be in the hospital. It makes for a rough start to the motherhood journey, but I'm trying to remember how well it ends, with the arrival of sweet baby!