I've been off work for a week now, and the GP wrote hyperemesis on the form. I suppose that's not quite right, as from what I can understand I should be losing weight, be dehydrated, etc and I'm not that bad.
It is pretty severe morning (afternoon and evening) sickness that didn't stop at 12 weeks (hyperemesis can continue all through pregnancy, but does usually improve by 21 weeks so that's the next milestone I'm hoping for - if the magic 'feel better' week doesn't happen sooner), and I'm throwing up enough I can't really function.
With the last week away from work I'm slowly learning what helps, and what doesn't. Sleep is good, especially in the afternoon. Eating too little, eating too much, eating the wrong foods, not sleeping, not resting, bouncy children at the wrong time of day, trying to finish something,worrying, moving too quickly, moving too much all make it worse. Basically lying in bed not moving is usually good, and sometimes sitting up is fine- but not always.
I had a good day on Saturday, I even felt daft having my bucket with me when we were at someone's house. Sunday I had a couple of things that needed doing, missed my afternoon nap and- wham. Throwing up again.
I'm getting frustrated- if I do nothing I can feel well enough to see things that need doing. Then I try to do them- and feel ill again. I am actively missing having a TV now- I am perfectly designed right now for being a couch potato (with my bucket handy).
I can't help but feel (today!) that the challenges of caravan living aren't helping. 6 weeks until we get the keys to our house back- but I really can't think of an alternative living arrangement for those 6 weeks that is workable. Short term lets are expensive (and fairly grotty looking), and nothing is 'very' handy for my work. Another idea of mine is us getting a car in addition to the van- additional expense but I wonder if it might ease something? I can technically have time off for a relaxation class from work- but the one I've been to the last few weeks is a Thursday morning- I'd want to scan my first patient and then go- not really fair on my family to hang around for all that just so I can drop them off then go to my 2 hr class without inconveniencing work too much. I wonder if the relaxation is helping a bit with the sickness- it certainly helps me concentrate on the positives when its all getting to me.
I've had odd days of feeling up to doing a bit of simple crochet- I think its probably averaging a little over a square a week- a square takes about half an hour to do, so not much but at least its something constructive from all this sitting around.
DH is fabulous, he's been managing breakfast and bedtime routines single handed for months now, as well as everything in between. He even got a load of nice cakes for my work when he took my sick note in- and I think his life is much easier when I'm at work instead of taking up caravan space and an additional person needing looking after.
I have one more week of my sick note. Still hoping for a miracle recovery, but also worrying a bit about if this doesn't get better- in a way being off work hasn't helped me get better,its just proven that if I rest and sleep lots I can actually keep food down, but the symptoms come straight back when I do anything.
EDIT- Reading this back, I've managed not to mention the various 'treatments' I've been trying. From extra B vitamins to stem ginger, dark chocolate (a small square when I'm starting to go urrghh but can't actually sleep/eat/whatever I need does help for a while), several tries with acupuncture/acupressure (got more energy but hasn't helped the puking, a variety of advice (eating before sitting up, something in the middle of the night, etc). I'm getting closer to trying homeopathy again- I was all for going what sounded right from a book (cheap option!) but a friend has dissuaded me from that, but also not convinced me that one remedy will really help without tying in my other symptoms- and at the end of the day a homeopath is bloomin expensive.
