HG Matters Issue 2 | Page 11

When I was home from church all those many weeks, my pastor asked why I wasn’t there. My husband said something about being pregnant and that I "always get really sick." Our pastor looked confused. Yes, it was frustrating, but he just didn’t know. They can’t understand unless we tell our stories. It wasn’t until almost two years later, that I realized I wasn’t alone. I was once again in a similar situation. It was a Sunday and my husband had taken the four children to church. I was sitting at the kitchen table, trying to eat something. This pregnancy had been easier, because I had learned my lesson and sought medication as soon as I knew I was expecting. That morning, I started reading Beyond Morning Sickness, by Ashli McCall. And again, I sat there with tears running down my face while I read another women’s account of eating food that actually tasted so good that it made her cry. My story is not as bad as many others. I was never hospitalized. I was never on TPN or IVs. I didn’t lose my babies. But I still have a story. Every story matters. Because everyone who has lost their job because of their pregnancy, or has passed out on the bathroom floor or cried with joy when they ate food that finally tasted like hope, has a story that matters. You have stories to tell too. The number of holidays you missed, anniversary dinners that never happened. Birthdays that you cried through. We share those experiences. You and I are not alone. It wasn't until I started connecting with other HG moms online through Facebook and email that I realized we all felt the same way. We need to talk about it and tell our story. We want to be heard and understood. And we have lots of "why" questions. This is why I wanted to start a podcast. I launched the HyperG Pregnancy Podcast on May 15, 2014. I want to explore everything about HG on this podcast and I could use your help. If you want to be a part of it and tell me your story, or if you know someone who would, please send them my way. My email is [email protected]. You can find the podcast here. (embed link) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hype rg-pregnancy-podcast-hyperemesis/ id878034643 10