Maryland

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Maryland

Postby HdGAMom2B » Jun 01, 2004 5:37 pm

Hi! We are planning to TTC and will see the OB on 6/24. We want to be educated and drop some names, of Specialists in HG, near us, for more support, and to get our DR to network on our behalf. This can make our livs SO much easier when we're pregnant, to have more Umph behind us, and show or doctor we're not kidding about beign aggressive this time... so, if you hear of or know anyone near us in MD, please write.. thanks.

CHristy
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Re: Maryland

Postby MamaLily » Jun 01, 2004 11:09 pm

Christy -

I think it's a great idea to be prepared with doctors who know all about HG treatment options. And if you can have your protocol ready to take with you, I think it would be so helpful.

Where in MD do you live? I'd be happy to help, if I can.

- Anna
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Where in MD

Postby HdGAMom2B » Jun 02, 2004 5:25 am

I live in Havre de Grace, Maryland, which is far NE corner, almost in PA/DE. It's a tri-state area here. We are 30 min. from Baltimore, and 1 hr from DC. I hope that helps.

Christy
*We're pregnant!! 30 wks -due March 24th, 2005
*Failed adoption after 6 wonderful days (baby Claire Delaney, b. 5/6/04)
*'Therapeutic Termination' at 11 wks. due to mistreated HG in first pg, term. 6/15/99
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Re: Where in MD

Postby MamaLily » Jun 02, 2004 2:43 pm

Christy -

Here is the best link I've found for Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctors. I'm pretty sure that all of them are perinatologists - and should be great with HG. Type in the city/state where you want to find a doctor, and you should get a list of doctors in that area. I don't know if Baltimore is too far for you to go, but I just did a search for Baltimore and lots of doctors came up on this site. It might be worth asking your OB if he/she has heard of any of them.
http://www.smfm.org/index.cfm?zone=search&nav=doctor

Let me know if you need other help or suggestions. This website has a WONDERFUL list of questions to ask when finding a new doctor. I printed it out, customized it for me, and took it with me (along with my protocol) to my pre-conception consultation.

- Anna
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Idoit Docs

Postby HdGAMom2B » Jun 10, 2004 6:10 am

Thanks! I have a file folder now of informaiton... I feel like my appnt on the 24th will be more of a seminar on HG, than a consultation... I'm a Teacher by occupation, so I'm bulkin gup on HG info, for my doctor. how twisted is that? She's in the camp of 'cracker' treatment. Guffaw!

I still ant to find another doctor, and can't figure out, how do I narrow my sarch to docs that know something about HG? I mean, there are fetal-maternal docs, and then there are docs that are known to know stuff about HG. Shot of calling each doc on the phone, and aksing Q's, which seem to always be 'well, how about you come in, and talk to them?'.. I"m not going from office to office, campaigning for HG treatment... I cna't mold my doc here... so, is there a well-known group? Sounds like you're trying to find that here also.. but i'm just feeling like I"ve reached the other sid eof my circle, and ii'm back to wondering, how trains these OB docs, if they do'nt know about HG?

Why do some docs not wanna be progressive in treating it? Wouldn't that make their jobs better, make them lok god, to avoid major and numerous inpatient stays? Wouldnt' they wanna 'take this on', and conquer it's affects, so to speak?!

So, i've got my file folder, and if she starts with the cracker crap, i'm out the door.... cause I dont have time to balk about who's right. This is life and death to us.

Good news: Zophran is on my insurance plans list of approved drugs.. soi 'm taking that list of Q's with me, and the drug of choice for me, is Zophran. Praying!!

Christy
*We're pregnant!! 30 wks -due March 24th, 2005
*Failed adoption after 6 wonderful days (baby Claire Delaney, b. 5/6/04)
*'Therapeutic Termination' at 11 wks. due to mistreated HG in first pg, term. 6/15/99
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Postby MamaLily » Jun 10, 2004 3:27 pm

Christy -

I agree with you...if your OB mentions crackers, walk out the door! It's not worth wasting your time when there are great HG doctors to be found!

From what I have seen, Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctors usu have knowledge about HG. They receive additional training about high-risk pregnancies, and I think HG falls in there somewhere.

I spent a long time at the beginning of this year looking for a new doctor for myself. I started out looking for 2 doctors: a "regular" OB to use when the HG wasn't so bad, and a good peri for when I needed serious help. I called all the local hospitals and asked the Labor & Delivery nurses for their best doctors. Then I called those doctors' offices, told them my history, and asked if the doctors had HG experience. At each office, I asked if I could make an appointment to talk with the doctor about HG treatment options. Well, none of those highly-recommended "regular" OBs would even see me before I was 10-12 wks pregnant - even when I told them that last time I was in the hospital, on a feeding tube and steroids at 11 wks. Ridiculous! I talked with some receptionists and several nurses and none of them gave me any hope of finding a good doctor in their offices. Finally, I asked, "Where do you send all of your patients who are high-risk?" Then I started to get some names of perinatologists!

So, I decided to skip the "regular" OB. I looked for a peri as my OB. So I called around, talked with my friend who is a med student, talked with the nurses of those "regular" OBs, etc. And then I called the Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) department (where several of the recommended peris practice) of the hospital I wanted. The receptionist of MFM was the most helpful person I've ever spoken with! I told her my history and that I was hoping to find a doctor who knows about HG. She immediately said - on her own, without any pressure from me! - "Why don't I schedule you for a pre-conception consultation." It was a dream come true!

When I went to this pre-conception visit, the peri was excellent. I told her about my HG, and then she started asking all the right questions about it. I brought my protocol and all kinds of info, but I didn't end up needing any of it. She had aggressive, proactive ideas for treatment. She wanted to skip right to zofran. She wanted me to get IVs as soon as I needed them. She had ideas I had never considered. It was amazing!

I'm sorry for this long story. I tell it to you because I know that finding a good doctor means a lot to you, and because I want you to know why I recommend MFM doctors so highly. I've seen several MFM peris and they have all been VERY knowledgable about HG. Your health and the health of your baby are worthy of the best help you can find!

Let me know how I can help further!

- Anna
"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over." - Aesop
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OB in MD

Postby Jeanne » Jul 23, 2004 7:53 pm

I live in MD in a suburb of Washington, DC. If you still need an OB let me know. I had a fairly responsive one at Georgetown. She is a perinatologist and learned a lot through my pregnancies and consulting with Miriam Errick. I think she is much more proactive now. Let me know if you want her information.
Jeanne
Jeanne
Nathan 4/99
Grace 1/01
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Postby MamaLily » Jul 25, 2004 2:31 pm

Jeanne -

Please post her info here and I'll make sure to put it on the Referral Network. If you have her name, phone number, etc. that would be great!

Just out of curiosity, what were your doctor's approaches with HG? PICC line? Zofran first? NG tube? Steroids? Did you have private consults with Miriam Erick? How was it?

Thanks so much!

- Anna
"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over." - Aesop
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MD in Washington, DC, Northern VA, and Maryland

Postby Jeanne » Jul 31, 2004 7:07 pm

The perinatologist who managed my two high risk pregnancies is Helain Landy. She is at Georgetown University Medical Center in DC. The appt. line is202-444-8232. Hope this information is helpul. If anyone wants more information about her, feel free to email me. We got to know her extremely well, as we saw her daily for weeks at a time during both pregnancies. I would say she is much more proactive in treating HG than in the past.
Jeanne
Nathan 4/99
Grace 1/01
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MD in Washington, DC, Northern VA, and Maryland

Postby Jeanne » Jul 31, 2004 7:17 pm

Sorry, I just realized I didn't answer all your questions. I was on Zofran at the first hint of nausea. (4 weeks), in and out of the ER starting at 6 weeks. She wanted to admit me but I fought it b/c we didn't have child care for our at the time 14 month old and my husband had just started a new job. Looking back, of course, I wish we would have been admitted right when she wanted. I was admitted at 8 weeks after every other day/night trips to the ER. They would put me in Trendelenberg and try to get lines in my neck. At 8 weeks they put the PICC line in, started a Reglan pump (which drove me nuts - but I couldn't tell if it were the meds or everything else), and TPN. I was getting Zofran around the clock through the IV. I was in and out of the hospital for the rest of the pg. I reacted to the Reglan pump and they put it in the IV. I had solumedrol at 9 weeks. We tried the relief band, a healing touch person, relaxation, massage, accupressure, and transderm scop pathces. (I can't htink of everything else now) They took the line out at 26 weeks and it was put back in at 28 weeks, at whcih poing I had also gone into preterm labor. So I had those drugs as well - terbutaline and procardia. I'm allergic to mag sulfate, which we found out when I went into preterm labor with my first child.

As for Miram Errick, we did phone consults with her. She would order addtional labs and made some recommedatons for my TPN. She was somewhat helpful. I think she is defintely helpful prior to conception with reccomdnations and guidelines. I did not find her book to be helpful.
Jeanne
Nathan 4/99
Grace 1/01
Jeanne
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Joined: Jul 13, 2004 8:31 pm
Location: Silver Spring, MD

Postby MamaLily » Aug 01, 2004 9:32 pm

Jeanne -

Thanks for the info. It sounds like this doctor was a good one for HG - and I'm sure her experiences with you make just make her that much better :wink: !

- Anna


P.S. Something just clicked in my head...I was given your doctor's name a little while ago. You must be Kimber's friend in MD! :)
"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over." - Aesop
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