What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?

(Taken from hyperemesis.org)
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It is generally described as unrelenting, excessive pregnancy-related nausea and/or vomiting that prevents adequate intake of food and fluids. If severe and/or inadequately treated, it is typically associated with:

loss of greater than 5% of pre-pregnancy body weight (usually over 10%)
dehydration and production of ketones
nutritional deficiencies
metabolic imbalances
difficulty with daily activities
HG usually extends beyond the first trimester and may resolve by 21 weeks; however, it can last the entire pregnancy in less than half of these women. Complications of vomiting (e.g. gastric ulcers, esophageal bleeding, malnutrition, etc.) may also contribute to and worsen ongoing nausea.

Just to put a little perspective on this, with my first son, I lost between 10-11% of my body weight, and I was sick from 6 weeks until 19 weeks. With my second son, I lost just over 14% of my body weight, and I was sick from 7 weeks until about 27 weeks. My HG was much more severe the second time, and I ended up spending a LOT of time in the hostpital. I remember looking at one of our insurance claims, and it said that in the month of June, I had been in the hospital for over half of the month!

You may think that I am being weak, and just not handling my morning sickness very well. To that, I ask you how well you would handle throwing up 10+ times a day, peeing yourself and being covered in petechiae from the sheer force of the vomitting episodes,and not being able to sit up for fear of falling! It is not a fun ordeal by any means, but because of the obvious reward of a healthy child at the end, I am willing to do it all again. Call me crazy, if you will. ;)