My Story

I have gastroparesis.  I havent officially been diagnosed yet, i havent discussed it with my doctor, but i took the gastric emptying test, and the results showed i had delayed stomach emptying.
I dont really know how long I have had this illness, perhaps my entire life.  I remember growing up feeling nauseas quite often, not wanting to eat, and even getting the "stomach flu" more often then most people.  I didn't think anything of it because it was normal for me.  I couldnt remember not getting sick.
I finally realized something must be wrong with me around Christmas of 2009.  I had gotten sick before thanksgiving, and then again on Christmas day, spending them in the ER due to dehydration from extreme vomiting and nausea.  I had been to the ER several times before in the past year for the same reasons, and it finally hit me that it's not possible to be getting the flu that often that close together.  The doctors never did testing, they just sent me home after getting some fluids and anti-nausea meds in me.
Back in 2007 my gallbladder was removed, so i knew i had digestive problems from that.  I blamed my illnesses from my childhood on that even.  I was wrong.
Once I realized I was sick, I decided despite not having insurance, that I really needed to see a doctor.  I was getting these vomiting episodes more and more often, and was constantly nauseas, losing weight, and could hardly eat anything.  I finally heard of a program called "project access" that consists of many doctors willing to see you for free.  The only problem was that you needed to be referred onto the program already having a diagnoses.  I found a low income clinic and went there, where i was referred to see the same dr that removed my gallbladder.  He recommended an upper endoscopy (putting a camera down my throat to view my stomach and esophagus) and referred me to project access.  Problem was there was a 3 month wait.  So i waited.  After 2 months of getting worse, fear of death, and extreme weight loss i took matters into my own hands and contacted both the dr office and project access and told them how severe my illness was.  The next day I was scheduled for the upper endoscopy.  Nothing was found except GERD.  They tried to leave me at that, saying i got a diagnoses and were going to give me a prescription to prilosec, when i cried "no way!".  I finally convinced the woman on the phone from the dr office to actually discuss my case with the dr and see what he says about my symptoms.  I then received a call to set up an appointment for another test.  A gastric emptying test.  It is where you eat something laced with radioactive dye, and they take pictures of how fast it is digested through your stomach.  That resulted in my diagnoses.  The problem is that i was diagnosed weeks ago, and have yet to see the doctor.  Why?  The dr is scheduled all the way out to mid-september.  I'm guessing it's more because they are doing everything for free, and gastroparesis treatment is constant, and expensive.  Meanwhile, the advice is to eat "small, frequent meals".  HA!