What is Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is also known as "delayed stomach emptying". It is where the stomach doesnt work to digest the foods you eat as quickly as they are supposed to, or at all.
Symptoms include feeling fullness after eating little, nausea, vomiting, etc.
It effects over 5 million people in america, yet very little is known about it. There is no cure, and it is a chronic illness.
Imagine the feeling of eating thanksgiving dinner times 5, then vomiting 10 times worse than your worst stomach flu, followed by extreme fatigue for days.

Monday, September 13, 2010

my dr appt

I saw the dr today, finally.  For the first time.  One thing that annoys me is having to describe every single  symptom every single time i go to every appointment, to every nurse, physician's assistant, and doctor, not to mention those people that run the phones that just leave messages for the nurse etc.
It was great to finally tell the dr everything in my own words.  Apparently he hardly knew much, besides the actual files that had test results.  After hearing everything, he thinks there is a possibility my gastroparesis could not be my only problem, or it has caused other problems, or something else has caused my gastroparesis.
There were a few different options we could try.
One was to take tests to look for anything else, just to be sure I'm healthy everywhere else, that nothing is causing my GP, etc.
Another was a medication that would turn off some of the bile fluids going through my system, because after my gallbladder being removed, it could cause those problems.  The issue with this, is this medication is just like straight up fiber, it is hard to digest, and i have to drink a TON of water with it, so it would make it hard for me to eat something for a while before or after taking this medication, and since I'm only keeping down 600 calories on average as it is, that could be a real problem.  Especially since its experimental, and may not make any difference.
The last option is to take a medication that covers up the symptoms, right now I'm taking phenergan for that (anti-nausea) there is also reglan, which causes some serious side effects and he is against it (especially with the lawsuits going on).  The other medication which usually works best with the least amount of side effects isnt available in the United States because of greedy politics and FDA things.  Because I live so close to Canada, he can still get it for me (yay!).
We decided because project access will run out soon, to take all the expensive tests and get that out of the way, and then start working medications etc.
So in two weeks I am getting a colonoscopy.  I will also be scheduled for a pelvic/abdomen ultrasound as soon as project access clears it.  I also have blood and bowel tests (not scheduled, thats just walk-in by convenience) to check thyroid, endocrine, and many other things.
I'm getting kinda sick of tests, but I'm willing if it means there may possibly be an end to this suffering.
It gives me hope.

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