by NayEunique:
I’m going to go out on a limb and place a couple of bets. First, I’ll bet you didn’t know that August is Gastroparesis Awareness Month. The second, you’re asking, ‘What IS Gastroparesis?’ Well, I’m glad you asked! Gastroparesis (GP) is the paralysis or partial paralysis of the stomach due to damage to the vagus nerve; which is responsible for how food moves through the digestive tract. The main symptoms of GP are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, the inability to keep down foods and liquids, feeling full after only a few bites of food, and weight loss. Due to these symptoms, sufferers potentially face complications such as malnutrition and dehydration. In more severe cases, in the event that the stomach stores food for too long, food in the stomach could become fermented, causing bacteria to grow; thus bringing on infections. With food staying in the stomach for too long, the possibility of bezoars, or masses, developing in the stomach also poses a threat, which could cause blockages.
GP is most commonly diagnosed among those with diabetes. However, other factors that can potentially cause GP are viral infections, certain medications, surgeries performed where damage to the vagus nerve occurred, and those with autoimmune diseases, such as, you guessed it, good ole Multiple Sclerosis. As if the MonSter wasn’t a complete beast all on its own, I for one found out personally that sometimes even MS wants a friend to hang with. I still vividly remember being diagnosed with GP and that my MS was more than likely the culprit. Prior to my diagnosis with my GP, I had been diagnosed with MS for 8 months. Going through several relapses, flare after flare, and ultimately another incurable chronic condition. Some of the first symptoms I personally experienced were swallowing issues and constant nausea. Then esophageal spasms that felt like the equivalent to a charley horse in my throat. Bloodwork, MRIs, and evaluations, at the time, showed that my issues were not MS related. My health was declining fast, and I was stuck in limbo. Bad quickly went to worse when the little that I could barely get down to eat and drink would no longer stay down. What I hoped would be a little while in the ER turned into three grueling weeks in the ICU with no clue as to what was wrong.
Severely dehydrated, malnourished, constant vomiting and nausea. The first procedure ordered, an endoscopy to attempt to determine the cause of my swallowing issues and to get a better view of my digestive system. However, the test that confirmed I had GP was the gastric emptying test. My fellow GPers know the deal. Two words…radioactive eggs. You have to eat these eggs and hope your stomach holds them long enough for imaging. That process, the x-rays for this, can take up to four hours while they wait to see how long it takes for the stomach to digest the science experiment sitting in your stomach. My results, what should have taken no more than 45 minutes to an hour for my digestive system to digest, far exceeded the allotted time
The constant vomiting, what I didn’t know at the time, is considered a flare. Like MS, flares can last days, weeks, months or longer. My first flare with GP, lasted a month. A month of vomiting literally 10 to 12 times a day. I couldn’t eat or drink anything and yet, stuff just kept coming up. And that’s when things got really scary. I wasn’t doing well at all at the time. My potassium had tanked dangerously low, putting my heart at risk. They were constantly giving me IVs to no avail. We were trying meds that provided little relief and I unfortunately had complications from the endoscopy. I was in a bind to say the least. Feeding tubes and a gastric pacemaker were discussed as possible options. What seemed like an unimaginable possibility at the time, unfortunately, is an everyday reality for some GPers. A feeding tube either through the nose or stomach or having surgery to have a pacemaker placed on the outside of the stomach, in hopes that it would be helpful in getting a quicker response to the digestive system. I was fortunate that my flare calmed down just a day before a decision had to be made. By the time I left the hospital, the game plan as far as treatment was a strict diet, meds to treat the symptoms, and to just try my best to recover and adjust to my new normal.
No appetite, on and off again nausea, chest and abdominal pain from a month of vomiting; for me, eating became an Olympic sport. I was told that over time I’d learn what my ‘safe foods’ were. I’d try something and if my body didn’t like it, it would let me know, immediately. My reality with food transformed from loving to eat, to being afraid to. Those first few months were such a miserable time.
Another main symptom I experienced big time was weight loss. In seven months’ time I had lost nearly 120lbs due to GP. I no longer recognized what stared back at me in the mirror. All I could see was MS and its’ not so little friend, GP. It was a whirlwind. I was exhausted, incredibly frustrated and was ready to give my right arm to be able to eat normally again. Even though GP has been a heavy hitter, it was through my MS community where I first found both support and information about it.
Though I hate that they suffer this double whammy too, I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for not only my fellow MS Warriors but also my fellow MS Warriors who are also GP Warriors. I have a couple of friends who are both MSers and GPers who have been a great support to me in my almost three years with GP. The bright sides of GP, I am saving on my grocery bill, I have made some amazing friends, and I have been able to connect with tons of awesome warriors, both in the MS Community and the GP Community. For that, I consider myself blessed.
So, for the month of August, kudos to all the GP Warriors during Gastroparesis Awareness Month! Go you! And when it’s no longer August, still kudos to those warriors because as we MSers know, even though August is Gastroparesis Awareness Month, Gastroparesis is everyday for a GP Warrior.
