Shannon’s Personal Story: Gastroparesis
I don’t know where to start with this. As I’m typing, I’m in a bad flare. Can barely keep broth and water down. The last time I was in a flare was over a year ago.
But let’s go back to when this first started. In 2015, I was 32 years old, married and have 2 wonderful kids. I started having nausea on and off. I would do everything I could to push past it. It would stay for a few weeks, then disappear. That lasted for years. I never went to the doctor because we didn’t have insurance, I still don’t.
Fast forward to September of 2018. The nausea came with a vengeance and I began not being able to hold anything down. After 3 days, my husband rushed me to the ER. I had every test and it was determined I has gallstones and my gallbladder needed to come out so I had emergency surgery. It didn’t fix anything. I still had nausea and vomiting and a high heart rate. I was in and out of the ER. In November of 2018 I finally got in with a GI and was diagnosed with cDiff. I battled that for 5 months. Kept having relapses. Finally they got me on Dificid and that got rid of it in April of 2019. I had the GES in May of 2019 and was diagnosed with mild Gastroparesis. Ever since June of 2019, I haven’t had bad nausea and no vomiting. I would have small flares but they would go away after a few days to a week. I take Zofran, Promethazine, and pantoprazole.
Now today June 25, 2021, I am sitting in the ER waiting room waiting to be seen. I’ve been in a severe flare for several days and can’t hold anything down. I’m so hungry but I can’t eat. My medicines aren’t working. I feel so depressed because I feel my body has betrayed me again. Why can’t I be normal? I was doing so well. I just want answers and to get relief. I don’t have insurance because I can’t afford it and I can’t afford the tests they want. I just want to have hope to get well and stay well.