-I'm a
college sophomore with a 3.9GPA
-I'm the
President of my college's chapter of Toastmasters (an international public
speaking and leadership organization)
-I spin
fire, I speak German, and I raise awareness about public health issues
-I have
Gastroparesis
I try to
live by Carpe Diem, but my health is a roller coaster. I don't want to let my
college years pass me by, but a lot of the time that's what feels like is
happening.
Medical
History
-After six
months of dealing with severe GERD and SIBO, my stomach stopped working. In
January 2014 I was diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis--my stomach digested
FIVE TIMES SLOWER than a normal stomach. And it got worse... over a matter of
weeks I went from only being able to eat soft foods like rice and porridge to
barely being able to keep liquids down. Most of the time, I couldn't leave the
couch, my head was in a fog, and everything felt BAD.
-After my
gastroenterologist prescribed Domperidone I was able to leave the house and
live a little. I could meet friends for short periods of time, and I even
managed to take a class. Eating was difficult and I was sick a lot of the time,
particularly at night when symptoms tended to be worse.
-My health
yo-yo'd every few weeks--sometimes I felt ok (almost normal!), and bad days
were marked by reflux and nausea--other times I couldn't eat at all and was
stuck in bed with severe abdominal pain.
-After a low
point in June where I was throwing up and seeing black like I was going to pass
out, a course of Xifaximin and Neomycin drastically improved my SIBO and made
me feel more energized. I was able to go to parties, hike,and enjoy spending prolonged
periods of time socializing. Things were looking up when I returned to college
for my sophomore year.
-Managing
gastroparesis in college is difficult--college life revolves largely around
food, and smells alone can make me nauseous. Most people were uncomfortable
hearing about my illness, and even those who tried to understand couldn't fully
grasp it. I had to miss classes and skip out on numerous social opportunities
during my "bad days." Overall, however, I was happy and managing
well.
-in October
I took a trip to the Mayo Clinic to find out if there was anything more I could
learn about or do to improve my symptoms. The week itself was awful--I had to
go off Domperidone for them to run some tests, and I spent a lot of the time
throwing up and in pain--but I came away feeling positive: the doctor said my
stomach emptying study had improved drastically since January!!--a positive
sign I would recover from this evil plague! He said I may always have
sensitivities to certain foods and should be careful with my diet, but we
expected continued improvement. I returned to college with renewed hope.
-two weeks
after the trip, BOOM. Gastroparesis reared its ugly head again and knocked me
flat. I woke up at 3:46am throwing up buckets, and I haven't been able to keep
anything solid down for the last 8 days.
That brings
me to the present. I missed a lot of class last week, as well as rehearsals for
a big show this Friday. Nothing I consume--even liquids--sits well. I have bad
reflux, nausea, and periodic severe stomach pains. I feel so weak, just getting
out of bed is a challenge.
But, I'm
doing it. I don't know how much longer I can keep it up, but at the moment, I
am extremely proud of myself and redefining what it means to be strong. I've
put so much work into this semester--I refuse to let it all fall apart with the
end so close in sight..
I'm praying
things will turn around any day now… I’m craving real sustenance and in
desperate need of energy and a clear head… and I’m starting this blog as an outlet for my
feelings. I hope I’ll
someday be able to look back on this first post and marvel at how far I’ve come in
this journey.
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