Spotlight Patient

Christine Gould
Idiopathic GP

Hi, my name is Christine Gould, and I am 28 years old.  I have been a registered nurse in the state of Maine for 9 years, and am currently employed as a Director of Clinical Services at a National Homecare Agency.  It is the best job I could have ever been blessed with:  I have worked there for nearly two years, and have given as much love and dedication to my clients as anyone in my position can, since I know from experience what it is like to be ill.

I never imagined in my life that I would one day be in the hands of a doctor or nurse managing such a trying disease. In January 2005 I had begun vomiting off and on without any rhyme or reason.  I avoided things if that seemed to trigger nausea, but couldn’t understand what was causing the symptoms.  My Gastroenterologist and I were established already because I have IBS also, and he immediately wanted to see if there was anything wrong with my stomach.  After performing an EGD, he unfortunately found that I had Gastroparesis.  He gave me a prescription for Reglan, and sent me on my way. Unfortunately, I was unable to tolerate even low doses of the drug due to the fatigue it was causing. I even drifted off one day while driving, hitting a curb as I did so.

I was switched to Domperidone, and when its effectiveness waned after 18 months of use, a new physician recommended Erythromycin. (Another failure due to its side effects.)  Originally uncomfortable with the thought of Botox therapy, it became my next option after a second attempt at using Domperidone failed to provide lasting relief. The Botox did seem to help a little bit, but not enough to merit the expense. The doctors suggested having a Gastric Neurostimulator placed and I did so in April of 2009.


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