I am a 50 (almost!) year old mother and grandmother who has always been in pretty good health.  In 1997, I started my dream job as a software consultant.  I got to travel all over the US and made a very good living.

In early 1999, I began to have health problems.  I would experience lightheadedness, bloating, chest pains and regurgitation of undigested food.  After a bunch of tests, they determined I needed to have my gall bladder removed, which I did in October 1999.  For five months after the  surgery, I could eat whatever I wanted and was doing great.  On Easter Sunday in 2000, I ate a scrambled egg sandwich before flying to Syracuse for work.  I became violently ill during the trip and puked up pieces of eggs for 6 hours.  After that, it got worse and worse and I was hospitalized numerous times at home, in Syracuse, and three times in Detroit for pain, nausea and dehydration.

In July 2001, I was admitted to the hospital 4 different times in 2 weeks.  I had multiple EGD’s, a colonoscopy, and a few CAT scans.  No one ever mentioned Gastroparesis, but it was written on a discharge sheet.  I began to research on the Internet and found a support group.  I also decided to change doctors since my current GI was not communicating well with me. 

My new doc ordered a GES and I was officially diagnosed on 8/31/01.  Only 5.8% of my stomach contents moved after 90 minutes.  I was taking Reglan and functioning, but barely.  Then, at Thanksgiving, I began to experience intense depression, anxiety, and restlessness, side effects of the Reglan.  I stopped taking it immediately and my doc prescribed Domperidone.

Due to my illness, I had to stop work in January, 2002.  It has been a struggle physically and financially ever since.  I currently take Domperidone, Aciphex, Phenergan, Tramadol and Lorazepam but still cannot function well enough to hold down a job.  Some days, it’s difficult to just get out of bed.  I do not vomit much, but the nausea is debilitating.  I can still eat somewhat and survive on carbs.  I am one of the people with this disease who does not lose weight on a constant basis because of my diet and sedentary lifestyle.

My family has been wonderful throughout my struggles and continues to be supportive.  Becoming a moderator with the online support group has also been rewarding, although I will continue to pray for a cure so that the group is no longer needed.