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My name is Cassie Stine. I'm a 22 y/o female from Arkansas with idiopathic/viral gastroparesis. My problems all began in late November 2001. I was getting ready to graduate nursing school and started having nausea, vomiting and right upper quadrant pain. After seeing my primary care physician (PCP), I was scheduled for gallbladder testing. After several tests I was scheduled for gallbladder removal on December 18, 2001. The surgery went fine and I was discharged home the following day, and actually felt well for about 3 weeks. Then in early January I had a severe case of Herpes Simplex I (fever blisters). I had never had fever blisters. I came home from work at the hospital one morning very sick when the breakout first started. I was dehydrated and dry heaving and from there it has gone down hill. I was hospitalized and after a week with no improvement on antiemetics and acid reducing meds I was transferred to a larger hospital for further testing. I underwent another EGD and a Small Bowel Series which showed delayed intestinal motility. Being a young lady just out of nursing school preparing to take my boards I was quickly given the diagnosis of "stress induced nausea and vomiting". I was told I needed to get started on an antidepressant and I was discharged home. After being at home about a week with my condition continually getting worse, I was referred to a gastroenterologist at another facility nearby where I was hospitalized and scheduled for a Gastric Emptying Study. The test showed that I had extremely delayed emptying (less than 10% in 90 minutes). I was started on a low dose of Elavil and saw a slight improvement. I held my own over the next couple of months. In the Spring my symptoms flared up again and I was taken off the Elavil and my gastroenterologist suggested that I try Reglan and Erythromycin. I had already came into contact with Reglan and didn't want to go down that miserable road again. I tried the E-mycin IV and PO (by mouth) and saw a slight improvement for about a month until the effects wore off. I had tried everything that my pcp and gastroenterologist could think of so I was referred to Dr. Abell in Jackson, Mississippi in May. It was so nice to actually find a doctor and staff that knew exactly what I was dealing with and didn't look upon my disease as a "fairy tale illness". Dr. Abell suggested that I try Domperidone and Zofran; he also said that he thinks that my gastroparesis is viral from the fever blisters. He stated that the Herpes virus crossed over into my central nervous system and laid dormant in the nerves of my stomach. I found very little relief with domperidone b/c I had photo sensitivity with it so I had to take a very low dosage. The Zofran did wonders for my nausea but due to the cost I was only allowed 6 pills a month. In July I had to get a picc line due to the increased need for IV fluids on a daily/weekly basis and for IV medication. I managed fairly well at home until September and from September to November I spent more time in the hospital than I did at home. My stomach just completely quit working. I was scheduled for a port-a-cath placement and started on TPN plus several new meds. It is January now and I'm still on TPN and awaiting gastric pacemaker approval from my insurance company. I have been unable to work since September. I rely upon a minimum of 10 meds a day to keep going. I have applied for disability but that in itself is a battle. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful and supportive family, church family, and community. Illness is never good but I look back and this has made me and my family stronger and better people and we have grown so much in the Lord over the past year. I know God has a purpose for this "trial" and He will see me through it. He has placed me in this support group that knows exactly what I'm going through. I have a friend and neighbor that has diabetic gastroparesis and she is a great help and support. She has the pacer and has seen a recovery, so I want to send a special thank you to her for all she has done for me! Thanks Theresa! God Bless You All!!! |
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