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I'm Les. I'm 52 years old and I have lived in Oregon all of my life. After high school, I joined the Navy for four years and spent one year in Vietnam with a Mobile Riverine task force, traveling the Mekong Delta. After the Navy, I went to work at a papermill for 29 years. I started in production and eventually got into maintenance and became a journeyman pipefitter/mechanic. I got married when I was 26 years old and later got a divorce. My son Derek, is 25 years old. I still remain close to my step daughters from my marriage. Stacee is 36 years old and Michelle is 34 years old. I raised my son with a lot of help from friends and my mother. Over the years, my son and I had lots of hobbies. We enjoyed sports, fishing, camping, riding four wheelers on the Oregon Dunes, recreational gun shooting, traveling, weight lifting, golfing, snow skiing, and music. About 4 years ago I started getting nauseated and was vomiting. I tried different meds but nothing would help. I had a blood test for diabetes but it came back normal. A year or so later I ended up in the emergency room with a blood sugar level of 771 and I was diagnosed with diabetes. I kept complaining about nausea and vomiting. My PCP tried different meds but I still couldn't get any relief. She eventually ordered a GES and I was diagnosed with GP. She told me to eat smaller meals and spread them out each day and avoid fats. I was still nauseated and vomiting. She ran more tests and decided my gall bladder was dysfunctional and had it removed. I was still nauseated and vomiting. I went several months without seeing a doctor and decided one day that I needed to call around and find a new PCP. My new PCP told me the damage to my Vagus Nerve was permanent because of my diabetes. She put me on an all liquid diet and we tried different meds but I was still nauseated and vomiting and had diarrhea too. She sent me to a GI in town and he said the damage was permanent and he couldn't help me. She sent me to an Endocrinologist and he couldn't help me either. I went to an acupuncturist and still couldn't get any relief. The nausea and diarrhea continued but I was putting up a good fight to keep from vomiting. She became concerned about my weight loss. Then I got a letter from her saying she decided to move her practice, so I needed to find a new PCP. I found a new PCP. She told me I was her first ever GP patient. She has been wonderful. She sent me to the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland. My GI up there also told me that the damage was permanent but he wants to help me. He has me on Marinol now and this is the first time in 4 years that I finally have some relief. My PCP thinks my GI in Portland will be talking to me about getting a gastric pacer. Last year I was in yahoo and I typed in gastroparesis as one word instead of two, and there for the first time, I saw the GP support group. I'm one of the older ones in the group and I feel so fortunate that I didn't get GP until later in life. I've had a chance at life and it's so sad to see all of you younger ones suffer. GP causes so many of us to become depressed and lonely but we have each other. I will be eternally grateful to the friends I have in the GP group. There is an atmosphere of genuine, loving and caring concern for each other. I want to thank each and every member for sending so much kindness my way. I mean this very very sincerely..........Les in Oregon
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