Faces of GP

My son Christopher runs feeds at night. I’m grateful for the option to provide him nutrition. He’s a warrior.

Hi my name is Miraya Johnson, I have had excruciating abdominal pain since I was in 7-8th grade. I was dismissed by so many doctors. I have seen 5-6 GI specialist & they all told me the same thing Irritable bowel syndrome also known as (IBS), as well telling me my symptoms are only in my head. They never saw me throwing up from when I woke up in the morning to when I closed my eyes at night. I am sick from day to night with pain. They never saw me being bedridden and missing so much school due to the excruciating pain, nausea, & vomiting. They never questioned my malnourishment. They never cared when I told them my hair is falling out & that my bones hurt. They never cared about the countless ER visits week after week, month after month, day after day. After losing hope for so long. Because of the doctors, they would never listen to my everyday symptoms.

One day, recently I was scrolling through tiktok and found some lady talking about Gastroparesis & I immediately looked up the symptoms and called

I‘ve had Gastroparesis for 23 years and not only have I fought this fight but my family has fought with me and I am so lucky to have them by my side.

The battle is so difficult for each and every one of us every day and we all have different experiences. Malnutrition, dehydration, constipation, diarrhea, weight loss, weight gain, diabetes, vomiting, nausea, pain, bloating. We go through so many tests, procedures surgeries and medications just to find some relief.

There is no cure for Gastroparesis but there are studies out there trying to find a way to help us to through this horrible disease.

God bless all you warriors

Combatting GP is TOUGH . This year alone I’ve been hospitalized more time then I can count. In 2018 I was hospitalized over 15 times . We may look “OKAY” but we’re NOT . Everyday is a struggle and we just want people to hear us , understand us and get educated . Everyday is a battle but I always remember that pain is so REAL, but faith is also . We want people to hear us ROAR, because we are warriors fighting silently everyday . We all don’t look like what we go through .

I am Leslie Friend Smith. I am a 51 year old woman who suffers from Gastroparesis. Gastroparesis has taken away my quality of life and left me practically bed bound. I went from being an active person who has worked full time all my life, to getting fired from my job for missing too much work from being sick with uncontrollable vomiting and excruciating stomach pain. When I tried to explain to my employer what was wrong with me, I was told that if I couldn’t handle a little stomach ache, that they had no need for someone like me with their company.

Everyday I get up and try to do housework, I will get as far as doing dishes or sweeping the floors, and I am completely exhausted. My body feels like it just ran in a marathon, my stomach will go from being flat to looking like I am 8 months pregnant, and I will have excruciating pain to where it even hurts to touch all over my stomach. The swelling used to go down over night by resting, but now the swelling is constantly