I am a 41 year old wife and mother of 3. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis 6 years ago. I have had 27 surgeries due to my illness. I have been on Social Security Disability for 4 years. I was tube fed for 3 years and have recently just had to have an NJ tube inserted . I am fighting for my life while being treated like a guinea pig and yet there is no hope around this disease. While I was tube fed I had to have 15 surgeries to either change feeding tubes or because of complications from the tubes themselves. I honestly felt like the feeding tubes were going to kill me faster than my actual disease. I made the choice to have my feeding tubes removed. Now social security is saying I am basically cured because I made the choice to have the tubes removed. I am on the verge of loosing my disability benefits and my medicare because of this and yet I just had to have a NJ tube inserted because I was unable to maintain weight and nutrition after my last surgery in May which replaced my 3rd Gastric pacemaker. I cannot work and I am now tube fed again. Life is traumatic and hard. I now have a home health nurse and dietitian along with 6 other specialists and yet I am nowhere near cured or healthy. Depression has overwhelmed my mind and body as I have tried to navigate through this disease with what seems like no help or support from my doctors or the government. Please help me!
Submitted by: Tyanna Sanders
