What is my daily life like living with gastroparesis?
Daily life is physically challenging for me. Each morning I wake up with lack of energy, unrested from restless sleep IF I had any sleep to start off with, along with nausea & a cramping abdomen from trickling a total of 200mL of pedialyte into my small intestines via my feeding tube all night. In the morning I unhook for an hour before rehooking to my feeding tube for my nutrition. During the entire day I carry around a backpack with my tube feeds to receive up to 500 calories of formula. My body won’t accept more without severe symptoms. I try to force a pedialyte popsicle l or 2 times a day as I remain chronically dehydrated even with the feeding tube. Most of my day consist of being home bound under a heating pad. When I do attempt to go out, it is with my family and usually consist of going to a restaurant and watching them eat, a doctor’s visit, or attending a movie. All of which wear me down and take a day or two to recover from. Making plans in advance is always questionable as don’t know how I will be and know there’s a good chance that I may have to cancel.
Nausea, meds, soft breakfast, more nausea. It’s like one big carousel I can’t get off of. I wake up sick, I go to bed sick. There is no in between. I never thought a person could have functioning nausea. I go through my day with a constant stomach ache. The sad part is I have got so used to it, that I can actually function. My life literally centers on how bad my stomach feels.
Waking nauseated and trying to get ahead of it all day, everyday!! It controls my life, so called. ??
