Friday, June 14, 2013

The low down.

      A few years ago I had my first anaphylactic reaction. My life from that point on has never been the same. I was tested for allergies. Everything came back negative. But touch me with a peanut/tree nut prepare to stick me with an epi pen. I was diagnosed with idiopathic anaphylaxis, idiopathic uticaria (hives), and idiopathic allergies. Many visits to ER and Urgent Cares did this make! To this day, I cannot have nuts, nut products, nut byproducts, ect. And to this day. That's the easy part.

     Towards the end of 2012 I was having flu-like vomiting fits. One weekend I was vomiting blood. I was not too alarmed as working in an animal hospital I was keen on colors of blood and possible meanings, ect... Still I knew it warranted a visit to the doctor.  At this point I had gone off gluten for almost 3 months after a suggestion from an urgent care doctor during one of my allergic reactions. I had an upper endoscopy performed and biopsies were taken. My gastroenterologist believed that I had celiacs by symptoms but was sure that the biopsy would come back negative as I had been off gluten for some time. The biopsy came back strong for celiacs disease. Okay, NO nuts and NO gluten. Super. Diagnosed with celiacs and chronic gastritis. 

        Vomiting continued. Sometimes I'd go weeks, then sometimes only days. My gastro doctor decided to order a nuclear gastric emptying test. It sounds like a crazy out of space procedure. But really, I ate an egg (which I hate) that had some nuclear matter of some sort, I couldn't taste it? And laid under a machine for what seemed like forever. I was able to watch the screen while I was there but slept for most of it. When I woke up at the end of test I could see that very little of this nuclear egg had left my stomach on the screen. Then I was able to leave. But not before I threw up the egg on the poor technician's shoes. (Sorry guy)! Luckily, the test was complete and I did not have to start over. February 2013 - diagnosed with gastroparesis.  

      This is where the fun begins. At first it was okay. Eat less, more often. No problem. I've been on a "diet" my whole life. Medication trials, ect.  Suddenly it didn't matter. I could rarely keep food down. Then suddenly I couldn't keep food down. Ensure and boost and applesauce became my best friends. Then they all hated me too.  Then I kind of gave up. I eat what I want because it comes back up anyway. If it taste good once, might as well taste it twice. Right? Wrong? Finally, it has taken it's toll. I'm traveling to Phoenix, AZ tomorrow morning. Well, actually this morning, to see a gastric specialist. With hopes of some kind of guidance, support, and hopefully nutritional means. My doctors in Yuma agree it is time to place a feeding tube. Which I agree. Because I'm freaking starving!!!!! I am hoping the specialist in Phoenix will place it there as it is done so much more often than it is in Yuma. And from that point we can work on finding a "fix" to get on the right track I've been thinking of starting a blog, ect for sometime now. And figured tonight as I sit here and should be sleeping, but can't.... Would be a good time. So there is my story. 

   Trust me it goes much deeper than this. And if you opt to follow me, I can promise that this will UN-organized and all over the place. Many will think it's negative. Many will wonder what's the point.  But here it goes!

 Hugs and love to you all -Jess

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