Living with Gastroparesis

The weather has finally cooled down a bit and this has made my stomach and head happy. I got enough energy a few weeks ago to venture out and try to rock climb a bit. I like the challenge the TPN backpack adds. Climbing with a few extra pounds on your back and a tube hanging around makes me just that much stronger! Here are some pictures from my adventure. I haven’t been back since because my pain returned in full force, leaving me homebound.

I’ve been seeing a pain specialist in an effort to control my pain. We attempted first, with trigger point injections. I basically told him where my pain was focused and he injected numbing medicine into the area. It was unsuccessful. Our next plan is to do a TAP nerve block. It will be done using ultrasound as a guide and I’m sedated for the procedure. Following the procedure, we will either attempt a celiac plexus nerve block using flouroscopy or go straight to a spinal cord stimulator. I’m hoping we can control the pain with just that last procedure but if it doesn’t work, I’ll end up with a pain pump. Both my doctor and I agree that a pain pump would be the last option as we are trying to find ways to get off medication. A pain pump would get me off oral medication but still release pain medication into my system. The spinal cord stimulator wouldn’t use any medication. We will have to see after my first nerve block next week. I hope it goes well.

I also pulled out the pictures from my last EGD/sigmoidoscopy scope.

I hope you are all having happy tummy days and enjoy your upcoming weekend!

There were some interested in how a tube feed gets set up and how everything works together. I have made a simple video of how I start a tube feed from beginning to end. I hope it is helpful.

I am doing supplemental feedings. This means that I get some of my nutrition orally. I typically take in 1200 calories over night and eat what I can during the day. This is limited to the GP diet and often consists of carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and bread (toast). Absolutely nothing fried, fatty or high in fiber (vegetables and most fruits). I find it works best to keep to the bland diet. Sometimes there are things that I eat and pay for later. I know what they are and know well in advance that eating it will cause issues. It is just worth it at times to eat something I don’t normally get to eat (like chocolate covered strawberries!).