My journey with the feeding tube started July of 2015, a little less than a month after I was diagnosed with Gastropareisis. Gastropareisis is a digestive issue that basically means partial paralysis of the stomach. This means that when someone with eats a meal or drinks a beverage, the contents can sit in the stomach for hours, or even days. Symptoms ranged from mildly annoying to so severe that some people can't even eat or take in fluids, so they have to rely on feeding tube or TPN to survive. What causes it is unknown, but it is believed to be caused by a damaged vegus nerve. I was diagnosed with it in June of 2015. I didn't get the feeding tube right away. At first we tried Reglan to help move things along, but that really wasn't helping. I also have been pumped so full of Zofran, that it's not really effective anymore. Then we tried other options such as Erythromycin, and then we tried Botox injections. My weight kept dropping. The doctor in the hospital told me that we were going to do a feeding tube next, the dreaded NJ (nasal gastric tube). She popped in my nose, and down it went. It was so uncomfortable. I was finally discharged, and then I kept tube feeding about a month, until I saw my GI. After that, I tried making some adjustments to my diet. That helped some, but I still wasn't getting proper nutrition, and I kept puking my NJ tube out, so then I found myself admitted again. The doctor told me that we were going to try a GJ (gastro jujenostomy) tube next. It was easier to hide than a NJ tube. Putting that in was so uncomfortable. The doctor had to put a tube down my nose and pump air into my stomach, then he gave me a local anesthetic, and punctured my stomach to place it. I spent the night at the hospital. I've had it for about 3 1/12 years. I don't really feed much anymore, as I still try to get my intake orally. My weight has been stable, but my gastroenterologist and my primary want me to use it because they said if I needed major surgery for my other issues, that I couldn't get it since my weight isn't right. Something I struggled with is that I'm really self conscious about my body. Before I was chronically ill, I was physically fit, but unfortunately my health started to decline, and I lost all that muscle and weight. I'd love to put it on through working out, instead of the tube, even though my doctor wants me to continue feeds. I still use it for draining and meds though.
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