Mood:
chillin'Now Playing: Day 807-The Final Road To Survival
I officially ran out of energy.
I literally was running on empty all day. "Trying" to keep a smile on my face while attempting a second day of fishing was extremely hard. My Dad decided to tag along today and must had brought the fish with him.
He was the only one to not only get a few bites but catch anything. It must had been the secret bait weapon-a can of Spam. Yes, Spam! and the fish sure loved it! Hahahahaha!
Eric got a few snagged lines in the rocks but luckily he didn't have any problems with his reel today. It seemed warmer this afternoon because we didn't have the breeze like yesterday but I continued doing my best to have fun although I didn't last that long. We left earlier than expected but only because I honestly had zero energy left and my insides were screaming with pain. You can only imagine how the rest of my day went right? Right! A heating pad while lounging on my huge comfy recliner.
One of my fellow clean-out buddies and dear GP friend had surgery yesterday. She has also been having a horrible time with her intestines which keep causing her obstructions. Since her main surgeon refused to listen by expressing her concerns that something wasn't quite right a second opinion provided answers and a new surgeon. I never believed in the gastric pacemaker and rightfully so after she contacted me this evening regarding surgery and what the surgeon and surgical team found going on inside her body. Another reminder is the seriousness of Gastroparesis and complications that exist over time once the condition progresses.
I am going to re-post what I sent the online Gastroparesis support group that I started over 7 years ago. I am now a firm believer against anything experimental and not FDA approved.
Group Post-I was never one who was "for" the gastric pacemaker seeing FDA refuses after over a decade to approve the device in use for Gastroparesis-nausea/vomiting. After hearing AMarie's experience and what her surgical team found out yesterday during her surgery proved that maybe they actually need to place a ban on this device.
I just hope everyone who has a gastric pacemaker demands routine check ups and if you ever have any symptoms or complications go with the gut. Don't take them lightly! AMarie is very lucky and fortunate to had a surgeon take a second look and actually find out what the gastric pacemaker was doing to her insides.
Fwd: 3 open incisions and a drain. Much worse than surgeon anticipated. It was the pacemaker. It was entangled around small intestines causing obstructions. It eroded into the bowel and bowel was extremely inflamed. They had to take a section out of my stomach as it was causing problems there and they did take the pacer out. They think they might be able to save the bowel but it is a wait and see. They said I am lucky I didn't wait any longer. This is the worst surgical pain ever for me. I would never get another pacer. -AMarie
There are many GPer's who over the years have also had a gut their gastric pacemaker was making them feel worse. If this is the case and your surgeon will not remove the pacemaker then I highly suggest going over his/her head and getting a second opinion. Any clinic or surgeon who refuses to remove a gastric pacemaker by a patients request obviously is in my opinion using you as a guinea pig for some sort of research or perks-$$$. Gastroparesis patients are not guinea pigs. We are human beings.
It is extremely scary that AMarie had to go through hell and back to prove that these pacemakers are not FDA regulated for a good reason. They are dangerous. I am sending this post as a special notice because I know there are many in our group who have the gastric pacemaker or are in the process of getting one.
*Please remember there is no cure for Gastroparesis. There is currently no specific medication on the market for Gastroparesis. There are medications to help "possibly" ease one symptom or two however they are not Gastroparesis medications. A gastric pacemaker is an experimental device that could "possibly" ease some nausea or vomiting associated with Gastroparesis however it is not FDA approved. It is also not approved by most insurance companies because it is not an approved device. Sometimes with Gastroparesis "LESS" is truly "MORE." This means the more you place into a paralyzed GI tract via mouth or surgically implanted can actually cause further complications and problems. It is always an individual decision with each Gastroparesis patient however please make sure to carefully think things through no matter what plan of action your doctor or specialists suggest because we only have one body.
-Kimberly/Gastroparesis Awareness Campaign-Founder & Idiopathic GP patient
