13 Things Only Gastroparesis Patients Will Understand

Gastroparesis is a rare, incurable disease which literally translates to ‘paralyzed stomach.’ Main symptoms include vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, erratic blood sugar levels, feeling full after a few bites of food, vomiting food thats been in your stomach for days on end, inability to eat, dehydration, malnutrition, hair loss... just to name a few!

Here’s a few things only GPers will understand!

1. “Gastro-WHAT?! Isn’t that a stomach bug?”

About 97% of people I mention my condition to have this exact look on their face! It’s extremely rare and a pretty much unheard of disease- most people have no idea just how serious it is!

2. You know more about your condition than most doctors do

I once had to inform a GI Doctor that you can’t go on erythormycin and domperidone at the same time- she laughed in my face and told me ‘not to be so silly, they don’t interact.’ Turns out I was right! 💁

3. You’ve had to listen to some imbecile say ‘I wish I had your condition so I could lose weight’

After hearing a doctor tell me I’d lost 1.5 stone in the space of a couple of months, the larger woman next to me turned and said ‘god I wish I had your condition so I could lose that much weight!” She must have missed the bits where he said how gastroparesis was a nightmare to treat, that I’d be living off fortisip drinks for the forseeable future, that being in pain was going to be part of my every day life and that was showing signs of malnutrition...

4. The constant battle of ‘to eat or not to eat?’

* doesn’t eat* Feels nauseous, rundown and hangry *eats* Pain, vomiting but really enjoyed the ice cream!

5. The feeling of joy when the pharmacy has your favourite flavour of fortisip in stock

My excitement when chocolate and tropical fortisips are both in stock is that of a 5 year old on Christmas Eve!

6. Your medical file is bigger than that of the 84 year old patient beside you

84 year old Gertrude is the picture of health compared to you... and probably takes far less medication than you too!

7. Bodily functions are no longer an awkward topic of conversation for you

Talking about vomit and bowel movements are second nature to you now! Well, except when you have to talk to the REALLY hot young male doctor about them...

8. You can vomit violently then go back to what you were doing like nothing even happened

I myself vomit 20+ times a day so it’s part of my daily routine!

9. You become a world expert in putting on a brave front

I feel like a burden so usually when someone asks how I am, I tell them all is good even though I secretly feel like someone is stabbing me in the stomach

10. You see more of your local hospital than you do of your own home

The nurses literally greet me by name when the porter wheels me into the gastro ward!

11. You can feel both starving and full up at the same time

Even a few bites of food can make me feel like I can’t physically fit any more food into my body... yet I still crave food like CRAZY!

12. You feel alone and misunderstood

Healthy family members saying ‘they understand what I’m going through’ because they had a stomach bug once is my pet hate! People really underestimate how horrendous gastroparesis is to live with, assuming it’s just a bit of a dicky tummy! My stomach is paralyzed! PARALYZED DAMNIT!

13. Despite everything you’ve been through, Gastroparesis has made you stronger than you could ever imagine 💚

All my fellow Gastroparesis warriors out there- keep up the good fight, one day we WILL find a cure!