I'm not even sure where I left off the last time I blogged. I guess I could stop typing and go read my last entry - but I am too tired and too lazy right now to do that. So, I will bring you up to speed on what is happening in my gastroparesis world today.
Today was finally my appointment with the new gastroenterologist - looking for that second opinion, new treatments, something. Well - I got all that - and some.
I arrived shortly after 9am - my appointment wasn't until 10am, but I knew I had new patient information to fill out and also wanted to make sure that I gave myself plenty of time to get to this new hospital as I had never been there before. I pulled into the parking garage thinking that I definitely liked the layout of this garage a lot better than the other one. For those of you who know me, you might remember me having a run-in last year with the ticket reader in the parking garage at the other place. THAT was not a good day. So while it sounds silly - my comfort ability and not feeling claustrophobic in the parking garage is a plus.
I made my way through the building to the section I needed to be in, jumped on the elevators and headed up to the 3rd floor. I had arrived at the Digestive Disease Center. The waiting room was very comfortable, the staff at the front desk were very pleasant and helpful. I needed to the use the bathroom - that was clean (and smelled clean) as well - another plus. It would be after 10am before I would be taken back - but I expected that when I was going to be meeting with the Chair for the Research Committee/Director for the Center.
His nurse took me back - got my weight (grrrrrrrrrr) - led me to the exam room where she got the rest of my vitals. Shortly after she left, the doctor entered the room and asked that I fill out a questionnaire while he was seeing the patient before me. He should have asked me to fill out the book - cause that's what it was. He would even make it into the room before I had the chance to complete it.
He asked me about my heritage. Asked about my other medical conditions - at which point he told me that the fact that my joints hyper-extend is actually linked to GI issues. Found that very interesting. We discussed the medications and treatments that have been tried over the last year or so, my hospitalization in September and my recent TPN treatment.
During our conversation I found out that he knows my current gastroenterologist. He was actually shocked at what I had experienced, but we didn't dwell on it and continued to discuss my medical case.
I was happy to hear that he had some more tricks up his sleeves. For starters some new medications - I will wear a patch that will last for 5 day intervals. This will hopefully help with the nausea. He is also putting me on Tramadol for the pain - hopefully it's strong enough. I have taken Tramadol in the past and had issues with it not being able to bring my pain to a tolerable level. But I will try it again. There are a few other medications which haven't been started just yet - but are in his arsenal following some tests that he is ordering. Drugs like Domperidone and Nortriptyline.
So now the tests. I left his office and went downstairs - had some blood work drawn. Was registered and sent to another part of the hospital for an EKG. Left there and went for a XRay of my abdomen. It took 4 hours to complete that. Went from what I thought was going to be a quick first time appointment to a 6 hour day down at the hospital (that doesn't include the 2 hours of driving either).
Then in a few weeks I will be driving down there 4 days in a row. He wants to do what's called a Whole Gut test. It's similar to the Gastric Emptying but much longer. Basically on Day 1 I will arrive very early at the hospital where I will eat some type of radioactive meal. Following eating the meal they will take pictures of my stomach over a course of 4 hours. This will give the doctor a better idea of how long it is taking for food to leave my stomach.
Then on Day 2 and 3 - they will take more pictures, however these pictures will focus on the progression of the food moving through my small and large intestines. Day 4 will finalize the series of pictures of the food hopefully making it's way to the end of my large intestines.
The purpose behind the Whole Gut study is so he can see and confirm any issues going on elsewhere in my GI system - other than the spasms in my esophagus and the confirmed Gastroparesis. Now there is a final part to this test - however I am choosing to leave out the details of what is involved there - basically because I am not happy at all about having to go through it. What I will say - and this is just from an education standpoint, because I haven't heard of this before in any other Gastroparesis blogs/writings that I have come across - is that the test is a manometry test and it won't be the esophagus like I had last year. Nuff said.
So all in all - besides the fact that I am exhausted from spending so much time down there - it was a good visit. This doctor is very much about the science, thinking about studies that are currently going or where they have seen improvements for patients - he has tricks up his sleeve still where I had thought maybe my options had run out. I think at this point I will continue to see him - see where his tests and treatments lead me.
Oh - and I had found out yesterday while reading through my medical records - that I have a hiatal hernia in my stomach. Funny thing, well not really funny, it was discovered back in August during my Botox procedure - but my current gastroenterologist never told me about it. Kind of another reason why I think it's time to make a change in specialists. I did speak to the new guy about it today - and he said that hiatal hernias are actually common in people with GI issues. Made me feel a little better - but still not sure what we do as far as monitoring it, etc.
So a lot happened today and that is good. As long we continue to make progress - continue to try everything that is available - well, except the stomach pacemaker (I ain't doing that one).
A little bit of hope has returned - I have more stuff to try.
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