Karen's Story

I am a 57-year-old female. All through my life, I have suffered from nausea and acid reflux, about 5 years ago I started to be sick every time I ate and getting excruciating pains in my stomach, it literally hurt to eat. I went to my local hospitals A&E and was admitted into the hospital and given IV antibiotics. I was kept in for a week and not given any tests for what was wrong. They believed it was my gallbladder and was removed about 6 months later, didn't help at all.

I spent the next 3 and a half years having hospital appointments and different investigations. They were unable to find why I was being so sick. They sent me to a pyschiatrist as they thought I was making myself sick, After the pyschiatrist telling them I did not have a problem with food, I was then referred to St Mary's in Paddington where they discovered that my esophagus has weak peristalsis, I was told they could operate but said that could make the sickness worse, so they referred me to UCLH in London where I saw a lovely doctor who on my first visit after describing my symptoms to him said he thinks he knows what is wrong, he thought I could have Gastroparesis.

I was sent for a gastric emptying study and that confirmed I do have Gastroparesis. He was very lovely and told me it cannot be cured but he can help manage my symptoms. I was so relieved to find it wasn't in my head but sad with the diagnosis. I have had my pyloric valve stretched and botoxed on two occasions which I find to give light relief, not being sick all the time after eating.

I wish more doctors and nurses etc were more informed about the condition and understood the challenges we face everyday.