Digestive Tract Paralysis (DTP) refers to a group of conditions that affect the motility, or speed in which your body digests food and liquids, such as gastroparesis (GP), chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction (CIPO), and colonic inertia (CI). I have been diagnosed with esophageal dysmotility, gastroparesis, and colonic inertia and all have greatly effected my health and lifestyle.
Gastroparesis, or paralyzed stomach, is a condition where your stomach takes too long to digest and empty your stomach. GP can be primary, secondary, or idiopathic and can range from mild to severe (little to no motility). Common forms of secondary GP are diabetic GP, Post-abdominal surgery GP, post-viral GP, and GP from eating disorders. Some symptoms of GP according to GPACT are:
Early Satiety after a few bites of food
Nausea (especially after eating)
Vomiting (often undigested food from hours or even days before)
Abdominal Pain
Hiccupping
Excessive Belching
Bloating
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Loss of Appetite
Malnutrition
Dehydration
Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux which is not controlled by acid suppressants
Erratic blood glucose levels
For me, dysmotility has hijacked my love of food and made me realize how much our culture revolves around food. Out to dinner, snacks at the movies, family meals, holidays, snacking, period chocolate eating, late night iHOP runs, and lunch breaks at work. When you can’t eat or can only eat a few types of food in small amounts, you miss out on a lot. Not to mention if certain food smells make you nauseous- my DTP friends can probably relate to being nauseous and starving at the same time. Food is everywhere. DTP is part of the reason I have a feeding tube which givesme freedom but is also a pain. in. the. ass. I have to be fed into my intestine to bypass my damaged stomach (intestines are more functioning though also damaged). This requires being attached to a tube and pump anywhere from 12 to 24 hours a day.
But DTP doesn’t just effect eating, it effects medication absorption, acidity levels, bowel control, hydration, energy levels, weight, and definitely clothing sizes (bloating is no joke). We need a cure, we are starving for a cure. While there are some treatments available they often come with difficult side effects or are invasive. More research needs to be done for a cure to be found! To donate or find out more please visit the Gastroparesis Patient Association for Cures and Treatments (G-PACT)!
Chronicles of a Professional Patient 