an update

I'm happy to say that Helen has been reasonably well in the last few months! The gastroparesis condition is still there, but not as severe! We hope it just goes away as mysteriously as it showed up.... Helen is now living in New Westminster with her boyfriend "Chris" and her psycho giant hamster "Puff".

Since my last post here, our family has had its "ups" and "downs". On May 31st my second grandchild was born! Logan Neale Wesley Honeybourne! ;)

... two weeks later my mom passed away =[

with my mom's passing we asked for donations to the GPDA in lieu of flowers, and thankfully some people did! There definitely needs to be more research done, and as of last March 2008 there is a Western Canadian Neuro-enteric Research Centre and Gastrointestinal Motility Centre in Calgary, Alberta!

I found this story about another mother and her daughter's plight with her condition... Holy smokes, could I ever relate! http://www.digestivedistress.com/main/page.php?page_id=48

"Happy Thanksgiving" everyone! I'm sooooooo thankful that Helen has been feeling better!

Dr. McCann & Dr. Jill Scott

Helen saw Dr. McCann (chiro) and Dr. Jill Scott (naturopath) yesterday... Helen has been doing really quite well this last month, and has been busy. She graduated, she has been doing volunteer work as a youth worker, and she has even had a few nights out with her girlfriends!

Dr. Scott has recomended she take the rest of the Unda (homeopathic) formulas and digestive enzymes, along with the dietary restrictions and changes. Helen is to take note of all food intake that makes her feel worse.

Dr. Michael McCann

last monday - May 5th, Helen went to see Dr. Michael McCann. He is truly an amazing chiropractor. He checked Helen thoroughly and came to the interesting conclustion that Helen has had a very serious fall and injury to her tailbone area. He went on to state that the injury could definately be the cause of her scoliosis and gastroparesis conditions.

Helen immediately remembered a time about 5 or 6 years ago when she fell while skating. She remembered the fall as being really bad and that her whole back ached for quite awhile after.

She will be seeing Dr. McCann twice a week for the next month or so.

Helen graduates!!!

Not a good day =(

Helen started out feeling somewhat OK. I gave her some soup to take to school, and when I picked her up, she said she had just gotten sick. She is extremely nauseated and throwing up.

Yesterday was an emotional day for Helen. She is realizing the impact of this condition and the dietary restrictions.

Naturopathic Visit

Today we went to see Dr. Jill Scott! She is a fabulous Naturopathic doctor in Port Moody.

She recommended a few dietary changes like "no wheat or dairy", blenderized foods and smoothies. All vegetables are to be cooked and blenderized. No, or very little pork.

She gave Helen some Unda Remedies and suggested digestive enzymes, apple cider vinegar and the castor oil packs.

Overall the visit was a very positive one for us, and we are very hopefull for a recovery.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Last week we ran into Katolen Yardley (Medical Herbalist) at the Pharmasave here in PoCo. She gave us some great recommendations and ideas also. Definately the blenderized food, no raw vegetables, juicing etc. Slippery Elm, and the Core Health Tea blend are what we are starting with.

diagnosis confirmed "gastroparesis"

Helen saw Dr. Henry Chung today, and he confirmed the diagnosis of the condition gastroparesis, a severe digestive motility (neuromuscular) disorder. He said to eat several small meals a day (Helen is already doing this) and to supplement with the nutritional liquid meal replacements like Boost or Ensure. He also advised her to drink milkshakes from McDonalds. She has been prescribe Domperidone and Erythromycin.

It is hard to imagine that in countries as prosperous as the USA and Canada that anybody could suffer from severe malnutrition. However, it does happen and is one of the major complications of Gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is not just an inconvenience. It is a serious gastro-intestinal condition that profoundly affects the lives of many of those who suffer from it. Although there are different severities of the condition, everyone who suffers from Gastroparesis experiences significant disruption of daily activities. No one is immune to developing the disorder, and it appears in all age groups.

Gastroparesis literally means paralyzed stomach. It is a devastating condition that is fairly common among the diabetic population, although it can be caused by a number of other factors as well. Gastroparesis results in delayed emptying of food and liquid from the stomach. Once food is ingested, it often sits in the stomach for hours or even days because the stomach does not contract very well, if at all. Gastroparesis is one of the most difficult gastrointestinal disorders to treat. There are limited treatment options, but uncontrolled Gastroparesis can have serious consequences including malnutrition, dehydration, and weight loss. Many doctors know very little about Gastroparesis so often newly diagnosed patients do not understand their condition or the treatment options available to them.

Food Suggestions and Tips for People who have Idiopathic Gastroparesis or Delayed Emptying of the Stomach

source: The Gastroparesis & Dysmotilities Association

CT Enterography - Eagle Ridge Hospital

Helen had a CT Enterography test done today at Eagle Ridge. It was a 2 hour test and she was to drink about a gallon of slimely crap! obviously she couldn't, no one could! let alone someone with chronic nausea!

Gastric Emptying Study (radioactive scrambled eggs!)

Helen had the Gastric Emptying Study - Solid Phase test done today, she felt quite ill afterward.

Clinical Information:

Following the ingestion of a Tc-99m solid radiolabelled meal, serial imaging in the anterior and posterior projections was performed for 100 minutes. There is a marked delay in gastric emptying. The T1/2 of emptying is not reached at the end of the examination and is extrapolated to be 373 minutes (normal 60 =/- 30 minutes). At the end of the study, only 14% of initial gastric activity is emptied.

Impression/Diagnosis:
Findings are suggestive of significant gastroparesis to solids if there is no evidence of gastric outlet obstruction.

by Urvi Joshi - Nuclear Medicine Physician

Dr. Henry Chung

Dr. Chung thinks Helen may have Gastroparesis and is requesting a Gastric Emptying Study procedure to be done on Feb. 18th at Royal Columbian Hospital...

Gastroparesis is a severe neuromuscular disorder of the stomach that results in a partially or completely paralyzed stomach. Individuals suffer with a spectrum of symptoms collectively known as dyspepsia. These symptoms range from nausea, vomiting, belching, reflux (stomach acid washing into the mouth), early satiety (a feeling of fullness after a few bites of food), abdominal pain or bloating, a change in bowel habits, and weight loss. People with gastroparesis may experience a substantial loss in quality of life to the point of being housebound for months at a time.

Gastroparesis is also known as delayed gastric emptying. Delayed gastric emptying can be a component of numerous other gastrointestinal disorders such as:

non-ulcer dyspepsia,
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
functional dyspepsia,
cyclic vomiting syndrome,
functional abdominal pain,
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS);
it is also found in a subset of individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Break down the words; it helps to understand the meaning. “Gastro” means “stomach” and “paresis” means “weakness”. Gastroparesis, then, refers to a weakened stomach, which in this case, allows food and secretions to pool in the stomach. The term “delayed gastric emptying” is often used interchangeably with gastroparesis.

Breaking apart the meaning of the word “dysmotilites”, we get the prefix “dys”, meaning "abnormal", and "motility", a biological term meaning “contractions”. Its use in gastroentreology refers to abnormal contractions in the gut. A dysmotility may affect an isolated problem in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (as in gastroparesis) or it may encompass several regions of the GI tract, each region having its own diagnostic term.

Sometimes people start out with one isolated dysmotility (such as gastroparesis); then over time the motility problem can affect a region farther downstream—the duodenum— and even farther along the small intestine. One very severe dysmotility is chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, which can afflict both children and adults.

Dysmotilities of the colon cause diseases such as: Hirschsprung's disease, colonic inertia, slow-transit constipation, and functional outlet obstruction.

source: The Gastroparesis & Dysmotilities Association

EXTREME nausea & vomiting again!

Dr. Qureshi

spoke with Dr. Qureshi, and he said to definately follow-up with Dr. Donaldson, and to see Dr. Chung on Jan. 21st. He recommended a CAT scan be done and ERCP procedure.

Dr. Fell & Dr. Jill Scott

yesterday morning we went to see Dr. Fell to see what she advises for Helen to do. She gave her some Nexium samples. It seems Nexium is prescribed for acid indigestion. Hopefully it helps?

I spoke with Dr. Jill Scott about Helen and she aid to do the apple cider vinegar 20 minutes before eating and to follow the 3-week detox diet. The pancreas has a difiicult time digesting protein. No dairy, no wheat products and definately no sugar. She has an apt to see her Tuesday - Feb 5th @ 11:30am.

Pancreatitis!!!!

Helen went to Eagle Ridge with extreme pain and nausea. She waited in the waiting room on a bed, throwing up, screaming and writhing in pain for almost 4 hrs! The doctors and other staff in the triage were telling jokes and eating Tim Hortons! She finally got into ER and they treated her like she was a piece of shit! didn't help her, or believe her that she was in pain or nauseated!... She was puking so much and so often (just bile) that they were pissed off at her for using so many of the cardboard disposable containers! She was eventually diagnosed with pancreatitis by the blood work they did there. I don't know what the amylase levels were. Anyways she got a room @ 11:00pm and the night nurse was a nightmare! She didn't sleep well, the morphine and metoclopramide wasn't even helping and the nurses aren't allowed to change the meds until they get the OK from a doctor. The doctor/hospitalist didn't show up until around 11:30am! By this time Helen was extremely agitated and exhausted. Unfortunately she discharged herself out of the hospital before she could get any help!!! = =

Peace Arch Hospital today

Helen had her Colonoscopy and Gastroscopy today. Dr. Donaldson said he saw nothing that was abnormal. So this is really good.

He did biopsies and the results will be a few weeks.

Helen was extremely ill from the tests, VERY nauseated! On the way home from the hospital I took pictures of this rainbow! there was 2 side by side, very beautiful!

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

from THE WIZARD OF OZ
lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Lets hope there is a pot of good luck and health there for Helen also! gold would be nice too :0)

Oct. 29 - Monday

Helen had her apt with Dr. Donaldson the gastrointestinal / internist specialist today! He was not unable to diagnose anything as yet, and is scheduling a colonoscopy in Dec.

Oct. 23rd - tuesday

Helen woke up this morning feeling ill. She was dry heaving for half an hour.... she is going to school tho, just will be late.

Oct. 16

Helen is still not feeling well... a lot of burping, constipation alternating with diarrhea

Oct. 12 - Friday night

Helen isn't feeling too bad, but she had 1 alcoholic drink and vomited a couple of hours later. Dr. Rogal told me that projectile vomiting isn't a good sign and to definately follow up with the complaint to the College of Physicians & Surgeons about Dr. Sedergreen.

Oct. 11 - thursday

Helen had her ultra-sound imaging done at Eagle Ridge Hospital today... they said to contact our doctor in 4 - 5 business days... that takes us to next wed or thurs...

She is feeling somewhat OK today, she ate a fairly large amount at lunch! and then wanted to go shopping! all a good sign!