Apologies in advance for the length of this query.. however I am out of options and unsure of how much time I have remaining. What began as a gradual decrease in the speed my body would fully digest food has since turned into a multitude of complications and symptoms all falling within the same realm but without a solid and agreed upon diagnosis. Initially gastroparesis was the diagnosis from the gastro specialist I was seeing nearly 10 yrs ago. I modified my diet and took the medication that was offered at the time. It has turned into a situation where the slightest amount of intake (i mean a crouton) will present discomfort and sharp pain as if Id just eaten two massive thanksgiving meals. On top of that the valve in the upper throat has no function anymore, meaning that my full stomach (be it a small cup of water) will come right back up and out should any pressure be placed on my stomach or if I so much as lean over and allow gravity to have its way. My body temperature skyrockets when I am able to keep something down (sweating heavily despite a room temp of 55 f), as if my body is throwing everything at my digestive system to try and get things moving.. and I often am so incredibly sluggish and riddled with pain as a result that that I typically sleep through that portion of the digestion. Days later when enough of what was consumed has been processed I may begin to feel slight signs of having to use the bathroom, but the ability to do so usually comes no more than once a week. When I am able to there is, without fail, always blood in my stool and very little consistency from one movement to the next otherwise. A few yrs ago I finally tried another specialist (my third actually, as the one in between wanted to jump past all testing to a colonoscopy without any preliminary testing), and he claimed it was Superior Mesenteric Artery syndrome.
As of last year I began having neurological symptoms that I couldnt link to my gastrointestinal distress, but similar to the dual diagnosis Id received before, the neurologists (of which I saw 4) each had a difference of opinion. MS, Mini seizures, a stroke, and the winner was “my body is simply shutting down and I would be lucky to live another year”.
As of today.. (and im sorry for the essay, its just that Im out of options and am now bed ridden without any quality of life).. I have severe insomnia, daily migraines with nausea.. spells of vertigo and general dizzyness.. occasionally blurred vision ranging from difficulty seeing to literal and total blindness lasting hours at a time (beginning with my left eye slowly moving outward, not unlike exotropia), acid in my stomach most times with or without consuming or drinking anything, joint pain in my knuckles at random times that progresses until i can barely move my fingers, weight gain, and as of a month ago I experience (roughly once every 3 days) an overall sense that each of the systems in my body are at odds and in conflict causing an indescribable sense of pain from everywhere, so severe in and out that I honestly thought I was dying.
I decided to reach out to you as I was very healthy, attended the gym daily, made it through college with a perfect gpa on scholarship, and was immediately offered a high paying government job even before graduating.. now 10 yrs later I have been on involuntary medical leave for 6 months and have gotten exponentially worse in that time. I could simply be unlucky and have multiple unrelated ailments, but the first issues I had, for years prior to anything I experience now, were all related to my inability to adequately digest food. I first began experiencing my gastro distress at age 24.. and am now 33. Im a non drinker, ive never used drugs, and my life and career are hanging in the balance.. so if you have even the slightest notion of where it all went wrong or what I should do next.. I would be forever in your debt. Im not sure what else to say, other than I hope you dont mind the length of this email and that I hope you have a suggestion for me, as I no longer have the strength to cope, and my alternatives are grim. I apologize again for taking your time, and if you read until the end then thats more than anyone else has done for me in a long time. Thank you very much.
Jesse Mason
1-518-429-5523