I got to experience my first night with Gastroparesis. I have heard of these from fellow GP friends and how bad they can be but I have never experienced them. My GP has recently been sending me to bed at night with my new best friend, the heating pad and waking me up during night with abdominal pain. I am a serious sleeper. I can sleep through anything so for me to wake up, it’s intense.
I took all of my meds Sunday night and went to bed as usual. I woke up around midnight to really bad abdominal pain. It was not the kind of abdominal pain that would send you to the bathroom. I talked myself into laying there for a while thinking I would fall back asleep and sleep through the pain. Yeah… right. I caved in about twelve thirty. I took some medication for the pain. By one thirty, I had listened to all the music I could take. The medication wasn’t working. I figured getting up and moving around might help with the pain. I decided that I would take my “back up” Bentyl liquid medication because I was desperate. I take the Bentyl sparingly due to previous issues with Bentyl and bladder retention. Catheterizing yourself is NO fun. When I got up, oh my gosh, I have never felt that kind of pain before. It was so awkward. I don’t want to feel pain like that again. It was like someone grabbed my stomach and back at the same time and squeezed them.
I moved to the couch and watch tv and I am impressed with late night tv. I am never up at those hours of the night. I laid back down around three fifteen after taking my last dose of the DAY of Librax. I worked in a pharmacy and I know you’re supposed to follow the directions. I didn’t follow the directions and I don’t care. I remember when I took those last two capsules and thinking that I am done for the day with my Librax. It was three fifteen in the MORNING!!!!
I fell asleep a little before four. I didn’t sleep to well. I kept waking up and I finally got up around eight to go to work. I called in to tell them I’d be in later in the morning. I’ve slept better since, thank goodness. I’m still using the heating pad. Who ever created the heating pad has helped numerous people, me being one of them. I am going to try out the Thermacare Heat Patches during my painful days at work. I have beginning to notice more abdominal pain in the day. Hopefully that was my only GP influenced night for a while.
Jennifer--"Oh what a night"...and what strength to get up and go work in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThe pain you described is exactly what my GP pain is like...especially the two years it was so bad. It is hard to explain the way it crosses from tummy through to back. My husband gently hits my back when it hurts with the side of his fist...it not only distracts me from pain, sometimes it moves the food a little too. Gentle...
I haven't heard of the liquid med. you take. I have a med in pill form that helps with the awful pain...but a liquid would be nice, when pills don't go down.
When I was 21 I got a severe pain condition called Interstitial Cystitis--the severity of pain attacks can be comparable--off scale and beyond words. Time stands still and survival sets in. To be so young and have to endure pain like that is awful Jennifer. I feel teary thinking of you (and even of my 20 something self). Pain is something we are alone in even when our loved one's are sitting right there with us.
My GP is so weird now...mostly mild when I eat GP diet, and then all of a sudden a pain attack that has me dripping sweat, curled up in a ball and unable to talk will hit.
It is a mean illness and needs so much more awareness and research. If I didn't have my other conditions and had more energy, I'd like to have a blog just for GP (like yours) and add to GP blog chain.
I have never heard anyone else describe so clearly the pain that I experience with GP. I hear of mostly nausea and vomitting but hadn't heard much about the pain that was such a part of my life (and now is an intermittent part).
Gentle hugs Jennifer and warm cozy healing vibes to your tummy. You are in my thoughts and close at heart. Love, Kerry