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Tag: NJ tube

My Endless NJ Tube Series

by Becca on July 16, 2019

The hospital room I stayed in when my NJ tube wasn't enough to keep my electrolytes in balance

If you wanted to look up the word sick in the dictionary, you would probably find a picture of me. Ever since I was eight years old and started struggling with muscle fatigue and appetite loss I have been on a downward trend in my health. By the time I was ten I had had my first NG tube. This was followed by my first surgery when the NG tube caused a bowel obstruction. Then I had to deal with an even thicker NG tube to suction. This was followed by my first NJ tube.

I spent a good chunk of fifth grade in the hospital, and went home from the hospital with the NJ tube still in place and a diagnosis of severe gastroparesis. The rest of my childhood was spent racking up frequent flier miles at my local children’s hospital. At age thirteen my heart rhythm disturbances took … Find Out What Happens Next

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The Monster Has a Name: Gastroparesis

by Becca on March 20, 2019

The tube feeding bag and pump I used when I first began my battle with the monster of gastroparesis

My very first symptoms started when I was eight and couldn’t stay standing up through the whole prayer service at my Orthodox Jewish Day School every morning. Also that year, I started having trouble with holding down food and drink. Between ages eight and ten the issues just intensified and turned into a monster that threatened to tear my whole family apart, including the lives of my two little brothers, Michael and Jonathan (names altered for privacy issues) who were having their own issues that got shoved to the back burners because my issues were life-threatening and there’s were just life-altering. My GI issues were so intense by the time I passed out in an elevator at age ten that I hadn’t even been able to hold down any food or drinks at all. Not even sips of Gatorade.

I had my first hospitalization after passing out in that elevator. … Find Out What Happens Next

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School Bullies and Elephant Noses

by Becca on March 19, 2019

A picture of my getting ready for my fist day of sixth grade

At just barely eleven years old, I had finally crossed the finish line of a several-month-long marathon hospital admission to Schneiders Children’s Hospital due to what my parents had tried to insist were psych issues. The hospital, on the other hand, had proved it was gastroparesis and some other mystery ailments causing heightened levels of inflammation in my blood tests. Terms like dysautonomia autoimmune had been thrown around, but at that point, I had no idea what any of that meant.

My family had recently moved from New Jersey to Massachusetts. This way we were closer to our extended family, like my grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, and more.   We just wanted a fresh start anyway.

When sixth grade rolled around I started up at a new school.  No one was totally sure how things would work out. It was like we had just survived an earthquake and were now … Find Out What Happens Next

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