Growing up with an invisible illness
I was diagnosed at the age of 8 with diabetes. I was no longer to indulge in sweets of any kind during school parties. Going Trick or Treating seemed like a waste. I had a pretty normal childhood otherwise. In high school, I was not allowed to have any emergency supplies with me in case my blood sugar dropped too low. This caused problems in one of my classes as I was not allowed to have a snack to prevent low blood sugars. I started working after high school and finally met a boy that I was head over heels for. I had always wanted a family of my own, so I started seeing a specialist to see if I could have children. I was told it was not possible to have children with my diabetes. I was devastated. Two weeks later, can you guess the news I got? Yep, not only was I pregnant, but with twins. I had a very easy pregnancy. My blood sugars have never been better. A couple years after my babies were born, I got the diagnosis of gastroparesis. At that time it was very mild and not that concerning. Fast forward many years, I met another man, who I married, and we now have a baby together. About two years ago, I started having problems with my reproductive system. It caused me to have cysts removed and removal of one ovary and tube. I started having problems with vertigo and was diagnosed with POTS. My central nervous system started failing. I kept having problems with my reproductive system and last year I had to have a total hysterectomy. Since then, my gastroparesis had gone from mild to severe. I am now fighting for disability. I hope that I can putother people at ease with my story. Even though it does not sound possitive, I have always been full of hope.
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