The Gastric Emptying Study

I've had Irritable Bowel Syndrome since giving birth to my daughter. I developed gallstones after Vanessa was born. There I was the mother of a 4 year old son, Philip, and a 6 month old recuperating from gallbladder surgery. The doctor promised that all my abdominal pain would cease because the 27 stones ranging in size from a head of a pin to a large marble were gone. As soon as I was allowed to have my first solid meal, I knew he lied.

My symptoms subsided for a while after I had gastric sleeve surgery and lost 120 pounds. However, over the last 2 years the symptoms have returned. Over the last 6 months, they have become nearly unbearable. If I don't eat by 7 am, when I do eat my first meal of the day, I get violently ill. Along with excruciating pain, my stomach bloats, I get scorching heartburn, I become gassy and I vomit. Sometimes I'm hit with diarrhea while vomiting. These symptoms come on anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour after taking my last bite, and last anywhere from an hour to 2 hours after they begin.

So now, I'm at Ochsner undergoing a gastric emptying study. They give you 2 scrambled radioactive eggs to eat. These are the blandest scrambled eggs. Please pray I don't throw them up. Anyway, you eat the eggs and then they take pictures. They take pictures every hour to see how long it takes the radioactive eggs to travel all the way through your digestive system, but they are particularly interested in how long it takes your stomach to empty. I'm suppose to hang around the area of the hospital for about 6 hours. The tech told me I can go shopping but it is cold out and I'm afraid I might throw up. I'll just stay in the waiting room crocheting.

If I throw up, the test will be cancelled and rescheduled. Please pray I don't throw up.

BTW, this is New Orleans, why can't they put the radioactive particles in some shrimp and grits.