Lauren’s Gastric Pacemaker

6 years ago my life changed. I woke up and my body could no longer process food or drink. Pain, Vomiting and exhaustion. Getting sicker by the day. After a 4 month hospital admission consisting of tests, medications, procedures and surgery’s I was eventually diagnosed with Gastroparesis (paralysed stomach). There is no cure.

Over the past 6 years I have spent my life in and out of hospital. I became ill at the age of 15 I spent my teen hood in a hospital bed.

As my body cannot process food and drink I rely on feeding tubes to keep me alive which come with risks in themselves and a whole list of other problems.

As a result of Gastroparesis it has lead to a number of other problems varying from seizures to PTSD.

Today I travelled over a hundred miles to Leeds where I have found out that I am eligible for a Gastric Pacemaker which could be life changing. The problem is it costs thousands of pounds and is not NHS funded.

This could give me a chance for my body to be able to process food again.

Over the next few years we will be running a variety of fundraisers to be able to give me a chance of getting my life back.

FAQ's

What is Gastroparesis ?

In short, it is a condition where your stomach doesn’t process food properly and it is difficult for it to be digested and absorbed. This results in a large amount of vomiting, nausea, pain and lack of energy. Also when symptoms are really severe, or the feeding tube stops working, I end up in hospital.

What does this mean?

I have really severe symptoms which means that I vomit multiple times a day. Anything I eat will remain in my stomach, but does not get absorbed, and food can sit in my stomach for more than twelve hours. On bad days I cannot even keep down water to stay hydrated. Nausea and low energy levels also have a significant impact on what I can do.

All of my calories and nutrients are provided via a feeding tube which runs for 24 hours everyday.

Can you eat anything?

Yes - but...

Anything I eat will result in me being sick - but this could be anytime from 30 minutes until 12 hours later. On bad days I can't even drink water - thankfully I have my feeding tube which gives me enough nutrition and water.

What is a gastric pacemaker?

A gastric pacemaker helps your stomach move food through it. It helps reduce vomiting and nausea and can even remove the need for a feeding tube. This treatment is considered the best option after all other treatments have been tried.

Why is it not funded on the NHS?

The NHS doesn’t fund all treatments and when it comes to treatments for rare conditions it can be difficult to get funding. In Scotland and Northern Ireland gastric pacemakers are offered as part of the NHS but in England you have to apply for the funding.

There have been no successful granting applications for a gastric pacemaker in England for a number of years, despite it being a cost effect treatment with a good success rate.

Patients in England who need this surgery have to fund this operation themselves. The cost of this treatment is between £17,859 and £27,021 depending on the complexity.