Gastroparesis Treatment for Kathleen Rickerson

Hello, my name is Tara Gazdik and Kathleen and I have been friends ever since meeting at Winona State University through our sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon.

Thanksgiving weekend of 2022 Kathleen fell ill and after months of uncertainty and treatment for the symptoms, Kathleen was diagnosed with gastroparesis (among other things - medical details and more info from Kathleen are listed below). Gastroparesis is a long-term chronic condition where the stomach cannot empty in the normal way. Food passes either slowly or not at all through the stomach causing many issues like weight loss, malnutrition, and vomiting. For further information please see: Gastroparesis

Prior to her stomach becoming spontaneously paralyzed, Kathleen was very physically active and could have easily been a professional competition eater with not only her love of food, but the volume in which she could consume it (I know this may seem inappropriate, but Kathleen and I always say if we can’t laugh we’ll cry, so… please excuse the dark humor). This chronic condition has not only resulted in the deterioration of her physical wellbeing, but has made it impossible for her to eat or get nutrients in her body without medical assistance.

Those who are lucky enough to know Kathleen, are aware of how loyal, loving and willing she is to drop everything to help someone she cares about. You will also know how private and independent she is and that asking for help makes her fiercely uncomfortable, but the medical bills are piling up and while we are all extremely hopeful that her body will begin to heal itself, at the moment there is no foreseeable end.

All donations will go directly to Kathleen to use to help pay for her previous and ongoing medical treatment. Any amount you are able to contribute will be greatly appreciated and if you aren’t able to contribute monetarily at this time, please keep Kathleen in your prayers.

From Kathleen:

First, let me say this is a huge struggle for me. Asking for help and opening up goes against every part of me so this is super vulnerable and challenging, but I am working to remind myself that I've never questioned any other ask for help and that people do, in fact, want to help.

If you're reading this and know me, it's entirely possible you have no idea this has been happening the last year. I have not shared with too many people, as I am a very private person and this feels so...open. If that's you and you're wondering why no one told you (family, etc.), please know it is not personal to you, but not sharing is simply how I have dealt with things. However, because most people don't know the details, this is going to be long. I am wordy when I write so sorry in advance.

Ok, moving on: As Tara said, this all started just about a year ago (how am I at the year mark of this hell? Yikes...). What started with pain so severe I couldn't sit down or sleep turned into vomiting multiple times a day (many days were 30+ times) and just dealing with my body becoming a war zone. Thankfully, removing my gallbladder in February took care of the pain and the strange symptoms I was dealing with (full body rash, hair loss, not sleeping from pain). I woke up from that surgery pain free and have not taken that for granted for a moment. Unfortunately, the GI issues continued and kept getting worse and worse.

By March, I had lost a significant amount of weight and was unable to keep virtually any food or drinks down and the dietician I was working with recommended nutritional support through a feeding tube. In April, I had an NJ (nasojejunal, so nose to small intestine) placed. I vomited that up pretty quickly-the feeding was a mess with my small intestine. We placed another and the same thing happened. We placed another and scheduled a procedure to hopefully help called a G-POEM (gastric per oral endoscopic myotomy). This cuts open the pylorus, the opening at the bottom of your stomach into the small intestine. The intention is to make it so larger pieces of food can make it through the stomach. There is an 80% success rate so I was hopeful this would help, but it did not. It made a few things worse-the opening basically made it so my small intestine could get to my stomach, causing more vomiting and reflux.

Because my body seemed to hate activity at the duodenum and jejunum, it was decided I needed to get more intense testing before trying a surgical tube. The top choice for a surgical feeding tube for patients with gastroparesis is a GJ tube, or gastric-jejunal. It is surgically implanted into the stomach and extends into the small intestine. There are 2 tubes, one to drain and vent the stomach and one to feed into the jejunum. With my small intestinal issues and extreme amount of vomiting, a GJ tube is not an option. I went to the Mayo clinic at the end of August and went through a week and a half of testing and was able to confirm what we all suspected: This goes beyond my stomach. From top to bottom, my GI system is a mess.

I started on TPN, total parenteral nutrition, in August. This is a specialized formula, created just for me each week, and goes through a deep vein just outside my heart to provide all the nutrition and hydration I need. I had a picc line placed in my left arm and started TPN, which is a beast of a process each and every day (it's all super sterile since it goes to my heart). That picc got a massive clot after a week and a half and needed to be pulled and replaced on the right side. That picc lasted for a few weeks and got me through my trip to Mayo but then broke while I was at work (making a huge mess of blood all over me and my coworker's desk...sorry, Jon). I went to the ER and they said 'you're done with a picc' and placed a central line. This has been a DRASTICALLY BETTER option for me and I have (knock on wood) been issue free since. Well, until I got a virus and had to call 911 on Halloween due to a temp of 104.2 and risk of sepsis, but that was just a virus and I was discharged that same night and totally fine the next day.

Now we are looking at a J-tube, placed directly into the jejunum. I have met with 2 surgeons to discuss and both appointments started the same way: This is not a good procedure and j-tubes suck, they come with a ton of complications. Super encouraging, I know. One surgeon agreed quickly to do it, one said we cannot right now because my colon is also a mess and a feeding tube might destroy it. So now I'm stuck and trying to figure out what to do next.

I have about 30k in debt directly related to medical care, which is just unreal considering I have good insurance. And now, I have lost my job. Yay, 2023! Ending on a note as high as 2022...yikes. I also need to find a place to live by January 10th. And decide if I am going to have a feeding tube inserted or not. That procedure isn't pleasant and would knock me down for a while, making a job hunt feel impossible.

Will I have surgery soon? Unclear. Will I move out of Denver? Unclear. Will I ever eat again? Unclear. Everything is up in the air and I am simply buried. The anxiety from my life being such a mess is wild. I look back a year and my life, and me as a person, is unrecognizable. I wouldn't wish this past year on the worst person on the planet, truthfully.

There's the quote, "If you're going through hell, keep going." Well, that's great input but I don't have a choice and also I am so tired. Having the financial burden lifted would help a lot right now. If that doesn't work for you, please pray. For healing, for peace, for answers, for guidance, for rest. Thank you for the support, whatever that looks like. I am not good at asking for help, but I have reached a point where I truly need it and thank you for reading and considering donating and especially for praying for me and sending positive, healing thoughts.