Finding the Zebra in a Field of Horses

"When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras".

In the world of medicine, this is an adage that many professionals live by:  If someone comes to you complaining of a stomach ache, think about gastritis, or indigestion, or possibly GERD.   Don't think about those "other" conditions that most doctors will never see in their entire career as a physician.   This is not necessarily a bad approach - if the odds are that 99% of the people who come to you with Symptom X have Disease Y, it is acceptable to look for Disease Y.   The problem is when a doctor does that, finds nothing, and decides not to even bother looking for Disease Z.     If you have ever had an illness - including Gastroparesis - you have probably encountered the frustration that comes with a doctor who seemingly cannot be bothered.

When it comes to Gastroparesis, there are elements that are both a horse and a zebra.  Most doctors don't seem to know much about what it is and won't order any tests to look for it (Zebra!), but yet 5 million people suffer from the condition in the United States (Horse!)  

One of the many themes I have talked about in this blog is the overall unawareness of the disease - I bet most sufferers who are reading this have gone through a frustration or two in their time.   You seek the opinion of gastrointestinal doctors, and some of them look at you as if you are an alien when you even bring this disease to their attention.

This disease manifests itself in so many ways that Colleen and I both believe there are other things going on inside of her body.    Now that she is in a group of 5 million or so horses, she wants to figure out if another zebra is making her condition even worse.   We are going to investigate conditions such as bacterial overgrowth, which can be a side effect of Gastroparesis - but can also be a condition completely independent of the disease.  Our suspicions are heightened by Colleen's constant succussion splash.   The splashing in her stomach is quite loud, and very noticeable.   It sounds like water entered her stomach and decided to pool there, like a puddle after a rainstorm.     Succussion splash is not a common side effect of Gastroparesis, so we are going to make an effort to see if it is something else.

Remember, your doctor is not a mind reader. And even if he or she is an expert in Gastroparesis, it is highly likely they have never actually suffered from it.   You have to go to them with everything - and ask for anything you want to ask for.   Don't just assume that just because your doctor is an expert that you shouldn't question them on what they are diagnosing or prescribing.     Colleen has an appointment with a specialist on August 1st and has a long list of notes on everything she has been experiencing.    She has many questions she wants to ask.    You have to remember that specialists typically aren't just a phone call away - even if you are an existing patient, it can take weeks to see them.     So, take full advantage of that time and get everything laid out on the table.  If it looks like they aren't listening, make them listen.  It is your body, not theirs, that is suffering.    Maybe, just maybe, they will discover that zebra.    And if they do, you never know:  You may only be a prescription or procedure away from going out to play with all of the healthy horses.