I have a contest running on a different site. I am looking for a different name for nausea and not any of those atrocious names that teenage boys apply to this malady. I am looking for a non-friendly, but easier to spell name. It may be my constant companion but I don’t want a name so friendly that it decides to take up permanent residence. I may have to live with it for now, but I don’t want it to be my forever companion.

No I am not going through chemotherapy. I am not making light of those who suffer the effects of chemotherapy nor am I making light of the reason(s) they must endure such horrible medical treatments, but on the other hand, for most of them they can see and end in sight. For me, who knows. It appears my nausea may be with me the rest of my life.

Lupus has once again dealt me a blow from the realms of science fiction. It seems there is a nerve, the vegas nerve that controls the emptying of the stomach. The vegas nerve is one of those parasympathetic things in our bodies that has no sympathy for me. After years and years of inflammation in my body, the one thing that has decided to pretty much stop working is the part of the vegas nerve that controls the “gastric emptying” of my stomach. Bottom line, the food stays in the stomach. The longer it stays the more nausea I have.

There is a medication that can help this problem, but you can’t purchase the medication here in America. You can however get the medication in Europe. One big problem, I am here, Europe is over there. My physician is here. I don’t know any physicians over there. But take heart, there is a medication that doesn’t work on this problem, but the side effects of the medication that doesn’t work, may work. Sound confusing? Trust me, it gets worse. The medicine that doesn’t work but who’s side effects might work is an anti-nausea medicine that does not help the nausea. If you aren’t confused yet, hang in there. There is still one piece to the puzzle that will either allow you to fully grasp the situation or will blow your mind.

If all of these work, don’t work, side effect working medicines don’t work, there is always surgery. Now how did I know that was coming? When all else fails, get the knife. Actually, there is a procedure that is very very expensive to undergo but may provide some relief. I am not sure of the name of the procedure but I do understand that they take a $16,000 pacemaker and install (yes the word is install) it in your stomach. How fortunate I am that I live in a town where we have 1 (one) physician who performs this procedure.

Other than the nausea, I am at a loss about this entire disease, illness, malady or whatever you want to call it. (It does have a clinical name – gastric paresis). If food goes in one end of the body, and stays somewhere in the middle of the body, how does so much of it make it through the entire digestive system. A lot of it is being absorbed as my size can attest to. A lot also makes its way to other depositories.

I am learning to live with nausea, just wish I had some really neat name to call my constant companion. Something impressive. Something mystical. Something mysterious. Something, ……………….. wait, gotta go. Nausea calls.