Gastroparesis Awareness Month: Understanding the Symptoms, Struggles and Getting Support
- Millie Bridger
- Aug 6
- 6 min read
August marks Gastroparesis Awareness Month, a time to spotlight a condition that’s often misunderstood, overlooked, or dismissed, even by doctors.
“Gastroparesis” means stomach paralysis. It’s a condition where the stomach struggles to move food into the intestines, leaving it sitting there, sometimes for hours or even days. For those of us living with it, it affects far more than our digestion. It changes how we eat, move, rest, socialise, and live.
For me, it’s one of the most life-altering diagnoses I’ve faced. My body can no longer manage regular food, and I now rely on a feeding tube that delivers artificial nutrition through a pump for 22 hours a day. It’s exhausting, isolating, and often invisible. But it’s also survivable, and with the right support, people with gastroparesis can still live full, connected, meaningful lives.
This blog is here to explain what gastroparesis really is, what life with it looks like, how to support someone you love, and how you can find help - including from me, if you need it.
What It Is, and Why It’s Not “Just a Stomach Problem”
At its core, gastroparesis is a condition where the muscles or nerves of the stomach don’t work properly. The vagus nerve, which helps coordinate digestion, may be damaged or dysfunctional, so food just sits in the stomach instead of moving through. There’s no blockage. Everything looks normal on scans. But the function is broken.
This can cause painful bloating, unpredictable vomiting, relentless nausea, and an inability to absorb nutrients or stay hydrated. It’s not just unpleasant, it can be dangerous. Malnutrition and weight loss become very real risks. And often, people are forced to give up not just food, but work, plans, spontaneity, and even their identity.
Many people, myself included, spend months, even years, being told it’s anxiety, IBS, or “just stress.” But you know when your body isn’t working. And you deserve answers.
Diagnosis: Getting the Right Tests
Getting diagnosed with gastroparesis isn’t always straightforward. Many people are misdiagnosed or dismissed, especially younger patients or women.
The most reliable way to confirm gastroparesis is a gastric emptying scan, where you eat a small test meal, and doctors track how long it takes to leave your stomach. Other tools like the SmartPill, breath tests, or endoscopy can help rule out other issues or track motility.
If your symptoms are ignored or you’re unsure what to ask for, don’t be afraid to push. Keep a record of what you’re experiencing. Bring someone with you to appointments if possible. And if you’re overwhelmed or need someone to guide you through the process, I offer 1:1 advocacy support to help you feel more confident speaking up and accessing the care you deserve.
Life with Gastroparesis
There is no cure for gastroparesis. But there are ways to manage it. And with the right support, people can find their footing again, even if that looks very different to the life they lived before.
For many, it starts with food, or the lack of it. Eating becomes something to navigate carefully. You learn quickly that even a few bites of the wrong thing can lead to hours of pain or vomiting. Small, frequent meals. Soft textures. Low fat. Low fibre. Soups, smoothies, or prescribed nutrition drinks. You find your “safe foods” and sometimes stick to the same few things for months.
Some medications can help, like prokinetics to encourage the stomach to contract or anti-nausea drugs to make daily life a bit more bearable. But for others, they don’t touch the sides, and the side effects can be brutal.
Feeding Tubes: When Eating Isn’t Enough
When the body can’t get what it needs from food anymore, many people, like me, are forced to rely on a feeding tube. In gastroparesis, the stomach often can’t tolerate even liquid nutrition, so the tube usually needs to bypass the stomach entirely and deliver food directly into the small intestine.
This can be done through a nasal-jejunal (NJ) tube, a PEG-J, or a straight jejunostomy (JEJ) tube, depending on the person’s needs. I have a feeding tube that connects into my small bowel and delivers nutrition through a pump for 22 hours a day.
Alongside this, I also have a nasogastric (NG) tube, which goes into my stomach, but not to feed me. It’s there to drain out any fluid or food my stomach can’t process, helping to relieve pressure, nausea, and vomiting. It also means that on days when I can manage small amounts of soft food or liquids, I can then drain it out, which allows me to enjoy moments of eating without becoming dangerously unwell.
It’s not glamorous. It’s not easy. But this setup keeps me stable. It gives my body the strength to keep fighting, and it gives me the energy to keep building this community, so others don’t have to go through it alone. Feeding tubes aren’t a failure. They’re a lifeline. A way of reclaiming control, nourishing your body when nothing else works, and finding a way forward, even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.
Tools That Actually Help (From Someone Who Gets It)
Living with gastroparesis means constantly adapting. Symptoms change. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. But over time, you build a toolkit, one that’s deeply personal, but often surprisingly simple.
For me, that looks like:
· Hot water bottles to help soothe the pain
· Gentle movement most days, a short walk or stretch to help things settle
· Strictly sticking to my safe foods, even when others comment or question
· Pacing my activities and honouring the energy crashes
· Writing things down such as what I ate and how I felt, to spot patterns
· Talking to people who understand, so I don’t feel so alone
· Taking medications such as ant sickness and pain relief to help manage symptoms
One of the most meaningful things I’ve done is create a safe space for others: my support group, Finding Happiness, Together. It’s a gentle, monthly online meet-up for anyone living with chronic illness. There’s no pressure to have it all figured out, just come as you are. You can book your place here.
And if you’re finding it difficult to get the medical support you need; whether that’s a diagnosis, access to the right specialists, or even just being listened to, I can help. I offer one-to-one health advocacy to support you in understanding your condition, navigating the system, and speaking up for your needs with confidence. You can find support or message me here.
Supporting Someone with Gastroparesis
If you’re the friend, partner, or parent of someone with gastroparesis, it can feel confusing and even helpless at times. You might not know what to say or how to help. But the truth is, the smallest things make the biggest difference.
You don’t need to understand the medical details. You just need to believe us.
Don’t push food. Don’t ask why we “can’t just try.” Be patient when plans change. Don’t take cancellations personally. Offer practical help, a lift to an appointment, a chat, or just sitting beside us on the hard days.
Your consistency, kindness, and willingness to learn are more valuable than you realise.
