For the radioisotope gastric-emptying test, I had to ingest egg salad containing a small amount of tasteless radioactive material that allowed a mini camera to follow the food through my digestive system. Scans of my stomach were then taken over several hours. Afterward, it was official: I was diagnosed with gastroparesis.

Another reason why you don't want gastroparesis? There is no cure. Ondansetron, the drug of choice for the nausea, does nothing for me. The preferred drug for delayed stomach emptying, domperidone, was available in the U.S. when I first developed the condition but I now have to get it from Canada. And the cost of domperidone, about $1,000 annually, is not picked up by insurance. I also have to take pantoprazole and sucralfate, twice a day each, to prevent painful acid reflux and ulcers.