My name is Shannon, I’m 22, and I’ve suffered from a chronic illness my whole life. I have Gastroparesis, which causes the muscles and nerves in the stomach to not function properly, causing my stomach to not empty properly. I also have dysmotility of the small intestine causing even further GI problems. I have had numerous NG tubes, NJ tubes, a GJ tube and I have had my second J-tube for almost two years. On top of my feeding tubes I have had PICC lines, and I am currently on my fourth PICC line. Due to my chronic illness, I am currently NPO (nothing by mouth) and have been since November 2014.
