Sadila’s story
“I’m not putting life on hold anymore”
Sadila, Enterra® Therapy patient, United Kingdom
Start of symptoms
Just as 21-year-old Sadila was finishing university, she began to experience chronic nausea and vomiting. At first, her doctors thought it was food poisoning. As her symptoms continued, they reasoned that it was stress from year-end exams. But when exams were over and her symptoms worsened, Sadila started a nearly three-year journey to find answers—and relief.
Journey to diagnosis
From the onset of her symptoms, Sadila spent the next two years consumed with travel, doctor appointments, treatment after treatment, and increasing frustration.
She underwent multiple endoscopies, biopsies, ultrasounds, CT scans and x-rays. She consulted a dietician, tried supplements, and took nearly a dozen medications that just didn’t work. In many cases, her medications exacerbated symptoms or caused other painful side effects. As time went on, Sadila was tested for several conditions—IBS, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease—but found no real answers or relief.
Having exhausted options with her initial gastroenterologist (GI), Sadila finally sought a second opinion. When transitioning her medical records, she learned that her previous GI believed that Sadila had bulimia and that her symptoms were “in her head.”
By this time, Sadila vomited up to 12 times a day, every day, for months on end. She was angry, malnourished, and struggling to engage socially because of her symptoms.
Sadila’s new GI suggested a gastric emptying test (GET). Her results showed a severe delay—one of the worst that her GI had ever seen. Finally, Sadila had a diagnosis that explained what she was going through: gastroparesis.
Discovering Enterra® Therapy
Diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis, Sadila underwent still more treatments—including endoscopic Botox®—but struggled to find relief from her nausea and vomiting.
She continued to lose weight—and hope that things would ever change—when her new GI suggested gastric electrical stimulation via Enterra Therapy, approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a Humanitarian Device. Although Sadila was skeptical, worried, and exhausted by so many failed treatments, she began the process of advocating to receive an Enterra System.
Sadila received the Enterra Therapy implant in December of 2013. After almost three years, she finally felt some relief from her nausea and vomiting symptoms.
Life with Enterra Therapy
Since receiving her Enterra System nearly a decade ago, Sadila achieved her goal of becoming a psychotherapist, and has even advanced to managing a team of psychotherapists and nurses—a role that she feels would have been impossible before.
She’s put on weight and experiences only a handful of vomiting episodes per year. Altogether, Sadila says she’s grateful for Enterra Therapy and feels like her life is back on track.
As for the GI who diagnosed Sadila with bulimia and felt her symptoms were psychosomatic: Sadila has since followed up with her and educated her about gastroparesis. Sadila says her former GI was surprised to learn about the condition, and apologized for misdiagnosing Sadila. Now, the GI treats several patients with gastroparesis—and refers them to Sadila for support.
Sadila’s experience is unique to her and individual results may vary.
“I’m not putting life on hold anymore”
MKT-D-0006, Rev L
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Enterra Therapy for treatment of chronic, resistant to medication nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis caused by diabetes or an unknown origin in patients aged 18 to 70 years: patients should always discuss potential risks and benefits of the device with their physician.
HUMANITARIAN DEVICE
Authorized by Federal law for use in the treatment of chronic intractable (drug refractory) nausea and vomiting secondary to gastroparesis of diabetic or idiopathic etiology in patients aged 18 to 70 years. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated. What does this mean?