Karissa lives with gastroparesis. It took years for her to receive her diagnosis and the treatments she needed. But she never stopped advocating for herself. “I decided that I wasn’t going to stop until I got answers,” Karissa says. “I don’t believe in giving up. I can’t stop what’s happening to my body, but I won’t let it keep me from building the life I want for myself.”
Self-advocacy isn’t easy, but Karissa is determined. Confronted with challenges and doubts, she kept pushing. And her persistence eventually paid off. Last year, Karissa got a feeding tube, and it quickly changed her life.
“I was in excruciating pain before,” Karissa recalls. “But the first night I did a tube feeding, the pain went away. Now I don’t have to constantly worry about food. I know I have the nutrition I need. The feeding tube has taken such a weight off me. I don’t know where I’d be without it.”
Karissa’s determination has brought her a long way. But sometimes even the strongest fighter needs support. That’s where Karissa’s Aveanna Healthcare Medical Solutions team comes in, especially Nurse Bryn who assists Karissa with her feeding tube.
“There hasn’t been a second when I’ve needed something and the Aveanna team hasn’t been there for me,” Karissa shares. “Bryn doesn’t just help me with the feeding tube. She motivates me to keep going. I don’t know if I could have pushed through everything without her. She went above and beyond for me.”
After a long road to her diagnosis, Karissa finally got the interventions that she needed and found invaluable support along the way. This Feeding Tube Awareness Week, Karissa wants others to know they should never stop advocating for themselves. Because getting the support you need is lifechanging.