Week 3 in the hospital: New Diagnosis, NJ Feeds, Labs & Palliative Care

Dec 10, 2025

This past week has been one of the hardest and most defining weeks of my medical journey so far. I wanted to share an honest update so everyone who has supported me understands what is happening and why your help means more than ever.

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🩻 Major Diagnosis Update: Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction

After weeks of vomiting, rapid dehydration, fainting spells, and being unable to tolerate my tube feeds, the hospital performed a special X-ray of my stomach and small bowel.

The results showed:
• Delayed small bowel transit (took 4–4.5 hours instead of 1–2)
• Weak, infrequent intestinal contractions
• Small bowel loops beginning to dilate
• Findings consistent with intestinal dysmotility/pseudo-obstruction

This means my intestines are no longer moving food or formula the way they should. My body acts like it has a blockage, even when there isn’t one, because the nerves and muscles in my intestines are failing.

This explains my constant vomiting, my extreme weakness, my weight loss, my dizziness, and why tube feeds keep making me sick.

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🩸 Lab Update: Anemia & Malnutrition

My bloodwork this week also showed:
• Hemoglobin: 11.1 (low)
• Low red blood cells
• Low hematocrit

This is anemia caused by malnutrition and chronic illness.
It makes everything harder — the headaches, the fainting, the fatigue, the weakness. My body is fighting every second to function.

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🥤 Nutrition Update: NJ Feeds at 10 mL/hr

Because my intestines cannot handle normal feeding, they are restarting my NJ tube feeds at just 10 mL per hour — literally a tablespoon an hour.

Even this small amount risks causing vomiting or worsening pseudo-obstruction. This is why TPN and medical nutrition support have become essential for me.

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💛 NEW: Palliative Care Team Assigned

As of today, I’ve officially been placed under palliative care.

This does NOT mean hospice or end-of-life care.

Palliative care is for people with serious medical conditions who need extra support, better symptom control, and help navigating complex treatments.

For me, this means:
• Help managing my nausea and pain
• Help coordinating nutrition (TPN + NJ feeds)
• Monitoring my severe GI dysmotility
• Support for the constant dizziness and fainting
• Advocacy for getting the right care
• A team focused on helping me have quality of life

This was not an easy step, but it was a necessary one. I am still fighting. I am still trying to get home to my kids. But my body needs more support than a standard hospital team can give.

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❤️ Why I Still Need Help

I’ve been in the hospital for over 3 weeks with:
• No income
• Ongoing medical needs
• TPN, tube feeds, and supplies
• Travel costs and home bills piling up
• Medical equipment needed for when I go home
• Three kids counting on me
• A service dog waiting for me
• A body that is trying so hard to keep going

Every donation — no matter the size — truly helps me survive this and gives me a chance to return home safely with the care I need.

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💛 Ways to Help

Fundraiser:
👉 https://giveahand.com/fundraiser/kristyys-fight-2-keep-goin

Amazon Medical Wishlist:
👉 https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/GU0EF2SNP0JP?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ggr-subnav-share_HPD90Y6GW8JMB8SJESBP_1&language=en-US

CashApp: $KristyyAshleyy
PayPal: Kbarrientos27
Facebook Pay: Kristyy Ashleyy

If you can’t donate, sharing my fundraiser helps more than you know.
Thank you to everyone who continues to lift me up during the most frightening and overwhelming experience of my life. Your love and support are helping me keep fighting. 💛✨

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