Yes you have read the title of this post correctly. My Gastroparesis has been resolved!! It has been about 4 months that I have been completely symptom free, and believe me I have really put my stomach to the test. I've been able to eat fresh veggies, salads, Chinese and Mexican without getting sick at all. Thanks to a very special someone who took me to see a retired doctor who specialized in digestive disorders. Although the doctor agreed that my stomach emptied extremely slow but his opinion was why stop at the diagnosis of having Gastroparesis. He felt that there was something that was causing the slow stomach emptying so why not find the cause instead of accepting the fate of having this condition and nothing can be done. Like many of you, I was told by my doctors that there was no cure, that this was a chronic condition. That there are some cases of the Gastroparesis resolving itself but typically it does not go away.
So the good doctor looked at my eyes first, and I am not exactly sure what he was looking for but said due to certain blood vessels visible in my eyes indicated that I was actually suffering from a type of Hiatal Hernia. He said that my stomach had actually shifted out of place and was no longer properly aligned which was more than likely causing stress on nerves which was not letting the nerves do their job of telling the stomach muscles to churn the food. The out of alignment was also causing stress on my Sphincter of Oddi which was causing it to spasm at times and not work properly. When this happened I would be in debilitating pain that felt like a steel trap wrapping around my sternum and rib cage, crushing my rib cage. Not actually crushing my rib cage but this is how it felt. I have medication (Hyoscyamine) to take when these attacks would hit, which usually calmed things down fairly quickly only because the medicine would numb and relax the entire digestive tract. So when I had to take the medication, while it would take care of the pain, the extreme nausea and vomiting would ensue due to the digestive tract slowing down even more.
The doctor had me lay down on my back, legs outstretched and through relaxed breathing and visceral manipulation he was able to literally move my stomach back in alignment where it is supposed to be. He started by locating my last rib on my left side and slowly manipulating the stomach to move back where it belongs, moving to the right very slowly, pausing between each slight movement. He was very patient in this process and explained that it was very important to take time in doing this so that the stomach moves on its own and is not being forced, but gently nudged back to where it belongs. Once he had the stomach back in alignment he then "set" my stomach in place by manipulating from my sternum moving down toward my belly button and then firmly in one swift movement pushed down hard to "set" the stomach back in place. He then had me stand up and cross my arms in front of me holding each shoulder as if to hug myself while he wrapped his arms around me fisting his hands at my sternum and lifted me up. The method commonly used in cracking ones back. He then showed me manipulation exercises that I was to do sets of 10 for a minimum of three times per day for the next two weeks to help train my stomach to stay where it belongs. He had me place the heel of my right hand on my sternum while wrapping my left hand over my right hand and applying pressure moving straight down to my belly button. I noticed a bruise on my stomach the following day from where he "set" my stomach but other than that there were no side effects from this process. I immediately felt a release of pressure right below my rib cage that I didn't even realize I had until it was gone. He told me that I should be able to go back to eating normally immediately. I was a bit hesitant because it had been more than two years that I had to watch every single thing that I ate so I would not get sick. So my intention was to start out slow but curiosity won out. The next day I ate half of a Jr. Whopper from Burger King, I know, not the most healthy thing, but I ate part of a Whopper and I did NOT get sick!!! That was a little over four months ago and I have been completely symptom free ever since. I have truly put my stomach to the test and I am not getting sick. No nausea, no vomiting and my bowels are regular again. For someone who has lived with severe nausea, vomiting and constant diarrhea for two years this was a major accomplishment!
Now I would love to share with you this amazing doctor who has turned my life around, but I am sorry I can not. As I said earlier, he is retired now and is enjoying his retirement thoroughly and does not wish to be named. I was lucky enough to have someone very special in my life who knew him and the doctor did this as a favor for my friend. I will forever be grateful to this wonderful doctor for changing my life and to my friend who cared enough to take me to him.
My advice to everyone who deals with Gastroparesis is to not give up hope. Do not accept that there is no cure but continue to look for what is your cure. In the meantime accept that for right now, in this moment you have Gastroparesis and deal with that. Find a comprehensive management plan that works for you. Check out http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/ a website created by Crystal Saltrelli an amazing person who offers some great advice in dealing with Gastroparesis. She is truly a godsend in my opinion. Crystal can also be found on Facebook. In the two years that I dealt with Gastroparesis I learned a lot from Crystal and will be forever grateful to her for learning how to manage my symptoms and what to do to keep the flare ups at a minimum. Just do not give up!! I believe there is always hope for a change. I had Gastroparesis but it did not have me!
I have Gastroparesis but it does not have me!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Dealing With Loved Ones
I would like to talk about dealing with your loved ones in understanding your restrictions due to having Gastroparesis. It can sometimes be difficult for them to understand what you can and cannot tolerate. Hell it's hard for me to understand some days what I can and can't tolerate and sometimes what I can tolerate today I may not be able to tolerate tomorrow. This adds to the frustration of understanding all this. For example, every once in a while I can tolerate a little bit of vanilla ice cream but if I'm already feeling a little sick then ice cream would do me in.
I recently started a new relationship with someone who loves to cook and wants to cook for me. The other night he surprised me with stuffed baked chicken, fettuccine alfredo, dinner rolls and in case I didn't like the fettuccine alfredo he made noodles in a cheese sauce. He was so proud of the dinner he had made that I ate a little of each so I wouldn't disappoint him. I knew better, but I ate it anyway, and it was delicious! But oh my, did I pay for it for the next couple of days. I can eat chicken if I take a digestive enzyme with it, but I do better with the no antibiotic, no added hormones, 100% vegetarian diet, raised cage free chicken. I really like Kroger's Simple Truth Natural Chicken Breast Tenders. The stuffing was not a good idea because of the onion and celery pieces in it. Onions really tear me up; I have a really hard time with them. I can't do pasta much at all. I can eat egg noodles in small amounts but most pasta just swells up in my stomach. The dinner rolls were really good and I can eat those without a problem. So after indulging in this food that I knew better than to eat, I was SO sick the following day. I was just absolutely miserable with severe nausea. Then he felt horrible that I was so sick. Shame on me for not just saying up front, thank you but I can't eat that. So now I am going to make a list of foods that I know I can tolerate and another list of what I know I can't tolerate. Then maybe he can use my lists to come with some new recipes with foods that I can eat. It is important to be open about what you can eat and what you can't. It will save a lot of unnecessary hurt feelings. Along with my lists I am going to give him a couple of Crystal Saltrelli's recipe books (check out http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/). He can use his skills in the kitchen to make some of the recipes I haven't tried yet. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by not eating the delicious meal he had prepared but instead I ended up very sick and his feelings were hurt anyway. As hard as it may be at times it is important to be honest with yourself and your loved ones about what you can eat and what you can't. Your loved ones have good intentions and they are not trying to make you sick. This is why it is so important to just be upfront and honest about what you can actually eat.
I deal with the same kind of issues with co-workers. It is very hard for someone who doesn't have to deal with all the restrictions to understand just how restricting a Gastroparesis friendly diet can be. For example, recently our local Soup Kitchen held its annual Potato Soup sale. A co-worker that had bought some offered to share it with me. I just smiled, thanked her for the offer and said no thank you. This potato soup is delicious, I've had it in the past and it is loaded with ingredients including onions and bacon. I can eat potato soup if I make it myself using lactose free milk and unfortunately no onions or bacon. Many times we will have a pot luck style luncheon at work which I usually choose not to participate in. It is easier for me to not take part than to try to explain a hundred times why I can't try the dish someone has brought. And of course there is always the "just try a little bit". They just don't understand how that "little bit" will affect me. I'm not saying that you can't take part in that sort of get together; I just feel that it is easier for me to not take part. You could always bring a dish that you know is GP friendly so that you have something to eat. That way you can still feel as if you are a part of the luncheon. The same goes for other social gatherings involving food. You could either take a dish that you know you can eat or if you are close with the Hostess you could discuss some GP friendly dishes with the Hostess that he/she may want to have for you.
Then of course there is the added factor that most "healthy" foods are just not GP friendly the way they are typically prepared. For example veggies are often only tolerated by GPers if they are juiced or pureed. That means no fresh salads or fresh veggies from veggie trays. People generally have a hard time understanding how food that is basically good for you can wreak havoc on a person with GP. When I choose to eat a dinner roll or crackers and forego the "healthy" food people look at me strangely because they just don't understand how sick the "healthy" foods will make me. It's not that I don't want to eat them, I truly miss being able to eat salads. I love to garden and grow fresh veggies. However, I have had to change what I grow in my garden. I used to do the typical salad garden or salsa/tomato sauce garden. Now I focus more on root veggies and herbs to use with cooking or making fresh stock.
When dealing with friends and loved ones, just try to be patient and realize that they are not dealing with this like you are. Remember how hard it is for you to understand it at times and realize that it is even that much more complicated for them to understand. The ability to eat food is something most of us take for granted. Prior to having Gastroparesis I never even considered the possibility that one day I would not be able to eat food normally. At times I still struggle with the fact that right now, in the present I have Gastroparesis. I can only hope that someday I will not, but for right now I do, and in order to live well with it I have to acknowledge and accept that I have to eat my foods differently so that I am not sick. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
I recently started a new relationship with someone who loves to cook and wants to cook for me. The other night he surprised me with stuffed baked chicken, fettuccine alfredo, dinner rolls and in case I didn't like the fettuccine alfredo he made noodles in a cheese sauce. He was so proud of the dinner he had made that I ate a little of each so I wouldn't disappoint him. I knew better, but I ate it anyway, and it was delicious! But oh my, did I pay for it for the next couple of days. I can eat chicken if I take a digestive enzyme with it, but I do better with the no antibiotic, no added hormones, 100% vegetarian diet, raised cage free chicken. I really like Kroger's Simple Truth Natural Chicken Breast Tenders. The stuffing was not a good idea because of the onion and celery pieces in it. Onions really tear me up; I have a really hard time with them. I can't do pasta much at all. I can eat egg noodles in small amounts but most pasta just swells up in my stomach. The dinner rolls were really good and I can eat those without a problem. So after indulging in this food that I knew better than to eat, I was SO sick the following day. I was just absolutely miserable with severe nausea. Then he felt horrible that I was so sick. Shame on me for not just saying up front, thank you but I can't eat that. So now I am going to make a list of foods that I know I can tolerate and another list of what I know I can't tolerate. Then maybe he can use my lists to come with some new recipes with foods that I can eat. It is important to be open about what you can eat and what you can't. It will save a lot of unnecessary hurt feelings. Along with my lists I am going to give him a couple of Crystal Saltrelli's recipe books (check out http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/). He can use his skills in the kitchen to make some of the recipes I haven't tried yet. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by not eating the delicious meal he had prepared but instead I ended up very sick and his feelings were hurt anyway. As hard as it may be at times it is important to be honest with yourself and your loved ones about what you can eat and what you can't. Your loved ones have good intentions and they are not trying to make you sick. This is why it is so important to just be upfront and honest about what you can actually eat.
I deal with the same kind of issues with co-workers. It is very hard for someone who doesn't have to deal with all the restrictions to understand just how restricting a Gastroparesis friendly diet can be. For example, recently our local Soup Kitchen held its annual Potato Soup sale. A co-worker that had bought some offered to share it with me. I just smiled, thanked her for the offer and said no thank you. This potato soup is delicious, I've had it in the past and it is loaded with ingredients including onions and bacon. I can eat potato soup if I make it myself using lactose free milk and unfortunately no onions or bacon. Many times we will have a pot luck style luncheon at work which I usually choose not to participate in. It is easier for me to not take part than to try to explain a hundred times why I can't try the dish someone has brought. And of course there is always the "just try a little bit". They just don't understand how that "little bit" will affect me. I'm not saying that you can't take part in that sort of get together; I just feel that it is easier for me to not take part. You could always bring a dish that you know is GP friendly so that you have something to eat. That way you can still feel as if you are a part of the luncheon. The same goes for other social gatherings involving food. You could either take a dish that you know you can eat or if you are close with the Hostess you could discuss some GP friendly dishes with the Hostess that he/she may want to have for you.
Then of course there is the added factor that most "healthy" foods are just not GP friendly the way they are typically prepared. For example veggies are often only tolerated by GPers if they are juiced or pureed. That means no fresh salads or fresh veggies from veggie trays. People generally have a hard time understanding how food that is basically good for you can wreak havoc on a person with GP. When I choose to eat a dinner roll or crackers and forego the "healthy" food people look at me strangely because they just don't understand how sick the "healthy" foods will make me. It's not that I don't want to eat them, I truly miss being able to eat salads. I love to garden and grow fresh veggies. However, I have had to change what I grow in my garden. I used to do the typical salad garden or salsa/tomato sauce garden. Now I focus more on root veggies and herbs to use with cooking or making fresh stock.
When dealing with friends and loved ones, just try to be patient and realize that they are not dealing with this like you are. Remember how hard it is for you to understand it at times and realize that it is even that much more complicated for them to understand. The ability to eat food is something most of us take for granted. Prior to having Gastroparesis I never even considered the possibility that one day I would not be able to eat food normally. At times I still struggle with the fact that right now, in the present I have Gastroparesis. I can only hope that someday I will not, but for right now I do, and in order to live well with it I have to acknowledge and accept that I have to eat my foods differently so that I am not sick. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The power of positive thinking
The right attitude when dealing with anything in life can make all the difference in the world. I recently made some very significant changes in my life that I thought would send my Gastroparesis into a tailspin, and they did at first. However the changes I made as hard as they were to do, were what I needed to do for me. I wasn't happy and my being miserable was also making me very symptomatic. I was so tense and stressed all the time which in turn brought on the never ending nausea, the bloating, gas, vomiting and stomach aches. So I changed the circumstances that were making me so unhappy and now I am beginning to heal. I scheduled a long over due massage and enjoyed it thoroughly. I've gone shopping at Jebbia's, our local produce store, for some fresh fruits and veggies to juice and puree. Especially beets, I puree and have them for breakfast. Absolutely delicious.
My flare up was brief and I now actually feel better than I have in a very long time. I am still working on getting back to where I was with my daily workouts. I had let myself get away from taking the time to juice and puree fruits and veggies and have been eating more white carbs. This has caused my blood sugar to raise which of course resulted in my being tired and sluggish with no energy to exercise. It is important to remember that when this happens, because it will happen, that you just have to acknowledge it and then go back to doing what you know you have to do. I need to take the time to prepare nutritious foods in a way that I can digest them instead of toasting a biscuit and drinking a Glucerna shake because it's quick and easy. I need to exercise daily, especially Yoga and practice daily meditation.
It's during the down times that I must remind myself how great I feel when I'm working my Comprehensive Management Plan. When I'm eating nutritious whole foods and exercising daily I feel strong, happy and confident! When I'm not working my Plan, I am just getting through the day on automatic pilot with no energy.
Life always deals us the unexpected and it is in these times those of us with Gastroparesis must take care of ourselves. We must keep a positive attitude and not let negative thinking weigh us down. Stop thinking about having Gastroparesis or whatever problems you are currently dealing with and take the time to enjoy life. Really look at nature and all its wonders and just breath in the moment and be happy. Really let yourself be happy. Life is too short to wallow in self pity and worry. Recognize that some things are just out of our control and all we can do is make the best of what we have and be thankful for what we do have. Let positive thinking take the drivers seat and see what happens.
My flare up was brief and I now actually feel better than I have in a very long time. I am still working on getting back to where I was with my daily workouts. I had let myself get away from taking the time to juice and puree fruits and veggies and have been eating more white carbs. This has caused my blood sugar to raise which of course resulted in my being tired and sluggish with no energy to exercise. It is important to remember that when this happens, because it will happen, that you just have to acknowledge it and then go back to doing what you know you have to do. I need to take the time to prepare nutritious foods in a way that I can digest them instead of toasting a biscuit and drinking a Glucerna shake because it's quick and easy. I need to exercise daily, especially Yoga and practice daily meditation.
It's during the down times that I must remind myself how great I feel when I'm working my Comprehensive Management Plan. When I'm eating nutritious whole foods and exercising daily I feel strong, happy and confident! When I'm not working my Plan, I am just getting through the day on automatic pilot with no energy.
Life always deals us the unexpected and it is in these times those of us with Gastroparesis must take care of ourselves. We must keep a positive attitude and not let negative thinking weigh us down. Stop thinking about having Gastroparesis or whatever problems you are currently dealing with and take the time to enjoy life. Really look at nature and all its wonders and just breath in the moment and be happy. Really let yourself be happy. Life is too short to wallow in self pity and worry. Recognize that some things are just out of our control and all we can do is make the best of what we have and be thankful for what we do have. Let positive thinking take the drivers seat and see what happens.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Stress and Gastroparesis
Stress can cause HUGE problems with Gastroparesis as it tends to exacerbate all symptoms. Life deals us unseen changes all the time. Some of these changes will be small and some will be life altering. It is in these times that those of us with Gastroparesis MUST adhere to our own personal Comprehensive Management Plan. (see my Comprehensive Management Plan post) This is of the utmost importance. Yes, easier said than done, because as I sit here typing these words of wisdom I myself have not been managing my Plan as well as I should be. I am getting it back on track but I am not anywhere near where I once was.
So as we must do when we get off track is to not beat ourselves up over it and just start right now with what works for each of us individually. For me it means starting my day with my Yoga workout, follow that with another 30-60 minute workout. Eat whole fresh foods that I know I can tolerate and limit the white carbs, like the biscuits with honey I have been living on lately. Juice more fruits and veggies, which I have not been doing at all lately. Drink Glucerna shakes as meal replacement or snack. Eat beets daily as they help to cleanse the digestive tract. Take my vitamins daily. Take walks. End my day with a Stress reducing meditation CD as I fall to sleep.
The stress reducing measures such as the Yoga and meditation CD that I use make a tremendous difference in how I am able to handle the stressful situations that I find myself in. This may not be the answer for everybody, you just have to find what works for you. What makes you relax and feel calm? Once you figure out what that is, find ways to incorporate it into your daily routine. Exercise is a great stress reliever and it has those wonderful benefits of getting us in shape, weight loss and just overall feeling better. So I must practice what I preach now and go do my workouts. Don't forget to checkout my links to Crystal Saltrelli's pages http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/ and see what she is up to. She is a wealth of good information and knowledge on the subject of Gastroparesis.
So as we must do when we get off track is to not beat ourselves up over it and just start right now with what works for each of us individually. For me it means starting my day with my Yoga workout, follow that with another 30-60 minute workout. Eat whole fresh foods that I know I can tolerate and limit the white carbs, like the biscuits with honey I have been living on lately. Juice more fruits and veggies, which I have not been doing at all lately. Drink Glucerna shakes as meal replacement or snack. Eat beets daily as they help to cleanse the digestive tract. Take my vitamins daily. Take walks. End my day with a Stress reducing meditation CD as I fall to sleep.
The stress reducing measures such as the Yoga and meditation CD that I use make a tremendous difference in how I am able to handle the stressful situations that I find myself in. This may not be the answer for everybody, you just have to find what works for you. What makes you relax and feel calm? Once you figure out what that is, find ways to incorporate it into your daily routine. Exercise is a great stress reliever and it has those wonderful benefits of getting us in shape, weight loss and just overall feeling better. So I must practice what I preach now and go do my workouts. Don't forget to checkout my links to Crystal Saltrelli's pages http://livingwithgastroparesis.com/ and see what she is up to. She is a wealth of good information and knowledge on the subject of Gastroparesis.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Dealing...
It's been a little while since I've added any posts to my blog. When I started this blog it was my intention to let others who are struggling with dealing with having Gastroparesis know that there is life after a Gastroparesis diagnosis. Because getting that diagnosis is mind blowing and often times debilitating. At least it was for me. To learn that I may never eat normal food again and there was no cure! This my friends is life altering. It is all too common to find yourself focusing on the long term instead of dealing with the right here and right now. As I've learned from Crystal Saltrelli, I have Gastroparesis right now and I need to deal with it right now in the present. Maybe in the future I won't but in order to live my life right now I have to deal with my having Gastroparesis right now. Because if you focus on the long term it becomes very overwhelming and creates high levels of stress and anxiety which will in turn exacerbate symptoms.
I've had some major setbacks in the last couple months and I find myself feeling like I did before I had developed my Comprehensive Management Plan and was utilizing it. The truth is that I have not been utilizing my Plan and I've been struggling with getting it back in place. I know this is what I need to do to feel better but I've been feeling so bad that I have not been doing it. It is so easy to get caught in this viscous circle but it is imperative to get out of it. Some of the biggest complications of Gastroparesis are, in my opinion, a result of poor nutrition. So it is imperative to make sure to get the daily nutritional requirements. If that means I have to go back to meal replacement drinks and soups until I am able to tolerate more foods, then so be it. It may mean I need to juice more or puree my foods. If that is what I need to do then I have to do it.
You see I thought I had accepted the fact that I have Gastroparesis and had been dealing with it quite well. And I was feeling great! So as it is so easy to do when I start feeling good I want to forget that I am sick. Then the treatment starts slipping because why do I need treatment if I'm not feeling sick?! I could make up a number of reasons why this has happened but regardless of why I have let myself slip away from my Plan. I've been struggling with getting back on track and I simply have to make the adjustments needed to keep my Plan in place. The biggest setback I had was my change in my job schedule and it has been a real struggle to get myself back on a routine that works for me.
Getting through the holidays is a real challenge with anyone dealing with Gastroparesis. Talk about stress overload and not to mention the variety of food and social gatherings surrounding food around the holidays. When going to these social gatherings be prepared. Talk to the Hostess ahead of time to see what will be served and/or to see if you can bring a dish that you know you can tolerate. Don't assume that there will be something you can eat there and be sure to bring something with you or eat before you go. I've learned this lesson the hard way a few times.
Another hard lesson that I have learned is that Gastroparesis does not care what day it is. The symptoms can flare up at any time, even Christmas day. I was so sick on Christmas day it was horrible. Then to add to that it is even harder for family members and loved ones to understand and be as compassionate as you need them to be about your being sick interfering with plans made. There's no easy answer in these situations. I am still working on this hurdle.
I am certain that I will get past these setbacks and get back on track. When I do I will be sure to share how I did it. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
I've had some major setbacks in the last couple months and I find myself feeling like I did before I had developed my Comprehensive Management Plan and was utilizing it. The truth is that I have not been utilizing my Plan and I've been struggling with getting it back in place. I know this is what I need to do to feel better but I've been feeling so bad that I have not been doing it. It is so easy to get caught in this viscous circle but it is imperative to get out of it. Some of the biggest complications of Gastroparesis are, in my opinion, a result of poor nutrition. So it is imperative to make sure to get the daily nutritional requirements. If that means I have to go back to meal replacement drinks and soups until I am able to tolerate more foods, then so be it. It may mean I need to juice more or puree my foods. If that is what I need to do then I have to do it.
You see I thought I had accepted the fact that I have Gastroparesis and had been dealing with it quite well. And I was feeling great! So as it is so easy to do when I start feeling good I want to forget that I am sick. Then the treatment starts slipping because why do I need treatment if I'm not feeling sick?! I could make up a number of reasons why this has happened but regardless of why I have let myself slip away from my Plan. I've been struggling with getting back on track and I simply have to make the adjustments needed to keep my Plan in place. The biggest setback I had was my change in my job schedule and it has been a real struggle to get myself back on a routine that works for me.
Getting through the holidays is a real challenge with anyone dealing with Gastroparesis. Talk about stress overload and not to mention the variety of food and social gatherings surrounding food around the holidays. When going to these social gatherings be prepared. Talk to the Hostess ahead of time to see what will be served and/or to see if you can bring a dish that you know you can tolerate. Don't assume that there will be something you can eat there and be sure to bring something with you or eat before you go. I've learned this lesson the hard way a few times.
Another hard lesson that I have learned is that Gastroparesis does not care what day it is. The symptoms can flare up at any time, even Christmas day. I was so sick on Christmas day it was horrible. Then to add to that it is even harder for family members and loved ones to understand and be as compassionate as you need them to be about your being sick interfering with plans made. There's no easy answer in these situations. I am still working on this hurdle.
I am certain that I will get past these setbacks and get back on track. When I do I will be sure to share how I did it. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Getting back on track
Here I am home sick from work again. I hate this!! I have been vomiting half the night and all morning. My back has a huge knot of pain between my shoulder blades and I feel like shit. I have not been taking my own advice and I let the busyness of life get in the way of managing my Plan properly and now I am paying the price.
Yes this sucks but I know that I can and will get back on track. I had gone shopping at Jebbia's (our local produce store) and stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies for juicing and smoothies. So back to taking the time to prepare those nutrient packed meals instead of grabbing what's quick (foods that will make me sick). It's easier to know the right plan of action but it's harder to implement it. As I said before a good Comprehensive Management Plan takes time and work, but it is so important to put in that time and effort to feel good. I wish I didn't have Gastroparesis but I do and if I want to live symptom free I have to manage my plan.
That being said it is also important to remember that getting back on track doesn't happen instantly. You have to be patient and stick to your Plan and it will come around but it takes time. Don't give up if you don't feel better after sticking to your Plan for just a day or two. It might actually take a week, or even two, before you are feeling better and symptom free. Then once you are feeling better, stick to your plan! I know easy for me to say, right. It is easier said than done but I can not stress enough how important it is to do the work. A good Comprehensive Management Plan is a lifestyle change, it is not a short term "diet". Unfortunately Gastroparesis is a chronic condition that has to be managed.
Also, don't let yourself wallow in self pity because that does not do anything for you. Instead take the time to take care of yourself. Take a long hot bath, listen to some relaxing meditation do anything that is relaxing for you. Tension and stress will exacerbate symptoms so try to relieve the tension and stress as much as possible. It's easy to get stressed out when the symptoms flare but that will only make the flare up worse. A viscous cycle I know! So I am going to take my own advice and fill up my jacuzzi tub and take a long relaxing bath. Then hopefully I'll feel good enough later today to do my Yoga routine. In the meantime I am going to make some fresh juice and water it down so that it won't be so upsetting to my stomach. Then I plan to sip on it throughout the day. Once I'm confident my stomach won't reject it I might try some pureed beets, but for the most part it is going to be an all liquid diet kind of day. I of course will make sure I'm getting the proper nutrients in and hopefully my stomach will stop rejecting everything. If not I may have to make another trip to the ER to get fluids.
Another point I would like to make. There are different stages of diets that you sometimes have to change to depending on your symptoms. For example, I am very symptomatic right now so I am going to stick to an all liquid diet. Then once I start to feel a little better I can go to a semi-liquid diet. After that I can work up to the semi-solid diet that I can tolerate. I say semi-solid because most solid foods are intolerable for me at any time regardless of how good I feel.
The alternative to getting back on track is to stay sick or get even more sick. That is not a choice I am going to make. I will get back on track and I will feel better. In the meantime I have to let this flare up run its course and be very strict with my Plan so that I don't exacerbate the symptoms I'm already dealing with.
Yes this sucks but I know that I can and will get back on track. I had gone shopping at Jebbia's (our local produce store) and stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies for juicing and smoothies. So back to taking the time to prepare those nutrient packed meals instead of grabbing what's quick (foods that will make me sick). It's easier to know the right plan of action but it's harder to implement it. As I said before a good Comprehensive Management Plan takes time and work, but it is so important to put in that time and effort to feel good. I wish I didn't have Gastroparesis but I do and if I want to live symptom free I have to manage my plan.
That being said it is also important to remember that getting back on track doesn't happen instantly. You have to be patient and stick to your Plan and it will come around but it takes time. Don't give up if you don't feel better after sticking to your Plan for just a day or two. It might actually take a week, or even two, before you are feeling better and symptom free. Then once you are feeling better, stick to your plan! I know easy for me to say, right. It is easier said than done but I can not stress enough how important it is to do the work. A good Comprehensive Management Plan is a lifestyle change, it is not a short term "diet". Unfortunately Gastroparesis is a chronic condition that has to be managed.
Also, don't let yourself wallow in self pity because that does not do anything for you. Instead take the time to take care of yourself. Take a long hot bath, listen to some relaxing meditation do anything that is relaxing for you. Tension and stress will exacerbate symptoms so try to relieve the tension and stress as much as possible. It's easy to get stressed out when the symptoms flare but that will only make the flare up worse. A viscous cycle I know! So I am going to take my own advice and fill up my jacuzzi tub and take a long relaxing bath. Then hopefully I'll feel good enough later today to do my Yoga routine. In the meantime I am going to make some fresh juice and water it down so that it won't be so upsetting to my stomach. Then I plan to sip on it throughout the day. Once I'm confident my stomach won't reject it I might try some pureed beets, but for the most part it is going to be an all liquid diet kind of day. I of course will make sure I'm getting the proper nutrients in and hopefully my stomach will stop rejecting everything. If not I may have to make another trip to the ER to get fluids.
Another point I would like to make. There are different stages of diets that you sometimes have to change to depending on your symptoms. For example, I am very symptomatic right now so I am going to stick to an all liquid diet. Then once I start to feel a little better I can go to a semi-liquid diet. After that I can work up to the semi-solid diet that I can tolerate. I say semi-solid because most solid foods are intolerable for me at any time regardless of how good I feel.
The alternative to getting back on track is to stay sick or get even more sick. That is not a choice I am going to make. I will get back on track and I will feel better. In the meantime I have to let this flare up run its course and be very strict with my Plan so that I don't exacerbate the symptoms I'm already dealing with.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Importance of Maintaining Your Comprehensive Management Plan
I can not stress enough how important it is to maintain a Comprehensive Management Plan that works for you. I had been feeling really good and had gotten busy with different things and let myself get distracted from my Plan which resulted in a severe flare up with violent vomiting that caused me to miss a couple days from work. Gastroparesis reared its ugly head and brought me back to reality real quick. Life gets busy and maintaining a good Plan takes work and is very time consuming. It's easy to get distracted or off track, especially when your feeling good, but it is just as important to get yourself back on track and stick with the Plan that you know works.
My back has been bothering me and has made it really hard to do my morning workout routines. I've even had a hard time doing the Yoga and that has been killing me because I just don't feel good if I don't get my Yoga routine in. Then I made a trip out of town for a dear friends wedding. As I've expressed in other posts, I am horrible at directions. I get lost sooo easy. I stress out and get severe anxiety and tense up all over. After that trip my entire body was tensed up for a week, no exaggeration! Wouldn't have missed being a part of my friends wedding for anything but I should have found someone to go with me to do the driving. I had some other issues going on that was causing me a lot of stress and all of these added stressors just exacerbated my symptoms. I had also not had a massage in about a month. I didn't really realize how much getting a massage had become a part of my Plan until I was no longer getting them.
So now I am getting a massage about once a week and my back is feeling better. This is allowing me to start getting my workouts in again. I am also getting back into my daily routine that I know makes me feel better.
It's important to remember that the Plan works but it is not a cure. I still have Gastroparesis and that has not changed. Maintaining my Plan allows me to live 90% symptom free but if I do not manage my Plan that results in being more symptomatic instead of being symptom free. This is a lifestyle change not a short term objective. For me it seems that if I let one part of the Plan slide it doesn't take long for the rest to follow. Before I know it I am very sick with nausea and vomiting and it doesn't go away very fast. Maintaining your Plan is hard work and time consuming but the benefits are sooo worth the time and effort. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
My back has been bothering me and has made it really hard to do my morning workout routines. I've even had a hard time doing the Yoga and that has been killing me because I just don't feel good if I don't get my Yoga routine in. Then I made a trip out of town for a dear friends wedding. As I've expressed in other posts, I am horrible at directions. I get lost sooo easy. I stress out and get severe anxiety and tense up all over. After that trip my entire body was tensed up for a week, no exaggeration! Wouldn't have missed being a part of my friends wedding for anything but I should have found someone to go with me to do the driving. I had some other issues going on that was causing me a lot of stress and all of these added stressors just exacerbated my symptoms. I had also not had a massage in about a month. I didn't really realize how much getting a massage had become a part of my Plan until I was no longer getting them.
So now I am getting a massage about once a week and my back is feeling better. This is allowing me to start getting my workouts in again. I am also getting back into my daily routine that I know makes me feel better.
It's important to remember that the Plan works but it is not a cure. I still have Gastroparesis and that has not changed. Maintaining my Plan allows me to live 90% symptom free but if I do not manage my Plan that results in being more symptomatic instead of being symptom free. This is a lifestyle change not a short term objective. For me it seems that if I let one part of the Plan slide it doesn't take long for the rest to follow. Before I know it I am very sick with nausea and vomiting and it doesn't go away very fast. Maintaining your Plan is hard work and time consuming but the benefits are sooo worth the time and effort. I have Gastroparesis but Gastroparesis does not have me!
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