Getting Back to Normal by Doing Some Chores

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 6, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, Caregiver, chores, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 10 Comments

A funny thing happens with Gastroparesis.  (Okay, you are right.  MANY funny things happen with Gastroparesis but today we will focus on just on.)  You actually get excited when you feel like doing chores!  Yes, you heard me correctly.  You are so happy to be scrubbing some dishes, vacuuming the floor, doing some laundry, or grooming your dog.  You are so happy that you think at any moment the cartoon birds will show up to hang your laundry on the clothes line.  The cartoon squirrels and rabbits will surely be coming to visit and scrub your floors.  So in my mind, I looked like the photo below even though I’m not a huge Disney fan.  In fact, instead of Disney I was singing along to some great 80s New Wave music!

snow white

(Photo Courtesy of Disney)

You have such limited energy with Gastroparesis that you try to get by completing as few chores as possible.  For me this is easy since I live with a “chore-a-holic”.  He loves chores and stays on top of them.  (Well, I don’t know if he loves chores or loves not having them turn into projects.  We took an informal vote of our friends and received inconclusive results.)  He also takes AMAZING care of me so that I am not spending my limited energy on chores.  This way I can still work, see friends once in awhile, and try to get some exercise in.  (Not being active really does a number on me mentally.  More on this in future blogs.)  I am so thankful for him because I really have no idea how I would get by without him (especially when I am going through a Gastroparesis flair!).

However, sometimes it’s nice to pick up the pre-GP routine of waking up on Saturday and cleaning up the house.  It’s nice to sleep in until my body decides it’s ready to roll out of bed, make some coffee, open the windows, put on some tunes, and get to work.  It feels like you have contributed to maintaining the home.  It feels like you are “normal”.  It feels like you aren’t a total bum “chore sponging” off your “chore-a-holic” fantastic boyfriend.  In short, it feels AMAZING!

Maybe the spring air is giving me an extra energy boost.  Maybe succeeding with “Gluten-Free April” is giving me an energy boost.  Maybe the acupuncture is giving me a boost.  Maybe listening to my dog have a blast with her squeaker toy is giving me a boost.  Maybe savoring my last month(s) of coffee is giving me a boost.  Or maybe it’s because my “chore-a-holic” boyfriend got up early to do errands at the store and there where actually chores left for me when I woke up!  No matter what the cause of the boost, I’ll take it and mark today as a win against Gastroparesis!

~Millie

(No wildlife was harmed or treated to unfair working conditions during my morning.  Although my dog did catch a squirrel last night, so she had to do double duty today!  POOR SQUIRREL!)

Picking Yourself Up After You Fall

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 5, 2013
Posted in: depression, Diet, Energy, Friends, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , , . 5 Comments

falling-off-bike

Well….I knew this would happen.  I just didn’t think it would be so soon into “Gluten-Free” April.  It seems that yesterday I hit a bit of a speed bump (or should I say traffic jam) and fell off my bike!  Okay, the photo isn’t literally me.  Everyone knows it would be coffee and not soda in my hand!  However,  feel that this photo portrays what a lot of people with Gastroparesis feel.  You go about your daily lives and then BAM…down for the count.

Yesterday I was feeling pretty good.  I had energy and was feeling optimistic.  I was even planning on going to a spin class with a friend.  (Hey, if she can go to class 8 months pregnant then I can go with GP!)  Then it hit.  The sea of brake lights in front of me when trying to get home.  Then another sea of breaklights.  Then another sea.  Then that nauseous feeling.  Then that weird feeling in your cheeks when you know that it is only a matter of time before you vomit.  Then the starting to plot where you can pull over to do so and if your body can hang on until you get there.

Needless to say that after my 1 1/2 hr + of driving and vomiting, I was not going to make it to spin class.  I did not get to check exercise off on my list.  I also did not have enough energy to prepare everything in the evening for work today.  (Although I could tell my body wasn’t going to let me go to work anyway.)  So I didn’t get to check evening prep off my list of things to do.  Since I was so ill, I wasn’t feeling like eating so I managed to stay gluten-free and check it off of my list as well as going to bed before 10 pm.

Even though I faced this setback, it was minor compared to the setbacks in the past.  I am starting to feel better today and think that I will be back on my bike by tomorrow morning.  I also had a nice chat with my GP BFF.  Our schedules haven’t been matching up well since we live on opposite coasts, but it was great to finally catch up with each other.  It reminded me that I need to add another item to my goal chart:  remember to check on my close GP friends.  We all need support and we all like knowing that we aren’t forgotten in the world.

So today, I will start picking myself back up from my fall.  I will start to chart my new course in life in an attempt to become as healthy as I can so that I can go tell Gastroparesis to take a hike!  (And not the fun kind of hike, the annoying all uphill in 100% of sweltering heat type of hike!)

~Millie

Setting Priorities in Life

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 4, 2013
Posted in: Friends, Gastroparesis, health, Inspiration, Life, priorities. Tagged: , , , , , . 4 Comments

A few months ago a “friend” said to me, “Business comes first, friendship second”.  This absolutely stunned me.  It made me wonder who would be there for her on a bad day, who would be there in the future, etc.  For me it falls more into this order:  health, friendship, business.  Due to my Gastroparesis, health has to come before absolutely everything.  I’m starting to figure out an equation that works for me and I am determined to stick to it.  (I’m now knocking on every piece of wood in the house so that I didn’t just jinx myself with that statement.)

The photo below states my new mantra.

make_a_life

My goal is to have an amazing quality of life in spite of Gastroparesis.  If that means resetting my goals in life, then so be it.  What does a making a living mean if it is killing you in the process?  Shouldn’t you have some energy left at the end of the day to be able to see your friends, to talk to your family, to play fetch with your dog?  On April 1st (yes, April Fool’s day), I decided to look at 4/1/2013 forward.  I decided to start analyzing every aspect of my life to determine how I could make it better.  How could I simplify my life?  How could I set myself up for long-term success in spite of Gastroparesis?  I have pinpointed a few areas and am hopeful that the necessary chain of events will occur in order for this new path to come to fruition.

For the first time in a LONG time, I am beginning to feel like there is a bright light on the horizon and sunny days ahead.  I’m hopeful that this time around that the path will be a direct one and will not take me a long time to reach the horizon.  Only time will tell, but I will continue to stay positive and focus on what I can control.

No matter how many months go by, I will be dumbfounded over how narrow of a worldview some people can have.  I will be dumbfounded over how some people will put their career and climbing of the corporate ladder as a priority over everything else in their life.  In this regard, I am thankful that I have Gastroparesis.  It makes you extremely happy for the little things in life and makes you realize just how amazing your friends are that stick around!

Thanks to all of my friends who have been a HUGE support to me over the past week as I have been working through charting my new course in life!  You give me strength every day without even realizing it!

~Millie

Popping the 50th Post Balloon!

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 3, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, bloating, blogging, Diet, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

balloon-popping

Today marks the 50th post for Adventures with Gastroparesis!  The time has gone by quickly and the support has been amazing.  When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure how well it would expand.  As it turns out, several people were looking for a place to read about life with Gastroparesis.  I am so happy that others can relate to the adventures I share and am hopefully that it is also helping their families & friends.

It’s only fitting to think of balloons when thinking of a celebration.  Some might say that a GPers stomach is like a balloon.  It expands and expands and expands.  There is so much pressure built up that it is extremely uncomfortable and you wish that there was a way to pop the balloon and relieve the pressure.

Well, oddly enough, I think an acupuncture needle popped my balloon!  My stomach pressure has been slowly deflating over the course of my acupuncture treatments these past two weeks.  It feels AMAZING to not feel like I am carrying around a basketball attached to my gut.  Now it wasn’t as simple as popping a balloon.  It wasn’t as if the acupuncturist put the needle in my belly and then there was a big hiss of air leaving my stomach.  Although I am sure that would lead to an interesting conversation.

Another reason that I am in love with acupuncture is that my stomach cramping has been greatly reduced and most days it has been extremely minimal.  I have also been cutting gluten out of my diet so I think the combination is providing some relief.

Are you sitting down?  I hope so, because today after acupuncture I was HUNGRY!  I honestly cannot remember the last time I felt hunger.  It was a crazy feeling.  I even heard my stomach growl!  It wasn’t making the usual Gastroparesis monster/door creaking noises that wake you up in the middle of the night; it was making a legitimate stomach growl saying “Feed Me”.  I was so excited, but I held firm and stayed the course with my smoothies for now.  I am still hungry for dinner!  This has been a crazy feeling all day!

Based on the past two weeks, I would highly recommend acupuncture to anyone with Gastroparesis.  Make sure to check with your doctor first to make sure it is okay for you.  Also, make sure to do your homework and go to a licensed, reputable acupuncturist.

Maybe you won’t actually hear the hiss of a your stomach balloon popping….but you can make the noise and see what happens!

~Millie

On My Way to Gluten-Free Success!

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 2, 2013
Posted in: Diet, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , . 4 Comments

It is the start of “Gluten-Free April” and I’m off to a great success!  Both yesterday and today I have been gluten-free and am also doing well on my other goals for April.  I prepared everything the night before and was in bed prior to 10 pm.  Yesterday was zero on the coffee count but today was two.  No exercise either day, but got signed up for the gym!  (Today, I had a small foot procedure which prohibited me from exercising.  Everything is fine, but just enough to be annoying.)

This isn’t very good quality, but below is a photo of my success chart!

gluten-free

I opted for graph paper so that I could color in the squares.  As mentioned previously, I am a numbers nerd and rather enjoy my graph paper.  I can’t wait to see the blocks fill in over the month.  It feels good to have goals again and to be having some relief.  I am hopeful that eliminating gluten will help decrease my Gastroparesis symptoms.  Hey…my GI Doctor, Nutritionist, and Acupuncturist can’t ALL be wrong.  Can they?

A HUGE thank you to everyone who is sending me recipes, links, and encouragement.  It definitely gives me the extra motivation to succeed.  When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The response has been overwhelming and I am so thankful that others feel that I am representing Gastroparesis correct enough to share with others.  Thank you for helping me feel like I have this disorder for a reason and for encouraging me to succeed in “Gluten-Free April”.

~Millie

Looking At: Today Forward, Keeping the Past in the Past

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 1, 2013
Posted in: depression, Diet, Energy, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. 2 Comments

changes

Today was the start of “Gluten-Free April” and it was a success!  Over the weekend I printed out several recipes (which I promise to share the good ones!) and placed them in a binder.  I find that I am much more motivated when something is tangible and recipes saved on my computer is just not going to cut it for me.   I then sectioned off the binder and place the “Meals for the Week” in the front of the binder.  This will make it simple to make a grocery list each week and to stay on target.

However, I decided to add more to “Gluten-Free April”.  It seemed appropriate to make April Fool’s Day the first day of looking at today forward.  Gastroparesis sometimes feels like a cruel April Fool’s joke so I thought that I should beat it at its own game.  In addition to going Gluten-Free I have also resolved to: exercise (at least mildly) for 30 minutes 4 days per week, limit my coffee intake to no more than 10 cups per week, prepare everything for the work day the night before (lunch, iron clothes, etc), and go to bed by 10 pm.  These are all realistic and achievable goals.  Some will be harder than others but I really think that I can do this.

I strongly feel that by setting these goals that it will help me stay in a positive state of mind about having Gastroparesis.  It is EXTREMELY difficult to goal set with Gastroparesis because you never know when you are going to go down for the count.  You never know when a flair will hit.  However, I have decided to reclaim my life and stop living it in fear!

Throughout my life I have always been a goal-setter.  They were goals that stretched me but were achievable.  I would always celebrate when I achieved a goal and it was motivation to keep moving forward.  Once I become severely ill and received my Gastroparesis diagnosis, I felt like my life was sitting in park.  I didn’t want to set goals because I knew they weren’t realistic due to this outside force called Gastroparesis.  I learned years ago that goals should only be contingent on what you can control in your life.  If you create goals around things that you can’t control you are only setting yourself up for failure.  This is why I quit setting goals when I found out about Gastroparesis.

Over the past weekend, I realized that goals were what was missing from my life.  By typing my blog about “Gluten-Free April”, I received such a jolt of excitement and energy that I hadn’t felt in a long time.  It stirred up more emotions in me than I thought were going to happen.  It made me realize that I could still set goals, they would just be a different type of goal.

I can say that I am 1,000% committed to reclaiming as much as my life as possible.  I refuse to let Gastroparesis get the best of me and I refuse to let it have more of my days than I do.  I will figure out a system that works and shifts with the target.  I am on a mission, so GP better watch out because April is going to be MY month!

~Millie

The Cost of Reclaiming Your Health & Life!

Posted by Mildred Jane on March 30, 2013
Posted in: budget, Diet, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , . 4 Comments

broken-budget1

When you have Gastroparesis, you notice that certain topics are discussed in private support groups and not spoken of in the public realm.  One of these topics is the financial burden that Gastroparesis places on you.  Those who are completely reliant on feeding tubes or PIC lines have this much worse than me, but I feel these topics needs to be discussed publicly.  We have been dealt a life altering disorder and it is important to talk about the affect on your finances as well as the affect on you physically and mentally.

For those of us who are still attempting to “eat normally”, it becomes an extremely expensive science experiment.  You try to purchase small amounts of new foods, supplements, powders, etc so that you do not waste too much money if you have a bad reaction.  I also experiment a lot with alternative medicine (massage, acupuncture, etc) which can become expensive.  The other piece of the puzzle is that several GPers are unable to work full time which reduces their income.  So needless to say, less income with increased expenses is not a recipe for success.  This adds to the stress level of anyone with Gastroparesis.

As mentioned in previous blogs, I am going gluten-free starting on Monday.  This means that I will need to pick up some new food items and have to walk the balancing act of how much to purchase to try at first.  The last thing you want to do is spend $50 in groceries and only have your body tolerate $5 of it.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had to donate food items to friends because my body couldn’t tolerate them.  Fortunately, I have several healthy eaters as friends who were more than willing to take my Kale, protein powder, celery, etc.  I at least feel better that the food does not go into the garbage.

However, GPers are resilient.  We learn to overcome some amazing obstacles.  We learn to lean on each other.  We learn from each other.  We will try anything for some relief and feel better.  We just hope that those GP Elves get to work and leave us some money in the corner to help pay for all of this experimentation.  However, feeling better is worth whatever I have to pay and I am determined to find a way to keep living and fighting for more good days than bad!

~Millie

Creating a Reward System for Gluten-Free April

Posted by Mildred Jane on March 28, 2013
Posted in: Diet, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , . 6 Comments

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am going gluten-free in April.  I must confess that the outpouring of support and interest has made me speechless!  (Yes, it CAN happen!)  Several followers with Gastroparesis have indicated that going Gluten-Free has provided them with some relief.  The outpouring of support & the success stories have given me the extra motivation to officially dub next month “Gluten-Free April”.  If anyone else would like to join in on this adventure, please comment on this post so that we can all encourage each other to stick to it!

I’m not sure about you, but in my mind the only logical step to prepare for Gluten-Free April is to create a reward system and sticker chart!  Personally, I like the sample I found below:

sticker_chart

This particular sticker chart provides 5 keys for success.  Hey, these success factors aren’t just for “Stuntboy”!  If stuntboy gets cool stickers for doing things, then so should I!

1) Be consistent.  Okay, this is easy enough.  There is nothing like setting yourself up for success!

2) Make them part of the routine.  Woohoo!  I can achieve step #2.  I’m already feeling like I can go Gluten-Free.  I like routines so I’ll focus on that and not that pasta sitting in my cupboard.

3) Chose rewards personal to YOUR kids (aka ME).  hmmm…interesting thought.  Was I aiming low at just the prospect of putting stickers on a chart?  Maybe I should find some little rewards for myself.  Waaaaaiiiittt….the reward is that I will feel better and stop having those pesky GP Elves tormenting me.  The motivation to do this is increasing more!

4) Don’t overwhelm them with too many behaviors. CHECK!  I already got this one beat.  This confirms that I should start out with Gluten-Free April and then maybe Sugar-Free May.  Maybe I’ll be brave enough to do Caffeine-Free May.  Sugar…Caffeine…Sugar…Caffeine….decisions…decisions.  Okay, back to gluten!

5) Keep the sticker chart fresh and relevant.  I like this!  I can do fresh and relevant.  I feel rejuvenated already.  Gluten-Free April just got a whole lot more fun!

Some of you might be wondering, “what the heck does a sticker chart have to do with Gastroparesis?”  Well, my response is to never underestimate the power of a sticker chart!  (Even if you opt for the more “adult” version using check boxes instead of stickers.)

In all seriousness, there is something extremely powerful about a tracking chart.  Something to visually show you just how far you have come.  You can see what a struggle the beginning of the month was by the larger percentages of blanks than stickers.  However, as you begin to see your calendar fill in, you begin to pat yourself on the back more.  You begin to build your confidence.  You begin to strengthen your willpower.  You are more able to keep your eye on the prize.  You are more likely to succeed.

And most importantly, it’s just plain fun.  It’s fun to go to the store, purchase some stickers, and not take yourself so seriously and just have some fun.  Those of us with Gastroparesis have been dealt such a crazy hand in life.  So why not make some fun out of Gluten-Free April?  Rather than focusing on all the food we are excluding, let’s focus on our stickers & how much better we are going to feel!

Whose with me?!

~Millie

PS…I promise to post real photos of my personalized sticker chart throughout the month of April.  🙂

No Gluten, No Dairy, No Sugar, No Caffeine, OH MY!

Posted by Mildred Jane on March 27, 2013
Posted in: caffeine free, dairy free, Diet, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life, sugar free. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 17 Comments

oh-no

Well…it’s time to face the facts.  When 3 out of 3 medical professionals agree it must be right.  When all 3 medical professionals are from different areas then you probably shouldn’t ignore the advice.  I’m not sure yet if I should be thankful that my GI doctor, nutritionist, and acupuncture are all in agreement.  Most people with Gastroparesis would be thrilled to have 3 medical professionals agree.  Although, I think most GPers will agree with me on this one.  No one wants to hear the four things these professionals agree on.

They ALL have recommended that I give up gluten, dairy, sugar, and caffeine!  OH NO!!  What will I do?!  I will feel better!  That is what I will do!  I have known for a long time that this is inevitable, but this time I am ready to accept it.  I am ready to face the long road ahead to cutting these items out of my diet and my life.  My eye is on the prize and the prize is feeling better.

I’m viewing this food elimination process like I view running a half marathon.  You know the journey will be difficult but you know what an amazing accomplishment it will be.  When I run a race I run it in 4 sections.  Oddly enough, 4 sections of 3 miles.  (I am a numbers nerd, so seeing 4 & 3 pop up must mean something!)  This means that I will run the food elimination marathon in 4 sections.  I plan to chose one item per month to focus on.

Considering that I have already eliminated most gluten, I will focus the month of April on eliminating gluten.  I will miss my occasional bread and occasional pasta but it will be worth it to have more good days.  I also know that I cannot start with caffeine.  I will need my lovely cup of coffee and my delectable mochas to get me through the first part of this journey.

Who knows which section will be next.  We shall wait and see what feels the most natural to give up.

Does anyone have gluten free recipes that they would like to share?

I’m excited for this new portion of my Gastroparesis Adventure and am hopeful that it will lead to more relief.  Staying positive is the key!

~Millie

Wise Words From Stuart Smalley

Posted by Mildred Jane on March 26, 2013
Posted in: depression, Energy, Friends, Gastroparesis, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , . 10 Comments

stuart_smalley

Some of you may or may not know who Stuart Smalley is.  He was a character played by Al Franken on Saturday Night Live back in the 90s.  His catch phrase was “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”

You would be absolutely amazed at how many times I repeat this to myself throughout a day, week, month, or year.  When your battling so hard to just maintain, it is hard to keep your hopes and dreams alive.  However, you MUST keep them alive.  You can never give in to giving up.  (At least this is how I feel.)  When I go through periods of self doubt where I wonder if I can keep performing at a high level at work, where I wonder if I am making a difference with my advocacy work, where I wonder if I am pulling my weight at home, where I wonder if I spoil my dog enough, I stop…take a deep breath…and repeats the words of Stuart Smalley in my head.  As cheesy as it may sound, I repeat them over and over in my head and then set a goal of something to accomplish for the day.  I find that once I accomplish that one item, I end up on a roll and get a whole list of things done.  It’s just that sometimes, accomplishing that one item is so incredibly difficult.  Who would have thought that a cheeseball character from all these years ago would be what kicks my behind in gear?!

Recently, I have also been doing a lot of reading focused around self-reflection.  There are some fascinating books on the subject.  It is important to note that these books are self-reflection not self-help.  Self-reflection books focus on how to become more introspective and more aware of your surroundings.  They also deal a lot with emotional intelligence and how to read/interact with others.  One of the books “The Essentials of Fabulous” recommends creating an encouraging loop to repeat to yourself.  To create a list of positive things that have been said to you and positive thing to reflect on.  Then replay this list whenever you are in a period of self doubt or having trouble getting moving.  (It’s the 21st century Stuart Smalley!)

So this morning I added to my Stuart Smalley loop various comments I have received at work about my quality of work and my ability to maintain an extremely high standard while fighting with the moving target that is Gastroparesis.  I repeat to myself that I have managed to successfully educate my workplace on Gastroparesis and how I have to live/work to balance it (which is an scaling Mount Everest type of fete for most people).  I repeat to myself what my family/friends have said about what I continue to accomplish in spite of Gastroparesis.  Most importantly, I repeat to myself several of the comments I have received about this blog from my fellow GPers.  My little blog is making a difference and helping others.  These are all reasons to crawl out of bed and accomplish some things today.

I’m good enough!  I’m smart enough! And doggone it, people like me!

~Millie