acupuncture

All posts tagged acupuncture

Never Give Up!

Posted by Mildred Jane on August 4, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, caffeine free, dairy free, Diet, Energy, Exercise, Gastroparesis, gluten free, half marathon, health, Inspiration, running, sugar free, supplements. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

SAMSUNG

Thankfully there has been wonderful reasons why I have gone M.I.A. the past few weeks.  I have been SUCCESSFULLY training for a half marathon that I will be completing in 2 weeks.  Whenever someone with Gastroparesis goes M.I.A. for awhile, it is always cause for concern.  Are they having a flair?  Are they okay?  Are they regressing? or…sometimes it does happen…Are they living life?!  I am extremely happy to report that the last reason is why I have been M.I.A.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have either been going to the gym or running on the trail.  Friday night, I ran 9.25 miles at my best pace ever.  I am FINALLY able to push through the barrier without being afraid of triggering a Gastroparesis flair and becoming deathly ill.  Friday nights run was one of the best experiences of my life.

Several times throughout the run, I would think back to where I was last year at this time.  Those days were filled with not being able to get out of bed, vomiting for hours at a time, frequent IVs, and wondering if I would ever be able to get my life back.  Those days were also filled with the fear of potentially needing a gastric stimulator (aka…a pacemaker for your stomach).  During my run, I would think of these things and it would drive me to keep moving forward.  It was almost as if I was running away from Gastroparesis and trying to stay out of its reach.

I am here to tell you…NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!!!  Many of the Gastroparesis groups focus on GP being “incurable”.  However, this does not mean that you can’t make changes that will help lead to better days ahead.  Yes, I still have bad days but they are becoming few and far between.  I have worked extremely hard to revolutionize my diet and have seen life changing results.

Below are some of the things that I have done and am undeniably feeling amazing:

  • Almost all chemicals have been removed and I eat all natural.  GMOs are hard to cut out completely due to the lack of labeling, but removing as much as possible has reaped huge rewards.
  • Cow’s milk has been replaced with Almond milk.
  • Coffee is gone gone gone.  Tomorrow I will be 3 months free from its addictive powers and this has been one of the best decisions of my life.  I still have a minimal amount of caffeine through tea, but my daily caffeine intake has dropped dramatically.
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup is removed completely.  This means, no more ginger ale.  I found this to be much harder to give up than coffee and the withdrawal symptoms were significantly worse, but it was worth it.
  • Refined sugar has been replaced with Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Agave Nectar, & Stevia.  It has gotten to the point that refined sugar will give me horrible headaches.
  • Eating on a strict schedule…breakfast (w/ protein) at 6:45am, lunch at 11 am, snack (w/ protein) 2:30 pm, dinner 5:15 pm.  A snack of berries at either the morning or afternoon depending on when I become hungry.  Eating protein at specific intervals of time has really helped my energy level remain stable throughout the day.  My favorite snack is an apple with all natural almond butter.
  • Replacing sugary sports drinks with all natural ones.  Vega Sport is my brand of choice.  It has helped give me the power to make it through long runs without making me ill.
  • Water, Water, Water, and more Water.  I drink approximately 80-100 ounces per day.  This has helped me keep my system flushed.
  • Going to bed by 10 PM.  Getting the proper amount of sleep has given me better results than I would ever admit was possible.
  • Taking digestive enzymes & probiatics every day.  (Garden of Life is my brand of choice.)
  • Last, but certainly not least.  ACUPUNCTURE!!  I can’t say it enough, acupuncture changed my life.  I honestly do not believe that I would be running 9.25 miles at a great pace without having acupuncture over the past several months.  If there is one thing off this list that I would recommend above all others it would be to find yourself a good acupuncturist.

They last big piece of advice that I could give is the following:  do not try to make all of these changes at once.  It is too overwhelming mentally and too much of a shock to your system.  Pick one or two items and stick with them for a month and then add a couple of additional items the next month.  There are always steps back while you are moving forward, but do not get discouraged, do not give up hope.  It is possible to start to feel better, but it will take a lot of determination, hard work, and staying positive through the set backs.

On another note, this post is not to diminish how hard it is for those individuals with severe Gastroparesis.  However, if you do have a milder case, I honestly believe that it is possible to feel better the majority of days if you make serious changes.

~Millie

Feeling Alive Again!

Posted by Mildred Jane on May 29, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, bloating, BrainFog, caffeine free, Diet, Energy, Exercise, Gastroparesis, gluten free, health, Inspiration, Life, running, Spinning. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

alive

Sorry to everyone for not writing in awhile.  However, it is for happy reasons!  I have been feeling AMAZING and have been going to the gym every day of the week.  Words cannot adequately express what it feels like to be able to exercise again.  I have been doing a combination of weight lifting, spin class, aqua aerobics, YOGA, pilates, walking, and running.  YOGA is in all capitals because I believe that it is a huge key to an exercise plan (whether you have Gastroparesis or not).  Yoga helps you focus on your body and become in tune to how it is feeling.  It helps you know when you need to back off and when you can add on.  It also is extremely relaxing which helps make anyone feel better. 

I attribute that being able to accomplish so many trips to the gym (12 workouts in 7 days to be exact) to completely rehauling my diet.  Oddly, my marathon viewing of the latest season of the Biggest Loser helped me realize that I could do it.  If everyone on that show can do it, then so can I!  Yes, this is an odd place for someone with Gastroparesis to find inspiration but we have to take it where we can get it!

I am now officially gluten-free, refined sugar free, caffeine free, chemical free, and red meat free.  At the advice of my acupuncturist, I am also sticking with warm foods.  I am now happy to report that I feel the most alive that I have felt in years.  My bloating is extremely diminished.  My cramps are gone, the reflux is gone (I do still take Prilosec & Zantac), my head isn’t foggy, and I feel like I can conquer the world. 

Cleaning out all of these chemicals is not only good for GPers but for anyone.  The body was not meant to absorb such chemicals and does not need them to survive.  Your body craves natural foods and my suspicion is that for GPers lean protein is the way to go. 

Going through all of the withdrawal was not fun and I am still fighting cravings, but based on how I feel I am not even tempted to go back to my prior eating habits.  I am so thankfully that I am finding something that is sticking and it is based on the following:  Acupuncture, digestive enzymes, domperidone, probiatics, yoga, and all natural food. 

Remember, that these things take time so you may not see results right away.  However, once you get to the other side it is amazing how much greener the grass is.  I am happy to leave that old wilted GP flair up field behind me and am running as fast as I can away from it!

I must also admit that I am happy that all of those “friends” that left during the past couple of horrible years are no longer around to enjoy my good days with me!

I hope to post some recipes this weekend & will be posting our June Adventurer of the Month next week!  Stay tuned for exciting days ahead!  🙂

~Millie

 

As with all of my posts, please do not substitute my advice for that of a trained medical professional.  Please also discuss any drastic exercise or diet changes with a trained medical professional.

 

Acupuncture has Changed My Life

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 24, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, bloating, Diet, Energy, Gastroparesis, GERD, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Acupuncture1

As mentioned in previous posts, I will try almost anything in an attempt to feel better.  Hands down, the best thing I have tried is acupuncture.  (Gluten-Free is running a close second.)  I was going twice a week to start and felt the benefits almost immediately.  My reflux was lessening.  My nausea was diminishing and I was developing more energy.  I was also noticing a reduction in bloating.  I would still become severely bloated but the bloating was not as painful.

Now I am going once per week and am still noticing a benefit from the acupuncture.  I notice that I am actually hungry after a session.  Hunger is something that doesn’t happen very often for me.  I also feel more grounded and as if my head is in a better place not only for battling Gastroparesis but also for life in general.

My acupuncturist is wonderful.  He really takes the time to get to know the issues that I have in order to formulate a treatment plan for me.  He has also suggested some dietary changes that would work hand in hand with Chinese medicine and the healing process.  Oddly, almost all of these recommendations matched what my nutritionist had told me.  The acupuncturist also loves to hear feedback on how my body reacted over the week so that he can assess which treatment options are working best for me.

For anyone with Gastroparesis who would like to try acupuncture, I would say GO FOR IT!  Make sure that you do your research and find a credible acupuncturist in your area.  I would be skeptical if he/she did not ask several questions and really get to know your chief complaints or want feedback on how your body is reacting.

If you have been worried about the needles, do not!  When I get an IV, I squirm like there is no tomorrow, try to curl in the fetal position, and turn ghostly white.  However, I haven’t had an issue with the acupuncture needles at all.  They are so tiny that you will barely feel them.

I am curious if others have tried acupuncture and what their reaction is?  It seems that more and more GPers are giving it a shot.

~Millie

Where Did the Energy Go?

Posted by Mildred Jane on April 8, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, blogging, chores, depression, Energy, Gastroparesis, health, Inspiration, Life. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

winduptoy

Today I have one simple question, “Where did the energy go?”  I would really like to know.  Although I did need quite a few naps throughout my chores this weekend.  However, I feel like someone pulled the plug or hid the batteries.  I can barely open my eyes.

I’ve written about this topic a handful of times, but it is one that continues to haunt me.  I’ll be on fire getting things done for a couple of hours and then have to take a recovery nap for 3-4 hours.  It absolutely amazes/dumbfounds/confuses me.  I feel that my body is still in recovery mood from becoming ill on Thursday night.  I’ve also been battling stomach cramping this morning which has not been fun.  I wonder if our bodies put us in hibernation mode so that we don’t feel the pain.

This weekend I took my prescription strength Vitamin D pill.  I’m only supposed to take 1 per week so I can only imagine how much Vitamin D is jammed into that little pill.  However, I think that it is having the opposite effect of what it is supposed to.  Vitamin D is supposed to help with your energy and brain function, but both of mine have tanked.

I feel like a slug.  This feeling is the part of Gastroparesis that I have the hardest time with.  I can accept the pain, nausea, vomiting, etc.  However, I can’t stand the feeling of knowing that things need to be done and I am rendered useless on my couch.  My brain doesn’t want to cooperate enough to even watch some TV shows.  As a result, I have been laying there falling in and out of sleep listening to a bird in the back yard sing and my dog snore.  Both very pleasant sounds, but not as pleasant as actually getting work done, making my smoothie, reading a book, putting a glass in a dishwasher, or really doing anything at all.

I couldn’t stand laying there anymore so I did what I always do to try to break the spell.  I set myself a goal to accomplish just 1 thing and then hope that the 1 thing will lead to more.  If not, it will at least wear me out enough to go back to sleep and not think about being unproductive.  So I decided to hobble over to my computer and type today’s blog.

Hopefully, it is turning out coherent because I think I see the GP Elves fluffing my pillow for me.  Maybe they can drive me to my acupuncture appointment in hopes of it knocking this bad energy and cramping out of me!

~Millie

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!)

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

Test Driving Acupuncture

Posted by Mildred Jane on March 13, 2013
Posted in: Acupuncture, Energy, Gastroparesis, GERD, health, Inspiration. Tagged: , , , , , , . 4 Comments

acupuncture

Through the various Gastroparesis message boards, I have heard that some people have had some success with acupuncture for symptom relief.  Continuing on my adventure of trying anything to feel better, I decided to take acupuncture out for a test drive.

I have been waiting a month for this appointment and have anxiously been anticipating the results.  The acupuncturist is fr0m the center where I receive my digestive massages (aka belly rubs).  I completed all of the usual intake paperwork:  complete with adding extra spaces and writing on the backs of pages.  Four lines available for medications & supplements?  Child’s play!  Please turn the sheet over for a detailed list of medications, dosages, and times of day taken.  Two lines for medical procedures?  Hmmm….maybe I should just type up a medical resume to staple to these forms.  I’m not sure if all GPers are this way, but I get extremely detailed on my intake forms.  I view it as a time bonus.  (I even say “Time Bonus” as if a video game is playing in my head.)  The more information I give the medical provider, the faster he or she can appropriately help me.  (In theory, anyway.)

My gusto for detail was noticed!  The acupuncturist commented and stated that it was one of the most detailed forms he had ever received.  He said it was going to be a lot easier to dive right in to helping me.  SUCCESS!  Let’s get this ball rolling and stick some needles in me to get rid of this nausea and cramping.

The next step was a big disclaimer about the needles and how they were going to feel.  My response, “I just had an IV on Saturday that finally was able to use the large gauge, so these little guys are nothing.”  (On a side note, I squirm like a giant wimp with every IV I get.  I think it is because it usually takes 4 tries.)  At this point I wasn’t sure if the doctor appreciated my gusto or thought I was completely nuts.

Woohoo!!  Finally some needles going in & getting this party started.  I couldn’t feel the ones in my stomach or legs at all.  My thought is the following:  when your stomach hurts like hell the majority of the time, how on earth would you ever feel a pin sized needle?  Then came the needles in the wrist….OUCH!!  I’m not sure if he was teaching me a lesson, but those little guys hurt…at first.  However, the pain quickly went away.

The doctor was so impressed that I “handled it like a pro” that he asked if he could keep going even though it would be more than the usual amount of needles for the first time.  Time Bonus!  Already advancing and skipping ahead!  He then covered me with what looked like a blanket of tinfoil and left the room for me to relax and let the needles do their work.

I fell asleep and then woke up with the nausea gone and less cramping in the stomach.

SOLD!  I am not sure if it was all coincidental or if it really did work, but either way I will be back to the acupuncturist over the next few weeks.  I will keep writing about my pins and tinfoil to let you know if it is indeed working.

Oh….and I “borrowed” a needle to stab those pesky GP elves with whenever they decide to rear their ugly heads.

~Millie

Please Note:  Before trying any acupuncture procedure (or anything mentioned in these blog posts) please consult with a trained medical professional.  My experiences should not be substituted for the guidance of a trained medical professional.

Please Also Note:  No GP Elves were harmed during the writing of this post.