Gastroparesis makes it difficult to continue with many activities that you used to do before becoming ill.  (I’ll talk more about these in future blogs.)  This means that you have to become creative with finding ways to keep your mind occupied and feel productive.  At some point you have to stop hanging out with the GP Elves and stop watching horrible television.

This is why I have enrolled in classes to learn glass flame working.  I have dreamed of learning this skill for years, but never knew where/how to go about learning it.  Part of the glass obsession came from my grandparents.  My grandma would collect all sorts of uniquely shaped and colored hand made glass vases for her sun porch.  My grandpa would buy me all sorts of hand made glass paperweights.  In November, I found that there is a place in my city where I can learn glass flame working so my journey began.

The past few weeks have been really rough with a Gastroparesis flair.  All sorts of emotions were running through my head, there was severe nausea, severe vomiting, and horrible brain fog.  It was one of the worst flairs that I have had in a long time.  However, over the past few days I have started to come out of the flair.  I was happy that today I had a glass making class on the schedule.

It felt great to be behind the torch.  It places you in such a state of relaxation.  For me it is a toss-up between glass making and yoga for which is the most relaxing.  The skill of glass making also does not require you to exert much energy which is perfect for Gastroparesis.  It is also a huge mental win, because I feel like I have accomplished something.  I feel like there is something in my life that I can do even when Gastroparesis has me down.

I think it is extremely important for anyone with Gastroparesis to find a hobby that does not require a lot of energy but gives you a huge sense of accomplishment.  It helps you overcome the depression and feelings of helplessness.  It makes you feel as though you are still worthwhile and can do something in the world.

Below are the photos of the glass marble that I had made.  I view this marble as a sign of hope.  A sign of the hope that one day we will find a cure for Gastroparesis.  It is a sign of hope that I will continue on the path of mental healing and learning how to overcome the mental side of Gastroparesis.  I know that there is only so much I can do to improve the physical side, so I have decided to focus on the mental side.

Part of healing mentally, was the creation of this blog.  I created this blog in hopes it would help others know that they are not alone with all of the ups and downs associated with Gastroparesis.  I hoped this blog would help non-GPers gain a better understanding of what a GPer’s daily life is like.  It is a life that turns completely upside down once the flairs become more frequent and common.  The more we can do to educate our family and friends, the more they will know how to support us.  So every time that I will look at my marble, I will know that I am moving towards mentally healing from my life turning completely upside down.

~Millie