Originally Posted by Vrae

Thanks Tessa!

GERD/PUD: Me either, but I guess it will be my new homework / research project. Thank you so much for the advice on gastroparesis! I know what you’re saying is true and yet as I am reading it and I am thinking that I have a LOT of work to do to change my eating habits. After last night it’s pretty much in my face that I have to make some changes. It was really painful and still feels swollen in that area to me. It’s all weird.

lol.. more homework is all you needed to add to your "to do" list :/ Gosh it would be so much easier if life got easier with this but, sadly it just seems to become more complicated and that never ending list doubles in length almost instantly! Damn I sure wish my name was Tabitha and I could twinkle my nose Keep your perspective and focus on small changes. Doing to much at once will invariably overwhelm and distress you.

May I ask, why no fluids with meals? No salad and no raw veggies? … well damn. I will miss those!

Adding fluids during meals expands the entire contents making it even harder for the stomach to expel it. A few sips if you must is okay but remember the total volume of your intake at any given time should be small (for me the 1/2 cup.. for you it might be more/less). The bonus is that most people don't chew there food long enough and tend to 'wash it down' instead as we get into such a hurry with life and even with food. Leaving out the liquids usually improves digestion because we naturally chew longer.

Lettuce and many veggies have high cellulose and insoluble fiber which is very hard on the digestive tract for those suffering with GI issues. Insoluble fiber makes and already 'slow digestive tract' slow down even more because your feeding it things that take longer to digest even for a healthy person.. thus doubling the problem. You may find later (when you get things more under control) that a seldom small salad here and there is okay or worth a little discomfort to satisfy the desire to eat it. Right now though I would forgo any raw salads until you figure out what works and pain is under control. Cooked veggies (preferably steamed) that help in many ways are carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, cauliflower. Pickled vegetables are great because they are actually pre-digested through the fermenting process and are much easier on our stomachs. A tablespoon or pumpkin or mashed sweet potatoes are an amazing way to quell stomach pain and increase vital nutrients.. you won't find a pot of soup, smoothie or even a cup of yogurt without one of the two added around my house!



I love to cook. Of course it is becoming a chore more than pleasure anymore, and now in many more ways than one. We have such a large family still at home that I tend to try and cook things that stretch. It’s become such a hassle with my guts that I have been just avoiding eating and then eating one meal a day, and maybe a snack along the way through my day. This wouldn’t be good if I had no stomach issues.

Yay! I also enjoy cooking but understand the feeling of it being a chore or a burden due to pain and diet restrictions. Although I no longer have children living at home my husband can eat enough for 4! Thankfully, he isn't picky and often sacrifices his own pleasures for my comfort.. it is a give and take for both of us for sure.

I’m sure that you can relate when I say that the days take on a life of their own and making, taking time for me, is some days next to impossible. I have so many lifestyle changes that MUST be made. I feel like I am going in s-l-o-w motion while drowning in my “to do” list. The kids, the husband, our business, his job, school for everyone, my father in law, the house, the animals, this damn virus … oh and my disease(s), now plural I guess.

Oh how I can relate!! Lifestyle changes = new adventure and personal discovery.. that is how I make the changes sound fun When you feel like you are drowning.. do like I do and call in a "life line" aka.. code word for "the rest of the listwill have to wait or love of my life.. please lend a hand I'm sinking

Without any doubt I am truly blessed to have this wonderful, wonderful man in my life. My partner, my lover, my best friend, my confidante. We have had a magical love affair that has lasted over a decade. I can’t even imagine life without him. With that said, I feel like I am wearing him down. I can see the extra stress on him coming from so many directions and it frankly aggravates me beyond measure that I am a part of that additional stress. <sigh>

Thank you for the kind words about my father in law. My husband and his brother are going to visit him during Thanksgiving. I am hoping they can make a few more good memories during what will be such a tough time for all of them.

It is never easy.. ever.

Thanks again to you and the others for your response. You guys are the best! I’m off to try and have a much better day and see what I can knock off of that list of mine. VR