Thanksgiving—How To Cope When You Have to Cope Everyday

It's probably safe to say that Thanksgiving is everyone's favorite holiday because, well, it's the day about everyone's favorite subject:: FOOD! The house is filled with the sounds and smells of FOOD being made, decorations that represent fall and Thanksgiving (which often times is FOOD [think pumpkins, corn-on-the-cob, and various cords]), family chatting and catching up, drinks being had. It's a wonderful time! For some, though, it's a time of anxiety because they are thinking about all of the things on the Thanksgiving table that they cannot eat due to their Gastroparesis.

Gastroparesis does not allow a person to eat most vegetables, fruits, breads, and fats that are found in a Thanksgiving spread. But, not wanting to cause a problem, stand out, or be a burden the person with Gastroparesis will just make due with what is found before them...and then suffer the consequences later. For some people this can be “minor”--early satiety and the inability to enjoy any dessert—to disastrous—severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Whatever the case may be, people with Gastroparesis tend to not relish (some do) the holidays any longer due to the food-centricness (Oh! I think I just made a new word!) of it all.

Speaking for myself only, I have learned to adapt without having holiday food anxiety. I pick and chose the food, as wisely as I can, that I can eat. I know that I have to eat in moderation and just KNOW that I will not have a heaping plate of food like my family members and not feel sorry about it. My family does not have to worry about getting hugely bloated afterward, nor do they have to worry about throwing it up a short time later, or feel nauseous, but I do so; therefore I have to do what's right for me in this scenario. Mashed potatoes and I are besties (on any given day, honestly), I splurge on stuffing because I just LOVE it, and I a small piece of turkey. I have all of the essentials (I can't have cranberry sauce, but I don't like it, so problem solved!)

My policy, though, is:: if I am having a flare day, I am having a flare day and I will tell you and I just will not eat. It's not something I can control, it's not something I can predict, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it. I know making a turkey dinner takes a quadrillion hours and I appreciate that, but I'm not going to make myself sicker just to sample your food. My family will love me, tasted turkey dinner or not. There's always Christmas dinner!

When the Bed Bug Doesn't Bite

I was raised not to hate, but I HATE insomnia with a passion! It's an inanimate not-even-an-object, so I'm allowed to hate it, right? I think so. It really stinks being awake at all hours of the night—in this case it's 11:40pm, early for some—not knowing whether or not you'll be able to fall asleep. The illusive sleep could be for various reasons:

1. a mind that won't shut off
2. medication (new, old, or wrong)
3. pain (otherwise known as painsomnia)
4. too much sleep during the day
5. too much activity during the day
6. [enter your own reason here]

There are SO many methods one can try to help themselves slip away into Sleepytime Never Neverland

1. Prayer (I'm a big supporter of this)
2. Music (I also support this one)
3. White noise (I use this as well...floor fan AND ambient sound maker)
4. 
   Count sheep (I prefer to imagine sheep jumping over a fence) 
5. Think happy thoughts
6. [Enter your own method here]

What do you do if you just CANNOT get yourself to sleep? Obviously I am finding myself in that conundrum right now as I am typing this little ditty in—what is for me—the middle of the night. You make the best out of the situation! If nothing else, through my life with Gastroparesis, I have found that you just have to make the best out of everything or else you'll go bonkers and—if you knew me AT ALL—I'm bonkers anyway! So, after having knocked back some Gaviscon for my heartburn and a little something for the nausea, here are some suggestions on how to entertain yourself QUIETLY in the middle of the night::

1. Read your Bible
2. Reread your favorite book series
3. Start reading a new book (I started reading Unbroken)
4. Start a blog (I know it's a little bit obvious, but I had to say it)
5. Write in a diary/journal/smash book
6. Color in a coloring book
7. Listen to music on your iPod (discman's are passe, right?)
8. Write a snailmail letter to a friend (you might surprise someone!)
9. Entertain yourself on Pinterest
10. Entertain yourself on Instagram
11. Create an Awareness Page on Facebook (I'm semi-considering doing this myself)
12. Make a To-Do List
13. Go through the photos on your phone and delete old ones that you don't like
14. Check your emails and reply to them
15. Watch videos on YouTube (through earphones, of course)

Naturally, there is SO much more that you can do, those are just 15 examples to get you started! Insomnia really is the pits, but sometimes it causes the creative juices to flow so you just have to take the good with the bad and make it shine!

So Your Weekend Got Ruined...What's A Gal To Do?

It's all fine and dandy to make plans. It's a whole different ball game when your body decides that you're not going to be able to follow through on them. That was the case for me this past weekend. I had hoped to look at some lyrics of the band Leeland to prepare myself for an upcoming performance at my church. You see, I am a volunteer interpreter for the Deaf at my church, Harvest Christian Fellowship, but have not been able to participate since having Alfred implanted. This past Sunday was going to be my first time back in the saddle—so to speak—since surgery. My body, however, had different things in mind. Saturday, instead, was spent in bed with earphones in listening to Michael Buble—man, his voice is like buttuh...just soothes the soul!

I thought I was coming down with a cold...sneezes...runny nose...but my chronic vertigo was in full swing and THAT'S what was giving me the most trouble. Honestly, I thought it was because I was coming down with a cold. I got myself together by Saturday evening to go out to Orange County—home of Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm—to have dinner with my brother for his birthday and then it was right back into my Pjs. Dramamine and I had become best friends by that point in the hopes that I would be able to make it to church the next morning and DEFINITELY the next night so that I would be able to interpret for Leeland...

4:45am and I'm STILL dizzy!

The Dramamine didn't help me—maybe it did for an hour—and now I'm tired on top of feeling dizzy and cold-ish. What's a gal to do?! I made tea...it's the logical thing to do! With some more Dramamine and a little cold medicine on board, it was back to bed for me! I was SO bummed that I wasn't going to make it to interpret for Leeland at church, but what use would I be if I'm tipping over?!?! As it turned out, I was having a private Michael Buble concert in my bedroom...on my iPod---the cheapest concert ever.

I have learned that I have to accept things as they come with my body. I cannot control the ups and the downs that it wants to take, so I just have to go with the flow. Sure, it's frustrating and I just wish there was a Cure-All shot or pill that I could take so that I could get on with life uninhibited, but that's not the way that it is. Instead I have to just pop in a little Michael Buble or classical or heavy metal and wait for the episode to pass. It kind of stinks that it has to be that way, but at least for now I have the best—and cheapest—seats for a Michael Buble concert!

Gastroparesis Waits For No Man.

You know that saying "time waits for no man"?--I'm sure that it was someone old that came up with it. Well, Gastroparesis waits for no woman, job, plan, friend...nothing. Gastroparesis is on its own timeline, it's own schedule. It does not care if you just brushed your teeth or just put your make-up on. It does not care if you were only able to "eat" a couple of ounces of your breakfast. It does not care if you are on your way to work or at work. Like I said, Gastroparesis waits for no woman. 

So, what do you do?

Panic?

Cry?

Throw a tantrum?

All of those are viable, plausible options. But let's be adults about this. 

We can't give up.

We can't give in.

So what do we do?!?

I try my best to march on with my routine--with a little case of bloodshot eyes. On the way to work, I treat myself to a nice high calorie Starbucks drink--nice ruse huh?--and try to march on through my day. What happens if the flare continues at work? Inform those I work with what's going on. It's good for people to be informed--slightly awkward for some, but they'll get over it--and good in case an emergency occurs, which hasn't happened yet. 

I also sip on water as much as possible to stay hydrated. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it hinders, but working on the theory that I'm hoping SOMETHING is staying in and helping me, I sip on water....S-L-O-W-L-Y. If I find that it's only making it worse, then I stop. 

If all else fails...Zofran. I always carry Zofran with me so that I can toss one back if need be. Personally, I hold off taking medicines until I just can't take it anymore, but everyone's different. Zofran usually does the trick, but not always. I've noticed since getting Alfred, it seems to work better. Prior to that, I preferred Phenergan; however, that stuff makes me sleepy. 

As always I use humor. 

Laughter. 

Smiles.

Busy myself. 

I'm sure you're thinking "Christine, I feel like roadkill, run over by a Mack truck, stamped on by a horse!" I know! I can relate! 

Here's another saying for you, "kill them with kindness", it applies, no? If I can smile or laugh my way through whatever I'm experiencing at the time--and I realize that staring down the barrel of the toilet bowl is no laughing matter, but I'm a firm believer in finding humor in everything--then I am not allowing my situation, my circumstance to win. If I cry, panic, or throw a tantrum I won't gain anything...except an ulcer and my poor tummy can't handle that!