An Apple Fritter a Day.....

Don't let the title of this post fool you; an apple fritter a day, unfortunately, will not cure Gastroparesis.

Often, I have to pay attention to signals that Colleen may be having a (relatively) good day.   As a loved one, these days should be easily to spot:  More energy.  A bigger appetite.   Or, just looking at her face or in her eyes and seeing more life.  It is not easy to describe.  You just know that your loved one is having a good day just based on your own experiences.

There is nothing really funny about Gastroparesis, but it is interesting that my wife & I watch just about every food/cooking reality competition you can think of.    Shows such as Top Chef, Masterchef, Hell's Kitchen, Next Great Baker, The American Baking Competition, Donut Showdown, The Great Food Truck Race.  Believe it or not, I may even be forgetting one or two.    

This isn't really about reality television, however.  One night, when we were watching one of these shows, the topic of apple fritters came up.   Colleen explained to me that when she was younger, her family would take trips to North Carolina, and one of her favorite delicacies during those times were what they called "apple uglies".   Since I had noticed that Colleen was eating more and feeling a little bit better over the last few days, I surprised her the next day by going out and getting her an apple fritter to enjoy.

Apple fritters, obviously, will not show up on the recommended diet for Gastroparesis (of course, they won't show up on a recommended diet for just about anything you can think of), but the moral of this story is simple:  Read the clues that your loved one gives you.   If I had noticed that Colleen was having one of her terrible flareups, the last thing I would do is bring home a deep fried pastry with icing and a few pieces of an apple mixed in.     But since I noticed she was eating a little bit more, and I could tell that she was having a bit of a craving to taste a little bit of childhood, I made the decision to go get that for her.    The best part is the fact that she actually did eat some of it.    It made me feel good inside - seeing her enjoy something that she cannot often even attempt to enjoy.    I remain optimistic that some day, Colleen will be able to enjoy an apple fritter whenever she wants to have one, without a care about what it will do to her stomach later.