It seems that when one blogs about Gastroparesis, or reads about it online, a lot of what is read is gloom and doom. Although I have tried to make my blog a little bit lighter, sometimes even that can be tough. (On top of that, if one is going to blog about the condition, there has to be some seriousness attached to it - it isn't exactly a disease you want to joke about).
Sometimes, however, you have to look at the positives in life - both small and big. If you are a Gastroparesis sufferer and you have someone in your life who truly understands you, consider that a positive. You may be surprised (or perhaps not) at the percentage of sufferers who have a support system of....nobody. Although you may not want to "burden" your support system, you really don't have much of a choice. If they are supporting you, they are doing it because they love you, so take advantage of that. Advantage is such a tough word, isn't it? "I don't want to take advantage of anybody!" Of course you don't - nobody does. A person who truly gets you, however, will not see it as you taking advantage of them. Trust me.
If you enjoy listening to the birds sing, pull up a chair in front of the window and listen to them sing. Feed them, if you can. It will help you take your mind off of your horrible condition and focus on something truly remarkable: Nature.
Pets offer you unconditional love, and they will never think you are taking advantage of them. Animals are loyal - heck, even if I approach my wife, I get barked at by two of our dogs. It doesn't really bother me, because I know they are protecting her - keeping her safe in a time of a need. If she doesn't have the overall strength to protect herself 24 hours a day, they are more than willing to take on the role. One of our dogs is extremely (to put it mildly) active, but yet has the sense to be relatively calm when my wife is sleeping. Our oldest dog is the great protector - he actually sleeps right next to the door to the bedroom sometimes. If I make even a slight movement in my chair from my office, he will sometimes start barking. He is the sweetest dog, but one sound of that bark is enough to make anyone hesitate.
Many people say listening to music, or doing crafts, etc. are other ways to keep your mind occupied on things other than Gastroparesis. Colleen uses Candy Crush Saga as a diversion, but she has actually completed every level they have ported onto the iPad. She is waiting patiently (?) for new levels to be created.
Managing your condition as best you can is a key to getting better - it won't cure you, but it will help you continue on your path of wellness. When a sufferer is going through a bad flareup, often sleep is the only time they have when they don't focus on it (and sometimes falling asleep can be a major issue). This is when you need to dig down deeper to do whatever you can to keep your mind off of it as much as possible.
As a loved one, part of your job is to come up with whatever you can to at least temporarily take their minds off of things; doing something silly can offer at least a few minutes of laughter. Play it by ear - continue to support - and remember that a positive mind can lead to better overall health.
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