Stories of Hope From Gastroparesis Warriors

I know there is a lot of negativity involved when you have a chronic illness. It is hard to push negative thoughts out of your head when you cannot go out to eat with friends like you used to, you cannot go to see the latest movies, and you are basically stuck at home, sick all day. It requires a lot of energy from people who are suffering from Gastroparesis to even walk across the room, some days. In the process of coming to terms with an illness like this, Gastroparesis Warriors tend to lose friends, either because the friends do not believe them or because they are too sick to go and hang out, like I mentioned above. Gastroparesis is a very isolating illness, and it hurts us not to be able to do the stuff we once did.

I started having a monthly movie night at my house, scheduled on every second Saturday of the month, so my friends can come over and we can watch movies, play board or card games, and just hang out. It means a lot to me that my friends are willing to do that. I thought I would mention it in here in case someone would like to do something similar. I may not be able to go out all of the time, but it's nice to have people who care about you enough to come over and spend time with you. I wanted to turn the negative into a positive.

Source:Wisdom Quotes and Stories



I wanted to share some Stories of Hope for you, from other Gastroparesis Warriors, in case you are feeling down.


My friend Jen writes,

"I was a very healthy 38 year old woman when I got sick suddenly in March 2017. I fainted a few times and broke my nose badly and suffered a severe concussion. I had surgery a few weeks later to fix my nose and the following day felt even worse. It was as if over night I could not pass gas, could not have a bowel movement, could not eat solid food or drink anything except Coke. I thought it was related to my narcotic painkillers I was prescribed after surgery. However, it got worse over the next few days and being concerned that I had a ruptured appendix, I went to the ER. They did a CT scan and found a large ruptured ovarian cyst. They gave me more pain meds and sent me home. It didn't get better, only worse. Two weeks later, I went back to the ER suspecting a small bowel obstruction. My CT was negative and they referred me to a GI doctor. I ended up having a upper/lower endoscopy, abdominal ultrasounds and a HIDA scan. At this point, being an RN myself, I suspected I had gastroparesis. I pushed for a GES, which showed more than 80 percent of my 'meal' still in my stomach at 4 hours - severe GP.

At this point, I still couldn't eat food and could only drink Coke and sips of Ensure/Boost. I was getting IV fluids and IV zofran as an outpatient 3-5 times per week. In early June I got an implanted port and home health care, which helped a great deal. I was on 2L D5NS a day plus 8 mg IV zofran every 8 hours. In late July, I started Domperidone. After a couple of weeks, I found I could slowly eat a few "safe" foods and my oral intake improved.

By the end of October, I was off my IV fluids/meds and eating a little bit better. I managed to put weight back on after losing so much. I had been off work as a labor and delivery nurse on disability since March and in late December went back on a very part time basis, slowly increasing my hours over the following few months.

It is now June 2018 and I am doing well, all things considered. I can eat a small amount of my 'safe' foods and the only liquid I can drink remains Coke (even water makes me vomit). I am at a healthy weight for me finally. I am off the domperidone and only access my port once a month to flush it with heparin (off all IV fluids/meds). I am hoping to get my port out later this summer if I continue to do well. I receive vitamin B-12 injections every six weeks and take prescription vitamin D supplements as nutritionally I'm still recovering from severe malnutrition. I still battle some pretty severe fatigue and ended up having to reduce my hours at work from full time to part time to accommodate my lower energy levels.

I am so thankful that I (narrowly) avoided a g-/j- tube and have managed to improve over the last year on my own. My GP was considered idiopathic, meaning they don't know how or why I developed it. They suspect it was either due to damage to the vagus nerve in my repeated fainting episodes or that it was viral in natural. Given that it's improved, I'm leaning toward viral, but we won't ever know for sure.

I received SO much amazing support in the Facebook groups I belong to over the last year and while I haven't been posting in them much lately, I think about all of those people very often. I want others to read my story and have some hope. I know when I was really sick, I had very little hope and it was stories like this that made me think some sort of recovery might be possible for me. I continue to watch many of my friends struggle with GP and my heart goes out to them."

She also included her before picture:

Here is Jen's after picture:

I want to thank her for being brave enough to share her story of hope.




The stories below were sent to me a while ago to include on my website, but I wanted to put them in my blog too because these people deserve to be heard. Plus, you never know, you might relate to some of these stories or they may help you.

The first story is about my friend Kerri, whom I lost this year. It hurts me to talk about but I wanted to put it in my category of "Stories of Hope" because I think she would have wanted that. She would want people to take a positive message from her story and to keep fighting. I believe she would want her story shared so that the same thing does not happen to someone else. Therefore, I present to you, Kerri's story.

Taken from GP STORIES.


Here is Kerri's story:

"My good friend Kerri passed away day before yesterday (in March). She was only 40 years old. She used study Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University, with degrees for the Deaf and Blind to help them. I feel like I've lost too many friends over the year.

This is going to be long but a mutual friend wrote this and I thought it summed up how I feel:

'She didn't have to die yet, the state of medical care in this country killed her. Kerri and I originally met on a service dog forum many years ago. She was an amazingly talented person as well as selfless and with a childlike innocence and sincerity.

She trained her own seeing eye dog!

Those in the SD (seeing dog) community understand how difficult and special that is. When she needed more mobility assistance she was unable to get another guide from an organization.

Kerri's medical care was complex due to the multiple disorders she had and especially by her blindness. She was dependent upon a form of IV nutrition called TPN to live and many IV medications. Being blind obviously complicated this and she relied on a home health nurse to come daily and set things up for her to be able to use safely and continue to live independently. She struggled with frequent hospitalizations due to life threatening infections. At her last one it was determined she was no longer able to live at home alone. She would need to find a skilled nursing home to be discharged from the hospital.

That discharge never happened, after being turned away from 51 different skilled nursing homes. They refused to take her in due to her TPN requirements. Insurance didn't allow for any further assistance in her home than she was already receiving.

Kerri had many friends both online and in her assisted living apartment complex. She continued to work from home for jamberry until not too long ago. In her younger years she was a competitive ice skater despite the blindness. Had also recently been correctly dx (diagnosed) with conditions that explained symptoms and complications she'd experienced for MANY years and started treatment (it takes way too long to receive correct diagnosis). Now we will never know how much function she could have gained back. Especially, the improvement of the immune system to prevent the frequent life threatening infections.

Due to the inability to find medical care in the form of a safe place to live, she made the only choice she had, which was to die. It didn't have to be this way. She decided upon the next infection she would not treat it. That was taking too long, and she began to discontinue treatments that sustain life such as the TPN and IV hydration (she was completely unable to use her gastrointestinal tract). She has now passed on.

We need to improve the medical options available for complex patients. We need to improve insurance so people can receive the care they need. We need to stop the incentives for doctors to refuse care (for fear of litigation and punishment from the government. Today in medicine it's safer for doctors to walk away from complex patients rather than open themselves up to the risk, something I've experienced myself as well). We need to incentivize medical professionals to provide the best treatment they're able.

We need to improve.

We need to change.

We need to save the Kerri's of the world, allow them to live as long as possible to contribute to the world.

No one should die simply because people weren't willing to TRY. She didn't die because her condition got worse and not because there were no treatments available. She didn't die waiting for a medical breakthrough (though one that could have cured some of her conditions instead of maintaining them is a future goal).

She died simply because no one was willing to provide what she needed and was available. She had so much more to give the world. She is survived by family, including her amazing Labrador guide and mobility assistance service dog Sophie as well as her daschund Mandy, and many friends.'"

Kerri in the hospital via Facebook.










Trish's Story of Hope:

"Trish’s Story of Hope

Written By: Trish


"My name is Trish Rhodes, and one day back in April 2011, I woke up one day with nausea and constipation. So went to work and it was awful the whole day. That weekend I was so sick, I had started vomiting, major stomach pains and slept most of that weekend. So I went to the doctor that following week, then the tests began. I did a CT scan of abdomen area, MRI of bile ducts, EGD, MRCP, many blood tests. All tests came back normal. This was hard to take so I went back to my GI doctor and it seemed like he had given up on me. So I went to my PCP and told him how I felt about the GI doctor and previously I had done some research and came across the GES test. So got that scheduled and it came back abnormal. Finally I knew an answer. But I sure didn't know the extent of this awful condition. My GI doctor was no help so I fired him and got referred to another one 2 hours away.



I would say about a year later I went to this 2nd GI doctor and I like him, he spent the time to talk to me about how I was feeling, what I was eating, my weight, etc etc. Then he wanted more tests. Blood tests, Colonscopy, another GES. Everything was good besides the GES. So that was hard hearing that information again for some reason. So then I dont hear from this doctor for almost a year and finally schedule another appointment which I think are pointless because these doctors are no help whatsoever! Now he is all concerned about my weight, which I weighed the exact same as the 1st appointment. Another depressing appointment. He did put me on some pancreatic enzymes because I had pancreatitis when I got my gallbladder out 6 months prior to these symptoms starting. It feels like they may be working but not sure. Also they have no idea on why I got this.



So I decided to go to a chiropractor. My initial thought was to try acupuncture but my insurance doesn't cover this. So I went to appointment anyways and I feel almost 75% better. I still have my moments and have a lot of stomach pain and nausea. I have to take Tramadol for the pain and it takes care of it for the most part unless I am having a bad flare up. Those usually lasts weeks. But I feel like something has changed since going to this chiropractor. I am very limited on what I eat. Hardly ever eat out and when I do its really hard, lots of anxiety I may eat something wrong or whatever. I also have a 4 year old daughter so I have no time to be down. She just won't allow it. She has Chiari Malformation (rare brain disorder) so she needs me to be healthy and strong for her on the days she has headaches, neck pains, leg or foot pains. I am 5ft and weigh 94 lbs. So I am very underweight. But I still want there to be more research. I do take Domperidone and there needs to be more testing on that drug or it be available in the United States because it works for me. It definitely takes away my nausea. Please help us find a cure!!! There are so many people that suffer from stomach conditions and we all need help!"

Brie and Trish.









Here is Leanne's Story of Hope:

"Leanne’s Story of Hope

Written By: Leanne



Hi Everyone, I was asked this past Sunday to write a short bio of myself, and to explain why I think it's important to fight gastroparesis.


I'm 42 years old and live in a small town called Tillsonburg in Ontario, Canada. I have a wonderful boyfriend, we've been together a for a couple of years, and we have two cats and a dog. I also have amazing parents who have advocated and fought for me every step of the way.


I've had GP for 30 years, but went misdiagnosed for the first 20 years. I kind of consider myself a GP veteran with this many years under my belt, but in no way do I think that that makes me an expert. My GP symptoms began around the age of 12, after I incurred a a pretty bad back injury, spondylosis with severe degenerative disc disease and spondyloarthritis. My injury also went misdiagnosed and worsened over time. While it's been speculated that this is the contributing factor to my GP, no one is sure. I also have severe IBS.


The first 20 years were tough. Doctors, meds, tests, and lost opportunities. I ended up having to drop out of University in my 3rd year due to GP, I had hoped to get my PhD. in psychology. I learned pretty quickly that life doesn't always turn out as one hopes. For the last ten of those 20 years it was "all in my head" according to the doctors, and I often found myself in that medical paradox, asking for help from the medical community that I was at the same time constantly fighting.


At this point, I had given up. I was horribly sick, I had lost over 100 pounds (my weight has always fluctuated, I've gained and lost over 100 pounds 5 times now, with smaller fluctuations in between). My doctor refused to give me another feeding tube, because my "issues were psychological" and not medical. To be completely honest, I thought I wanted to die. I'd had enough and I had come to the realization that no one was going to help me.

There I sat, looking out the window, at my lowest point, thinking about how absolutely horrible my life had turned out to be. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a hummingbird. I watched her going about her business, going from flower to flower, doing her thing. Suddenly, I noticed something. I WAS SMILING. Here I am, at the lowest of the low and something so inconsequential as a hummingbird was able to put a smile on my face. It had brought me a moment of joy, something I had not allowed myself to experience while I wallowed in my misery. I had gotten so caught up in my fight with GP that I had forgotten to allow wonder and beauty into my life. I suddenly realized that my spirit, while beaten up and bruised, was not broken. I was and am far tougher some shitty illness.


I pulled myself up, got myself together, and started to REALLY ADVOCATE for myself. I found a specialist on my own, went in with an agenda and plan of what I wanted and what I was willing and unwilling to do. To make a long story short, my advocating made all the difference, and I was finally diagnosed soon after.


Since my diagnoses, life has been better. It's still really rough at times, as everyone with GP knows. It's very easy to allow oneself to get completely caught in the medical misery of it all. The one thing I'd like you to take from my story is, to take a moment, a breath, if you will, and allow yourself to see the wonderment and joy life has to offer, no matter how fleeting that moment may be. Those little moments are the things that make the fight worthwhile.


You'll realize that you are tougher than you think, and you just may find yourself smiling.

Much love."

This is a picture of Leanne.







This is Daniel's Story of Hope:

"Daniel’s Story of Hope

Written By: Daniel


Last night was a good night. I felt well enough after work to clear the snow from our neighbor’s driveway as well as our own. It took a long time and was heavy, wet snow (got to love New England) but I didn’t even have my usual wiped out feeling after. My son watched me with the “tractor” (snow blower) out the window and I gave him snowballs to eat, his favorite. When I was done I came inside, wrestled with my son in the living room, ate dinner with the family and watched a movie with my wife before bed. Unfortunately because I was feeling so good and having fun, I made some bad food choices.


Today was not a good day for my Gastroparesis. I woke up in the middle of the night with the usual nausea and beyond full stomach. I woke up this morning and knew it would not be a good day. I was wiped out, my nausea was terrible and I just wanted to go back to bed. But I got ready and went to work. Things only got worse from there as my nausea increased. At one point this morning I did not think I could make it through a meeting for fear of vomiting. But I pressed on.


I kept telling myself to just make it a few more minutes, to just focus on a specific task, to just calm down and keep going a little more. It reminded me of when I used to run. When I would get so tired I would say to myself, 'just make it to that next tree,' then, 'just make it to that next pole.' It’s a constant struggle, almost like a game, albeit a terrible one!


My wife and son came to visit for a minute and that made me feel a little better, emotionally if not physically. I was discouraged for sure. A great night turned into a bad day and I am tired of that. But I also felt better by trying to remember to pray when I was discouraged so that my illness would not ruin my relationships or my testimony or my joy in life. It is so easy to be consumed with being sick or with discouragement. That is a daily and ever present struggle for those of us with a chronic illness. A good night can turn into a bad day tomorrow. For some of us, we know how a good hour can lead to 10 bad hours, we never know what to expect.

My encouragement is to keep going for just one more hour, just one more task. Use those you love for support and encouragement. Above all, continue to pray that you would not be consumed with your illness. Do not let it rob you of your joy and keep pressing on!"

Source: Above, In image



Here is Jennifer's Story of Hope:

"Jennifer’s Story of Hope

Written By: Jennifer


Hi my name is Jennifer I am 45 years old. I have had stomach issues since my teenage years, starting out with what doctors said was Colitis. I always had either diarrhea or constipation, and the doctors also thought I had IBS. In 2008, the problems were just intensifying! The doctors believed my Gallbladder was causing my issues so they removed it. After the surgery, it just went downhill. The Surgeon that removed my gallbladder knew there was something else going on and he was worried but said I had to go to a GI specialist. There was nothing more he could do for me.

I found a GI specialist and when I walked into his office, he looked at all of my records and without doing any tests told me I had IBS. He gave me Reglan and sent me home. When I let him know it was getting worse and medication wasn’t working, he basically told me it was all in my head and nothing more could be done. That was in 2009, so I was done with doctors. I was beginning to believe it was in my head. I went the next few years dealing with the flare-ups and the ups and downs, and it was hell!

Then in 2011, I received the worst news that anyone could get. I had a very rare cancer that only one in a million people get (dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans). The only way to treat this is with MOHs surgery. They removed quite a big section out of my shoulder and were able to get clear margins. I will be cancer free for two years in September of this year. Yea! Needless to say, the healing was excruciating and my stomach issues were put on the back burner.

In November of 2012, I had a flare up that would not go away and it also came with new symptoms (extremely nauseated, lost weight quickly, etc.). I went to my family doctor who sent me for a EGD. It came back normal but the doctor felt he needed to do one more test which was the Gastric emptying test. I thank God he ran that test because that's when I finally got diagnosed with GP (not a good thing but at least I knew it wasn't in my head, I was not CRAZY).

I am a small person to begin with weighing at around 100 pounds and 5 foot tall. At this point I was at 92 pounds. After being diagnosed, I found a good GI doctor who put me on Reglan again. Of course it didn’t work. He told me there was nothing more he could do for me and recommended that I stick to a strict diet.

At this point, I had been on just a liquid diet due to the pain and extreme nausea and I was getting weaker and weaker. He told me that I was not a candidate for a feeding tube because I had not lost enough weight. WOW! I couldn’t believe that.

Within two weeks I was declining quickly, and becoming more and more malnourished. I was very weak and I lost more weight until I was down to 87 pounds. I called the doctor and that day. He saw me and set me up with an appointment the following week for a feeding tube.

The day I went in to get the feeding tube, it had been one week since I had seen the doctor. I found that I had lost more weight - four more pounds. I have the feeding tube now and I know it will be very helpful. It doesn't seem that way right now but I know it will.

I have to fight to live. I mean I fought cancer and I beat it! Now, I know that this disease will not go away as there is no cure but I’m a fighter! I need to fight for the ones I love and I need to show this disease that it’s not going to take me down that easily!

Some days I break down and just sob, though. This illness has taken away so much from me in such a short amount of time. But, it can't take my four wonderful daughters, my extended family, my grand kids, and my best friend of all my soul mate (my husband) away. They are my life! Bless their hearts!

This has taken such a toll on them watching me go through what we all go through with Gastroparesis. No matter how hard it gets, please know God is there with you and he will carry you when it gets too hard to walk. Please know that there are wonderful support groups that will walk every step with you! All of us GPers are family! May God bless each and every one of you!"

Source: Google Images







This is Shannon's Story of Hope for Conflict Resolution:

"Shannon R.’s Story for Conflict Resolution

Written By: Shannon R.


I know many people have issues with others who may not understand Gastroparesis and they may act horribly towards you because your outward appearance seems fine. Here’s my advice:

When you are angry with a person please try to find the solution to the problem, don't let it fester because when it does it turns into anger, and when we are angry it turns into depression. So in order to resolve our daily conflicts there are some very easy things that we can do to not carry it around with ourselves and make us sicker than what we already are.


There are some simple ways to rid us of it:

1. When we are in argument we must play the tape back and see the part that we played in this situation. We always have played a part not one of us is totally innocent.

2. When you see that you don't want to forgive that person we should pray for that person for 30 days and if that doesn't work we must pray for them even longer at times.

3. The third thing we can do is look for a good sized rock and carry it around with us to remind ourselves if this is a regret we would like to carry around with us for a long period of time or short period of time.

4. The next best thing that I really have a lot of respect for is that when we are ready to forgive that person is that we say: I forgive you, Thank You and I love you.


Number 4 will be the one that really catches a person off guard because they are not sure how to respond to it and the other party will feel pretty good about it and they might just forgive you for it."

Source: https://bravefragilewarriors.wordpress.com/2017/08/18/we-cannot-lose-hope/

This is Charline's Story of Hope
Written By: Charline

"Three years ago my daughter, 13 at the time, had just entered junior high. She started having terrible stomach pains. I thought it was anxiety or something was going on in school. It was neither. Her GP even thought she was exaggerating. Then the time came when I became fully vested in finding out what was wrong.

My heart hurt for her.

She was missing school and dance which she loved. Her friends didn't believe her. So after a year of research, many doctors appts, testing and changing her diet a few times we finally found out that she had Gastroparesis.

Knowing made it so much easier to deal with. FINALLY!

The specialist put her on all of this medication that I wasn't overly thrilled about. The GI Doctor also had her go to a counselor to help her deal with this. That was a brilliant move on the doctor's part.

My daughter not only figured out how to deal with this medically but also mentally. She ended up getting off most of the medicines and is now on Pro bio tics-Ginger root-and enzymes with every meal. She started putting weight on and gained her confidence back.

This will be something that she will have to deal with for possibly the rest of her life, but once you find out what works for you then stick with it. Only keep good positive people around you. Your stress level will play a major role. Stay strong and positive. I am happy to say she is doing well and I am sure you will find you path. It may take a while, but never give up. You are so worth it!"

Source: https://www.quotemaster.org/images/35/358024357f0db0b85059c876e966ad3d.jpg


If you have any Stories of Hope that you would like to share to be added to this article, please email me at: emilysstomach[at]gmail.com.

Misinformation in the Gastroparesis Community: Closing the Rift and Stopping the Fear

There has been so fighting in the Gastroparesis(GP) Community. I have been bullied myself since April - and maybe a bit before that. I want to say that support groups are not something to make a power play on. If you are looking for fame and glory, support groups are not the way to go. I know I've posted basically touched on the same thing in another blog article already, but wanted to repost it.

Seven to eight years ago, there was hardly anything online about the GP Community, so a handful of us made groups and pages. We wanted to spread more awareness. And, I have had my blog since 2008. We wanted to make a safe place for GPers to vent, learn about their illness, stay positive, and help the newly diagnosed.

I have no idea what's been going on lately, but there is SO much negativity in the GP Community. People are scared to post in groups for fear of backlash. People are being bullied based on their opinions and beliefs. People are talked down to or ignored. This is NOT what the Community is about. It's embarrassing because other Communities, like the cancer community, has noticed there's something not quite with our own Community right now. That is just so devastating.

Our Community that we worked so hard to build up is a laughing stock to other support groups in other areas.

We need to do better. We need to treat each other with respect. You don't have to like someone, but you can respect them. People are sick enough without this mess. Not only that, but the bullying needs to end. People should not be scared to post, voice their opinions for fear of being shut down and banned, or being ganged up by a group of people. How can people learn about their illness or ask important questions if they are too scared to post? That is NOT what I envisioned when I helped start this Community.

No one should be living in fear. I've been having panic attacks while logging into Facebook, because I honestly don't know how I'll be attacked today. I am really stressed out and anxious, which is effecting my health in a horrible way. I have been too sick to do much of anything. The attacks from people will tell me it is in my head, in addition to blaming me for the divide in the Community. It seems like it should not bother me, but when you are constantly beaten down daily, it really starts messing with your psyche. I block them, but it still hurts. My feelings are so hurt and my heart is broken. I have been crying because I am so sick at this moment, but isn't that always the way? People kicking you when you're down?

There is a giant rift in the GP Community. It has been blamed on me several times. I have NOTHING to do with that and it breaks my heart that this is happening. I would never in a million years try to dismantle a Community so important, especially since I helped build it up from scratch. We need to heal as a community and get back to where we were. We need to knock off the negativity and get back to the original idea that some people have lost sight of: GP Awareness.

All of these posts about selling things, let's say vitamin shake mix as an example to make money. People seem to be losing sight of the main message - to promote and educate about gastroparesis, because the more awareness will lead to research and hopefully a cure. It just seems like the GP Community is losing sight of that message too.

We should be helping to guide the newly diagnosed who are terrified. There is SO much misinformation out there about Gastroparesis, that one person approached me and told me she was going to die because GP is a death sentence. She really was frightened because she read on the Internet that GP = instant death. I comforted her the best I could, and I hope it helped. So, now you have to be careful when you look at things about GP and question them. That annoys me too, that there is A LOT of misinformation out there.

My dream is to see all of the Gastroparesis groups work together, since we should have a common goal, but I do not see that happening. Some of the group owners have their own agendas. That saddens me but it's up to them. I just know that I'm trying my best, here.

Image taken from: http://www.unityofdelraybeach.org/images/unity-hands1.jpg



The abuse and bulling needs to stop. PERIOD! I know I'm not the only one having this issue. It should NOT exist in this Community - we are sick enough without getting worse from Facebook drama. I've kept my mouth shut for a REALLY long time, but I can't stand by anymore. I need to speak up...because I'm not the only one who is going through this. I just don't see how people can advocate for GP but turn around and knock GPers down, especially when they mean well and want to help. Not to mention, I want to stand up for the Community and see if I can help heal and repair the damage.

Well, please know you're not alone. If you are being bullied, feel free to inbox me and we'll talk.

“They will hate you if you are beautiful. They will hate you if you are successful. They will hate you if you are right. They will hate you if you are popular. They will hate you when you get attention. They will hate you when people in their life like you.

They will hate you if you worship a different version of their God. They will hate you if you are spiritual. They will hate you if you have courage. They will hate you if you have an opinion. They will hate you when people support you. They will hate you when they see you happy.

They just hate.

However, remember this: They hate you because you represent something they feel they don’t have. It really isn’t about you. It is about the hatred they have for themselves. So smile today because there is something you are doing right that has a lot of people thinking about you.”

― Shannon L. Alder

How to Stay Motivated

Most Gastroparesis suffers have a hard time staying motivated because we are always really ill. We hide it and it's invisible. In reality, we feel like zombies just going through the motions of the day, that is, if we can get out of bed. I found some images on Pinterest (but it didn't have a source) about Motivation that I would like to share with you, to help you through those difficult days that we all have with this terrible condition.

According to Pyschology Today (http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/motivation),

"How to Stay Motivated: Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. It's the crucial element in setting and attaining goals—and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. So figure out what you want, power through the pain period, and start being who you want to be."

According to About.com. (http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm)

"Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.

It involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. For example, you might say that a student is so motivated to get into a clinical psychology program that she spends every night studying.

Psychologists have proposed a number of different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory and humanistic theory.


Components of Motivation

There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence and intensity. Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class. Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist, such as taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources. Finally, intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class.


Extrinsic Vs. Intrinsic Motivation

Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise. Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated cross-word puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem."

Lifehack.org, written by Gleb Reys, has tips on how to stay motivated as well,

How exactly do some of us manage to stay motivated most of the time? Here are just a few ideas you can try:

1) Find the Good Reasons

Anything you do, no matter how simple, has a number of good reasons behind it. Not all the tasks have the good reasons to do them seen at first sight, but if you take just a few moments to analyse them, you will easily spot something good. We also have many tasks which don’t need any reasoning at all – we’ve been doing them for so long that they feel natural.

But if you’re ever stuck with some task you hate and there seems to be no motivation to complete it whatsoever, here’s what you need to do: find your good reasons. They may not be obvious, but stay at it until you see some, as this will bring your motivation back and will help you finish the task.


Some ideas for what a good reason can be:

a material reward – quite often, you will get paid for doing something you normally don’t like doing at all

personal gain – you will learn something new or will perhaps improve yourself in a certain way

a feeling of accomplishment – at least you’ll be able to walk away feeling great about finding the motivation and courage to complete such a tedious task

a step closer to your bigger goal – even the biggest accomplishments in history have started small and relied on simple and far less pleasant tasks than you might be working on. Every task you complete brings you closer to the ultimate goal, and acknowledging this always feels good.


2) Make it fun

When it comes to motivation, attitude is everything. Different people may have completely opposite feelings towards the same task: some will hate it, others will love it. Why do you think this happens? It’s simple: some of us find ways to make any task interesting and fun to do!

Take sports for example. Visiting your local gym daily for a half-an-hour workout sounds rather boring to many of us. Yet many others love the idea! They like exercising not only because they recognize the good reasons behind it, but simply because it’s fun! At certain time of their daily schedule, they find going to gym to be the best thing to do, simply because nothing else will fit their time and lifestyle so perfectly.

I want to add that with GP, it might be hard to leave the house for the severe cases. But you can do basic stretches at home on your couch or in bed. It will make you feel better. I'm going to attempt to take yoga because it has deep breathing and will strengthen my muscles. LaShelle, one of my good friends, rides horses. Just going for a short walk will help.

Depending on how you look at it, you can have fun doing just about anything! Just look for ways of having fun, and you’ll find them!


A simple approach is to start working on any task from asking yourself a few questions:

How can I enjoy this task?
What can I do to make this task fun for myself and possibly for others?
How can I make this work the best part of my day?


The answers will pop up momentarily, as long as you learn to have the definite expectation of any task being potentially enjoyable.

Some of you will probably think of a thing or two which are valid exceptions from this statement, like something you always hate doing, no matter how hard you try making it fun. I don’t want to argue – you’re probably right, and that’s why I don’t claim everything to be fun. However, most tasks have a great potential of being enjoyable, and so looking for ways to have fun while working is definitely a good habit to acquire.

3) Take different approach

When something doesn’t feel right, it’s always a good time to take a moment and look at the whole task looking for a different approach.

You may be doing everything correctly and most efficiently, but such an approach isn’t necessarily the most motivating one. Quite often you can find a number of obvious tweaks to your current approach which will both change your experience and open up new possibilities.

That’s why saying “one way or another” is so common: if you really want to accomplish your goal, there is always a away. And most likely, there’s more than one way. If a certain approach doesn’t work for you, find another one, and keep trying until you find the one which will both keep you motivated and get you the desired results.

Some people think that trying a different approach means giving up. They take pride in being really stubborn and refusing to try any other options on their way towards the goal. My opinion on this is that the power of focus is great, but you should be focusing on your goal, and not limiting your options by focusing on just one way to accomplish it it.


4) Recognize your progress

Everything you may be working on can be easily split into smaller parts and stages. For most goals, it is quite natural to split the process of accomplishing them into smaller tasks and milestones. There are a few reasons behind doing this, and one of them is tracking your progress.

We track our progress automatically with most activities. But to stay motivated, you need to recognize your progress, not merely track it.

Here’s how tracking and recognizing your progress is different: tracking is merely taking a note of having reached a certain stage in your process. Recognizing is taking time to look at a bigger picture and realize where exactly you are, and how much more you have left to do.

For example, if you’re going to read a book, always start by going through the contents table. Getting familiar with chapter titles and memorizing their total number will make it easier for you to recognize your progress as you read. Confirming how many pages your book has before starting it is also a good idea.

You see, reading any book you will be automatically looking at page numbers and chapter titles, but without knowing the total number of pages this information will have little meaning.

Somehow, it is in a human nature to always want things to happen at once. Even though we split complex tasks into simpler actions, we don’t quite feel the satisfaction until all is done and the task is fully complete. For many scenarios though, the task is so vast that such an approach will drain all the motivation out of you long before you have a chance to reach your goal. That’s why it is important to always take small steps and recognize the positive different and progress made.


5) Reward Yourself

This is a trick everyone likes: rewarding yourself is always pleasant. I’m happy to confirm that this is also one of the easiest and at the same time most powerful ways to stay motivated!

Feeling down about doing something? Dread the idea of working on some task? Hate the whole idea of working? You’re not alone in that, I’m telling you!

Right from the beginning, agree on some deliverables which will justify yourself getting rewarded. As soon as you get one of the agreed results, take time to reward yourself in some way.

For some tasks, just taking a break and relaxing for a few minutes will do. For others, you may want to get a smoothie and even treat yourself to a GP friendly dessert. For even bigger and more demanding tasks, you may want to reward yourself by doing something even more enjoyable, like going to a cinema or taking a trip to some place nice, or even buying yourself something.

Your progress may not seem to others like anything worth celebrating – but take time and do it anyway! It is your task and your reward, so any ways to stay motivated are good. The more you reward yourself for the honestly made progress, the more motivated you will feel about reaching new milestones, thus finally accomplishing your goal.


Mix and match

Now that you have these five ways of staying motivated, it is a good moment to give you the key to them all: mix and match! Pick one of the advices and apply it to your situation. If it doesn’t work, or if you simply want to get even more motivation, try another advice right way. Mix different approaches and match them to your task for best results.

Just think about it: finding good reasons to work on your task is bound to help you feel a bit better. Identifying ways to make it fun will help you enjoy the task even more. Finally, if you then plan a few points for easier tracking of your progress and on top of that agree on rewarding yourself as you go – this will make you feel most motivated about anything you have to work through.

Here is a Youtube video on how to stay positive and motivated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCHuMMBg4k

Ten Hidden Reasons to Stay Motivated Source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=196

Everyone tells us to stay motivated. Our friends, our co-workers, our relatives say to keep going, don’t quit. Sometimes, though, you ask, "Why? Why try my hardest when it ends in disappointment? Why go through something when it’s going to hurt? Why?"

Because it’s going to be different this time! Because you can’t accomplish anything that you give up on. Disappointments and failures happen to everyone. The difference between those who reach their goals and those who don’t is staying motivated. If you’re motivated, you’ll keep going. If you keep going, eventually you’ll reach your goal.

Need more reasons? Here are 10 of our ‘hidden’ reasons to stay motivated. Use one or all of them to keep the fire burning inside you.

1. Confidence

How did it feel after that first walk around the block? Or when you finally walked the stairs at work without losing your breath? Or even leaving the house? The more you accomplish, the more you’ll believe in yourself.

2. Fit into that dress

It’s been hanging up in your closet for two years now, just waiting to be thrown on for a night on the town. All it takes is for you to go that extra mile and stay on track. Before you know it, those two years will be ancient history. This would probably be better for milder cases of GP.

3. Make the week easier

Ever felt like a week was taking forever? It feels like Friday, but it’s only Tuesday? This happens when you’re not working towards anything. When you have a goal in mind, you’ll want to cook that GP friendly dinner or have friends over 0 or leave the house to meet them. The week will not only go faster, but be more enjoyable.

4. Gives you purpose

Every once in a while, we need a good reason. The ‘wow’ effect

Picture this: Walking into a store, you run into someone from high school, and their eyes light up. They gasp, "Wow, you look great!" (Again, this is probably for the milder case of GPers, but I don't think any of us want to hear the next sentence). By sticking with your goals, this can happen. Watch the "wows" add up.

8. Spread the spark

When friends and family see how hard you’re working, they’ll wonder how they can reach their own goals. Guess who they’re going to look to for help? By staying motivated, you’ll not only help yourself, but others too. This is very true. I've been helping people by admining on Facebook. You don't have to leave the house on your worst days but you can still be motivated to make a difference.

9. Keep gaining experience

The more you do, the more you will learn and understand. You’ll discover which tactics work best for you and which ones don’t. It’s like weeding out the garden - not the most enjoyable job in the world, but when you’re done, all that’s left are beautiful flowers. Keeping sticking with it and soon it will be all flowers for you. Here it is, right in front of you. Eat the GP approved diet (it can be found in LaShelle's blog at: http://gnewithgp.com/2013/07/03/gastroparesis-signs-symptoms-testing-treatments-and-a-gp-diet/) that’s going to jump start your day, go for your morning walk, or walk to the driveway and grab the newspaper. When you’re motivated, you have a reason to do what you do.

5. For your kids

And your grandkids. And their kids, too. The healthier you are, the longer you’ll be around to watch your kids grow and to spoil your grandchildren. They’ll want you to be around as long as possible; consider this just another present.

6. Power of momentum

It’s a scientific fact – something in motion tends to stay in motion. Momentum builds quickly and can lead to great results. Suddenly, you’re not only working for the goal, but also to keep your streak alive. Even more reason to reach your goals.
Stress will take a toll on your body. It's better to set goals and have small victories that will give you a boost and make you feel productive. I know that since I was diagnosed, my independence has been stripped. I've worked since I was sixteen but now, I can barely leave my house because I'm so violently ill. That's why I started my Laughing Through Gastroparesis Page (www.facebook.com/laughingwithgp). I also started a "secret" Laughing Through Gastroparesis group so that people can help collaborate and keep the chronically ill smiling. You don't have to be a GPer to join. You can join the group at this link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/487370524687206/.