Treatment Plan Continues

Well, I keep promising to update this new adventure of mine in GP treatment but time keeps getting the best of me.  If you read the post that shared a video from Tess, a woman who recovered from her own battle, I am following in her footsteps, lucky enough to live within 90 miles of the clinics.
Here in about half an hour I am heading up to Vancouver for the 3rd visit with Dr. Fei Che, well established acupuncturist and previous medical doctor.  The first week of seeing him my stomach pain started to reduce, whether it was the actual needles or the herbs or both, I'm not sure.
Last week I went to see Dr. John Matsen, ND, where I spent over 2 hours in the clinic visiting with the doctor, testing and learning about his theories and program.  It was all incredibly fascinating and even my mother-in-law, who was kind enough to take me, was pretty blow away.  In fact, I think she was more excited than I was!
Because I'm short on time this morning I will be posting more this week about our first step, treating a weakened ileocecal valve.  This valve is located between the small and large intestine, usually kept closed so that the food you have eaten stays in the small intestine until digested and absorbed fully.  It also prevents bacteria in the large intestine from backing up into the small intestine, where those waste products can also be absorbed.  If the valve is weakened and this happens, then the good bacteria from the colon become "bad" bacteria they not only steal important nutrients such as vitamin B12 and tryptophan but also dump toxins into the liver.  In addition, the alkaline pH of the small intestine allows yeast to join the party and multiply vigorously.
This is only the beginning of explaining how this all connects to our digestion and chronic illness.  As I learn more and understand it all I plan on sharing this experimentation right here.  Next, I will explain what causes this valve to weaken, according to Dr. Matsen, and what his thoughts are on treating it.  For now I must quickly gather my things and hop in the car for a beautiful drive to Vancouver.  I'm especially excited today because I get to meet another gal with GP whom I've connected with through this blog.  There is so much we can learn from each other and if anything, feel supported and not alone on this journey.

Make the best of today and I look forward to sharing more soon.  In the meantime, if you are interested in reading in detail about all of this, you can check out Dr. Matsen's book, Eating Alive II.

SIBO Test Results

Drumroll...

Negative!!!

I'm beyond ecstatic to know that something is going right!  Since treating the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth back in October and following a low-FODMAP diet, I was pretty sure the results would be good.  Prior to that, even a bite of potato or really any starch for that matter, caused me to bloat up like a melon.  Though the struggle with GP continues (mostly early satiety and pain, difficulty keeping on weight), it is nice to be able to be more flexible with foods and know for sure there is no more of that bacteria creeping and crawling around.  

Now it's time to focus on the new path to wellness, dive into the treatment plan ahead of me, fingers crossed and sharing my journey along the way.

I am starting up another guided support group you which you can find more information about here.

Thanks to all of you out there who have encouraged and supported me along the way!

Inspiring Video: Story of a Girl Who Cured Her GP

"It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in so doing you bring everything to the realm of possibility. 
-Albert Einstein

I recently came across a video on YouTube titled Gastroparesis (GERD) Cured, My Journey to Recovery.  Of course this intrigued me as would anyone so I quickly clicked on the link, anticipating a story that was probably too good to be true.

A beautiful voice began singing Blackbird by the Beatles, the sound so sweet it gave me chills.  Tess, diagnosed with severe idiopathic gastroparesis and GERD, begins by going over the definitions and prognosis of both, then talks about her experience as she became sicker and sicker, and the limited options that were available in Western medicine, none of which provided her relief.  Both her and her mother began exploring alternative options which led them to visit Dr. Matsen, a naturopathic doctor, as well as a doctor of Chinese medicine, Dr. Che, both in Vancouver, B.C.  Between the two, she slowly started a path to wellness and within a year fully recovered.  With the help of a family friend, they were able to create this professional video, hoping reach out and to give others hope.

Testing Testing 1,2,3 - Take 1

 Diagnosing
Are you familiar with the ways in which gastroparesis is diagnosed?  The "gold standard" is the gastric emptying study, also known as GES.  By eating food that contains a small amount of radiation, images can be taken to trace movement and the amount of time in which food takes to travel through the stomach.  The trouble with this test is how much it varies from place to place.  Some last 2 hours and others 4.  Different foods may be served, fasting times may vary with 12 hrs being typical, some are requested to stop medications for 24-48 hrs and others not.  I was introduced to this this study in 2008,  first a 2 hr test with oatmeal and an egg, second was a 4 hr test using a whole egg with white (wheat) toast.  Both showed a majority of the food remained in my stomach.

Just Cube It! Preparing and Freezing Purees

This has to be one of my favorite tips for cooking with gastroparesis, or really anyone for that matter!

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon and I am heading out to play soon but couldn't help but share this tasty tip.  While scrambling an egg + white for breakfast, it was quick, easy and nutritious to add a cube of pureed spinach.  This meal took about 3 minutes to make, providing a good source of protein, fat and greens.

What I have cubed in the freezer now: pumpkin, spinach, bieler broth, coconut milk, carrot chicken soup, carrot ginger soup, and homemade chicken broth.

It's so easy!

GP Gela-tea - REAL Food Jello!

Recently, I have been asked to share some recipes for those on a liquid diet.  What immediately came to mind was the food served that is served in the hospital, when the doctor insist on nothing but Ensure, juice and wiggly, bright colored jello.  What often surprises me is, though suffering from a serious disorder of the digestive system, in times of crisis we are often given "foods" that aren't even real and could possibly worsen symptoms.  The main ingredients found in jello are: gelatin, water, sugar, artificial flavors and food coloring.  Is that really what someone in serious need of nourishment should be consuming?  Hmmm...that is a topic that could be debated for hours so lets move on to the good stuff.

Post 100: What's Been Said and Done in 2 Years of Blogging

Wow, can you believe this is now post 101?  It makes me wonder how many people have actually read them all, it's almost like a novel by now!  There are hundreds of views from all over the world, every day, which makes every moment worth it and continues to give me reason to write.  Seeing this motivated me to look back, reliving some of the good and bad times over the last couple of years.  I'm thinking about printing each one out and starting a little binder, to have a tangible piece of this experience just in case, God forbid, the computer/internet crashed and all was lost.

Just in case you haven't been following from the beginning, I thought I would provide a breakdown of some of the highlights including good times, rough patches, and popular posts since July of 2011.  In addition, recipes are listed in categories to make it easier to find.  Hope you have found this helpful and enjoy catching up, possibly relating to this crazy journey over the last couple of years!