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. Sunday, April 21, 2013
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.
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. 
Sunday, April 14, 2013
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, butternut squash, roasted pureed zucchini, spinach, bieler broth, coconut milk, carrot chicken soup, carrot ginger soup, and homemade chicken broth.
It's so easy!
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, butternut squash, roasted pureed zucchini, spinach, bieler broth, coconut milk, carrot chicken soup, carrot ginger soup, and homemade chicken broth.
It's so easy!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
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!
Beautiful Awareness! April Jewelry Giveaway
One of our lovely GP friends, Lora Howard, has created a wonderful way to spread gastroparesis awareness by creating beautiful, custom made jewelry. I was so excited when I checked out her website and saw how fun and affordable the designs were, and immediately ordered the porcelain awareness bracelet.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
PBS Station Talks About GP
Award winning PBS show, Call the Doctor, recently did a show on gastroparesis. The talk begins with the host reviewing what GP is as well as a few statistics, one being the fact that this incurable disorder affects more than 1.5 million Americans alone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)