Life is about More Than Gastroparesis

More and more I'm realizing that living well with gastroparesis means focusing more on the "living" than on the "gastroparesis." That might sound strange, especially coming from someone who is constantly creating resources and sharing information about GP. Let me explain.

Educating yourself about gastroparesis and implementing a comprehensive management plan is the foundation of living well with gastroparesis. That's why I've dedicated the last several years to creating educational blog posts, videos, books, and programs. But what good is that foundation if you don't have a life to put on top of it?

That doesn't mean pretending that you don't have gastroparesis or neglecting self-care or forgetting about your management plan. It means remembering that you also have hobbies, family, friends, and interests. Remembering that you are still You; you have not become Gastroparesis. Yes, gastroparesis is a part of your life (for now, anyway). It will certainly play a role in the choices that you make and the way you live your life, but there's so much more to life than gastroparesis.

I remember the days when I would spend every spare minute researching gastroparesis on the internet, reading all of the message boards that were more about complaining than helping, trying everything that anyone else found remotely beneficial, obsessing over all of the "maybes" and "what ifs." Word to the wise: don't do that. All it did was make me feel worse -- emotionally and physically. I literally became more symptomatic.

So many of us are consumed with gastroparesis, devoting all of our free time and energy to figuring it all out. Guess what? I still haven't figured it all out and I'm pretty sure I never will. What's more, I've discovered over the past eight years that the less I fixate on gastroparesis, the better I feel.

So, after more than two years of devoting nearly all of my time to writing and talking about gastroparesis, I've decided to see what happens when I focus less on the condition and more on living well. That's not to say I won't continue to share things that relate to managing gastroparesis, but my personal focus is shifting and I'm inviting you to join me on the journey. I can almost promise you that it will lead us both closer to a healthier, happier life!