Why did my gastroparesis improve?
Since last year, when I shared the results of my first ever normal gastric emptying scan, many people have asked what I did to “recover.” Oh, how I wish I had a simple answer for you! I don't believe there's any one thing that I did (or anyone can necessarily do) to normalize my gastric emptying. I also want to be totally transparent and make it clear that I am not 100% symptom free. I do sometimes feel a bit nauseous and I still struggle with reflux. But my gastric neurostimulator has been turned off for a year and I haven’t needed any medication for GP in that time. The symptoms that I do have are mild and don’t interfere with my life. Gastroparesis is basically an afterthought at this point.
As I've said for years, I do think that eating a nutrient-rich gastroparesis-friendly diet may help by providing your body with the nutrition and energy it needs to heal and repair to the extent possible (or at least to prevent further issues from nutritional deficiencies). The same goes for healthy habits like proper sleep and appropriate physical activity. These are the things that helped me to live well with gastroparesis for several years. But I was still actively managing symptoms.
As best I can tell, the thing that precipitated the decrease and resolution of those symptoms was, ironically, not something I pursued for gastroparesis relief at all. As I've shared before, after my daughter was born in 2012, I struggled with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. For all of 2013 and 2014, I desperately searched for a way to alleviate that anxiety (while still doing my best to manage the gastroparesis symptoms that had returned after improving during my pregnancy). I saw my therapist once a week. I practiced yoga. I learned to meditate. I went on retreats. I tried Reiki, hypnosis, EFT, supplements, oils... on and on.
Finally in early 2015, I heard a podcast interview with psychologist and author, Dr. Amy Johnson. In that interview, she said something along the lines of, "we are only ever feeling our own thinking." In other words, it's not our circumstances that we are experiencing, it's our thinking about those circumstances.
I'd written many blog posts by that point on positive thinking and the idea that our circumstances don't have to dictate our quality of life. But always from the perspective that it was up to us to change or manipulate our own thinking. As if we were responsible for every thought in our head (so much pressure!). What Amy was saying was different.
I heard her say that our thoughts are like weather. They're not personal and they change from moment to moment all on their own. And when the thoughts change, the feeling changes. Even though I didn't really "get" it in that moment, something resonated with me. I signed up for a 4-week course with Amy and then moved on to private coaching. The anxiety lessened and the panic attacks became less frequent. After a while, I also started to notice changes in my digestion.
One year later, I had my first normal gastric emptying scan. Six months after that, my gastric neurostimulator was turned off. And here I am now, two-and-a-half years since I first stumbled upon Amy's work. I cannot say for sure that what I learned from her is what led to the improvement in my physical health. To me, it makes sense that the true relaxation (so different from "stress management") that occurred from knowing that I didn't have to change my circumstances or constantly micro-manage my thinking in order to be okay could impact how the digestive tract functions. I've been writing about the fight-or-flight response and the mind-gut connection for years, after all.
Still, maybe it was just a coincidence in timing. Maybe it just took my body a dozen years to work it out. Either way, I believe that Amy's work could have a huge impact in the GP community. Because the true "magic" of it isn't even the change in my gastric emptying. I kind of feel like that was just a really welcome side effect. For me, it was about recognizing our innate mental wellness and resilience... regardless of circumstances, be it GP or anything else.
As I've shared, I had a recurrence of symptoms following a miscarriage and a bad stomach flu in January 2017. Physically, it was very similar to when I was first diagnosed. But my experience this time around was totally different. Same symptoms. Different understanding. Totally. Different. Experience.
That's why I've been writing more about these concepts of thought and thinking lately, starting with my post earlier this year on Alleviating the Emotional Suffering of Gastroparesis. To be honest, this stuff isn't easy for me talk about. I'm a health coach and my training is in diet, nutrition, and lifestyle. That's why you found me, that's why you're here. So this feels a little outside the box. But at the same time, I can't not talk about it. It feels too important and, so far, it's completely missing from the gastroparesis discussion.
While this understanding is something that I have experienced for myself, it's still difficult for me verbalize it concisely and coherently. Even after reading this whole post you may be thinking, what is it that she's talking about?!
Enter Dr. Amy, someone who is able to discuss this concisely and coherently. I recently recorded a call with Amy so that she could better introduce you to these concepts. Please have a listen...
The Little School of Big Change is now offered both as a live program and as a self-study program.