Gastroparesis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

I'll bet most of the people reading this post will know where I am coming from with this one! How many times since diagnosis has someone asked you, "Well what DO you eat?" For me the answer is simple, "nothing" is my reply. This is quickly followed by, "Well, you MUST eat something!" I have lost count of the times this has been said to me. I came to the conclusion that people react this way because they simply can't imagine what that might be like, so I thought I would try and explain. No, We have not lost the ability to chew, swallow and ingest food. There are no obvious physical changes such a lumps bumps or obstructions. You can't see gastroparesis by simply taking a picture of our insides. But that doesn't mean it isn't there! We have to learn to override one of the the strongest natural urges of the human body. You don't just eat with your mouth, you smell it you see it... you want it! Living with gastroparesis mea

Coming to terms with chronic illness is the hardest battle we face. Some days you feel like you could conquer the world and the following day you just want it to swallow you up! I go through cycles of emotions that I didn't even know existed before, from optimism and hope to total despair. Part of the "acceptance" process is acknowledging these feelings and understanding where they come from. I have spent so many hours laying in bed wishing that things were different. In the beginning... it consumed me... until I realised that I was allowing this illness to beat me both mentally and physically. Then, I began to look at it differently. I can't change what has happened to my body, I can't force it to work as it should... but I CAN choose the way I deal with it. Learning to live with chronic illness is like shovelling snow when it's snowing... but it never stops. Our emotions are just as relentless so you need to learn to pace yourself and allow time to ma