Gastroparesis Blues

They always say the older you get the wiser you get but in my case that doesn't hold true. One of the many things I struggle with having is gastroparesis. I have to be very careful what I consume because my digestive system is like some delicate Southern Belle on a tyrannical rampage or more accurately called a hissy fit. Because I'm a diabetic, one of the diabetic meds I'm taking is a med that is actually contraindicated for gastroparesis, but the doctors feel the benefits outweigh the negative effects.  When I have a severe gastroparesis flare I'm supposed to take a short holiday from the med, but I rarely do that because my blood sugar instantly goes out of whack if I stop taking the med even if it's just for a few days. 

I've worked so hard in the last several years to get my diabetes in control that I just would rather not chance seeing all my hard work go down the toilet so to speak. Several days ago, I stupidly ate a piece of steak. It's the first beef I've eaten in such a long time...it just looked and smelled so good when I was cooking it for everyone else that I had to taste it and there enters my stupidity...my downfall. I knew what was going to happen before the first piece of steak even touched my lips! Of course, I ate the whole piece! The steak sat in my stomach undigested for what seemed like forever and caused my digestive system some ungodly distress.  I ate cucumbers a few years ago and thought I was going to die for about a week. Needless to say, I haven't eaten cucumbers since then. I'll think twice before I eat steak again. A friend suggested I just chew the steak to get all the flavor out of it and then spit it out. Hey friend, have you ever met me? Hmmmm! Do I have that kind of self control? I'll answer that when I stop laughing. 

A Tribute To The Golden Years

Bankruptcy or Death?

My total prescriptions cost more than $100,000 per year. One prescription that I take by injection every 12 weeks is over $20,000 per shot. I often wonder what would become of me if I didn’t have insurance. Who out there struggles with out of pocket costs, copays and deductibles?

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired?

I wish i woke up every now and then with just a fraction of the energy of a guy who found out he's not the father on The Jerry Springer Show.

Do You Feel Like You’ve Been Hit By A Truck?

 

A New Path Forward

A little rearranging, a new coat of paint, some dusting behind each story where the cobwebs have grown and a spritz of rose water to make everything smell...well, you know! Oh yes, I'm back and getting feistier each day or at least that's the story I'm sticking with for now. 

No more political jabs at the party of gloom and doom! Some people may ask which party is that, but my lips are sealed and my fingers are paralyzed so you'll have to ask someone else that question. Negativity breeds negativity and hate breeds hate. I choose the opposite and if I do have to resort to having a defensive stance on an issue, let me do so with love and compassion in my heart. No more personal stories of the days when I tripped the light fandango down the path of earthly delights. As I just typed those last few sentences a sarcastic smirk mysteriously appeared on my face along with a "we'll see how long that lasts" thought. Sigh!

My primary focus now is an earnest look at the aging process and all that goes with it. I'd like to attempt to break some of the myths about the golden years as I navigate through them. My aim isn't to spread negativity or to complain about every ache and pain experienced each day but to have an honest discussion about what life is really like living with chronic and/or terminal diseases and all the challenges that go with it. I'd like to cover everything from the mundane things in life we all roll our eyes at to what really excites people as they age. So, there you have it! My new goal is to be Mildred the Magnificant, saucy tart extraordinaire and golden years vigilante.

Gratitude statement: Today what I'm most grateful for is that I've found my way back here.