Since I was a child I’ve had issues with my stomach and bowels. But in 2012 I was given a diagnosis of gastroparesis. Two years after that I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. When my stomach is in a fit, my blood sugar goes way up, when it’s having a good day my numbers come down. I’m supposed to only consume liquids or purees for my meals. My stomach doctor said just put your steak, potato and broccoli in a blender. I’m sure there is a way to make that taste okay, but no thanks.
Over the years my stomach has gone into “remission” and I could eat what I wanted and be okay. But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Although I’m overweight, I eat less than a child eats. Everything I consume at this time just makes my stomach hurt, I get severely bloated, I look pregnant, and I’m miserable. I can’t eat fresh veggies or fruits, they have to be canned or cooked to mushy status. No peels either. I can’t eat red meat, even ground anymore. If I eat like a normal person, I feel like my stomach is going to explode. Yet I’m over weight and not quite malnourished enough for a feeding tube, yet.
I eat empty calories, so sugar, fats, things you shouldn’t eat, but anything else just makes me sick. I’m fortunate that I don’t throw up, yet. But the nausea, the bloating, the pain makes me not want to eat anymore. So then I’m labelled with an eating disorder. I have no energy, I hate going out to eat with family or to their house because I’m so limited on what I can and can’t eat.
There are many people that are far worse than I am, so I’m grateful that I only deal with these issues. But I’m tired of my GP being associated with diabetes. I had GP for 2 years before my A1c showed high. I think there needs to be more education in the medical field so that they have a better understanding of this disease. If our only treatment options are a drug that is really harmful to people, so much that the FDA won’t approve it, then we need change. I would like establishments to be more understanding when someone like me wants to order from the kids menu as to not waste food, can order from the kids menu without getting told that they can’t do that. I want there to be more awareness.
Submitted by: Heather Cooper
