Gastroparesis

[donnyandcathy]

Well, my doctor called me this morning to let me know the hospital had contacted him with one of my test results from Friday.
I was alarmed because they did the test on Friday and told me it would be around Wed. before my doctor would hear anything.
He told me that I had severe Gastroparesis, which is also known as a paralyzed stomach.
My stomach is not working, he said it is a severe case, and that he was very surprised that my test came back as severe as it did.

My stomach and small intestines have no mobility to digest or push anything through.
Some of my blood work showed malnutrition, which he said was from me not being able to absorb the vitamins and minerals from what I eat.

He is having me see a specialist at one of the major hospitals in Atlanta, and he said that I may have to look at getting a "Gastric Neurostimulation Implant" which is like a pace maker for the stomach.

This condition can be very serious, and can also really change the way my diet will look.
That is why I have come here for some advice.

The foods to stay away from are fats, proteins, and high fiber foods like raw fruits and vegetables :(
I am thinking that is why I'm in so much pain all the time, and feel so bad.
He said that was also why my spleen and other organs were not doing well, because with my stomach and small intestines not working my other organs were being compromised. My platelet count was up from the last test, but my white blood count was the same. He said he wasn't too concerned with my counts right now, his main concern was my stomach.

What do I do???
I really want to stay raw, but how?
I know I could do a juice fast, or puree everything but I don't know how long I can last not being able to "eat" something.
The other thing is that this is not "fixable" it it treatable with medications and the pace maker, but my stomach will not go back to "working" again.

I'm really torn up about this, and very confused on what to do.
I will meet with the specialist and find out what my options are, but as for the fiber foods I'm supposed to stay away from, what would you do?

Please don't respond if your going to be negative or harsh to me, I don't think I could deal with that right now. I feel like I try to do everything right with my diet, then boom I get this blow about maybe not being able to eat all raw anymore.

Thanks for listening,
Cathy

[donnyandcathy]

Would green smoothies be high in fiber? Or does my BlendTech break down the fiber enough to be able to digest it?
Just trying to think of ideas.
Thanks
Cathy

[Thick]

I'm sorry that I don't have any good ideas for you. And I am really concerned about you. I hope you find the answers you are seeking.

Have you gotten a second and third opinion? Have you seen a naturopath, too?

If you can't have fiber, fat or protein what are they suggesting you eat? White bread and rice?

[Gittel]

Big hugs to you!

Gittel

[a1icia]

Big hugs to you Cathy. I'm sorry to hear about your condition but glad you finally have an answer to your big question of what was wrong.

One thing I know for sure, is that given the right conditions, the body knows how to heal itself. If people can recover from spinal cord injuries and deadly cancers, you can definitely heal your gastroparesis.

I don't have any big answers because the raw food diet is still new to me and I'm still learning every day. If it were me, I would contact an experienced raw food coach or better yet, a raw food nutritionist who has experience with these types of issues. I would imagine that a juice fast would do wonders but again I don't know and could be totally wrong.

I wish you a speedy recovery and will keep in you in my thoughts and prayers.

Please keep positive. Positive thoughts alone can work miracles. <3 <3 <3

[RawKnitster]

Now you know what you are fighting! Don't give in! You have work to do. Figure out what questions to ask before you see the specialist or agree to any procedures. While I have a huge respect for the medical profession and what they can do I also know they don't often go outside the box for solutions unless the patient is pushing them.

You must be your own best advocate!

Best of luck to you.

[spicyfull]

I Pray you find All the answers and information you need through your continues Search.

[michigan roman]

Would green smoothies be high in fiber? Or does my BlendTech break down the fiber enough to be able to digest it?
Just trying to think of ideas.
Thanks
Cathy

to me thats the course , green smoothie while staying raw

and i dont believe when they say it cant heal .
theyve zero experience with patients on raw diets :)
if you supply your cells the proper raw building blocks
they can rebuild themselves

concerning green smoothies i know the late great raw foodists /
doctor norman walker said spinach supplies the g.i. tract all the building
blocks it needs to heal

ide also get into stomach exercise to strengthen the areas muscle and improve circulation , plus burn out the fat and toxins in that area which are probably caked all over your intestines and causing this . yes ide surely get into constant ab exercises

plus constantly holding gut tight for like 10 seconds , then relaxing ten seconds just to get muscles healthy / hard as possible there

you ever see those bars that bolt to wall so you can lay on floor and lock your feet under them so you dont slide around while doing sit ups , ide get one of them so could constantly get into sit ups

and probably banana would be a good solid food

why arent you doing sit ups yet :eek::D:p

[Veganforlife]

First off - remember - they are doctors - legal drug dealers. Second? What types of foods are "they" suggesting you eat? Last? It's YOUR body. YOU have final say what you put in, on, around, beside it. Me personally? I would do a 30 day 100% all Raw, predominantly green smoothie based diet and see how you feel.

I don't trust doctors. They are NOT healers like back in the day. They are dealers.

[snoops]

Not much else to add, just my thoughts and best wishes. I know you will figure out a path to healing. Get second opinions - not about the diagnosis but about the treatment. Let us know how you are doing.

[katchmoleen]

Cathy, big big HUGS to you. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Over on Raw Fu there is a thread about gastroparesis here (http://raw100.ning.com/forum/topics/please-help-with-smoothie)
The consensus of those having it was that green smoothies helped tremendously.
And I too do not believe that it is not reversible. On the Simply Raw video, a man who had terrible neuropathy in his feet experienced it starting to reverse, even though the medical profession said it was impossible. Here is your chance to prove them wrong! Gastroparesis is basically a neuropathy of the stomach nerves. They simply start to malfunction for whatever reason.
From what I understand, each person who has this can have a little bit different experience with what works for them. It will take time and experimentation. And we are here for you!

[michigan roman]

norman walker stated celery juice is good for nervous system

[isley333]

Hi Cathy,

I'm going through something similar right now. I haven't been able to work or do much of anything on account of gastroparesis, GERD and severe indigestion. It's so unbelievably awful and scary, and I'm so sorry to hear that you're dealing with it. I was raw for two years, started eating some SAD again, and within a year I started experiencing these symptoms. I've gone back to raw, but have had to do a lot of experimenting to see what helps.

So far green smoothies (I know, eating pureed stuff gets annoying) have helped a lot. Since everything's already broken down a bit, it increases motility and the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Mint is an awesome herb to use, try tons of it, as it relaxes the stomach and intestinal walls and that helps with motility too. Sticking to the more savory side of things helps, a lot of sugar screws everything up for me, so raw soups are great too.

The smoothies also help with increasing the HCL in your stomach, Victoria Boutenko's Green for Life has a lot about it, and increasing the acid helps to break down food and keep it from sitting there as long, which as you know is the WORST feeling. Taking digestive enzymes if you're not already and lots of probiotics seems to make a difference in breaking things down and getting them absorbed as well. Orange peel extract has been found to increase motility too. There's also this awesome stuff called Iberogast which is a herbal mix that acts like Reglan, and you can get that online. It does a lot to control intestinal contractions. So upping acid, adding enzymes and good bacteria and the Iberogast all seem to be helpful. You can also find Betaine HCL in the health store, and that helps big time in breaking things down, but it interacts with a lot of medications so see if your doctor is cool with it.

I don't know if you've tried chia as well, but I made a lot of chia puddings and that helped big time. Chia is amazing, like super-flax seeds, and my body tolerated it pretty well. It is very high in fiber, but because it swells into a gel when mixed with water, it moves pretty quickly through your body and is pretty soothing. I've also found that some light nut pates with sunflower seeds were okay for me after do after awhile, and it was really nice to be able to eat chewable food!

Fruits like papaya, melon and berries haven't been too bad either, although I would stay away from apples or anything too fibrous or sweet. Salads are also a little tricky to digest, but cucumbers, celery and high water content vegetables seem okay. I think part of the trick is sticking to raw foods that are very high in water, such as watermelons, cherries and cucumbers. The high fiber isn't so much the problem, its when foods don't have enough moisture for your body to push them through, so they impact and make everything worse. Lots and lots of fluids :)

There is hope in this, I know its really hard and depressing, but there is. Raw does heal, and even if its a lot of green smoothies in the beginning, and it was for me, I've been able to eat more and more foods each day. Living foods are the best way to get nutrients you can assimilate into your body, and the more nutrients, the better your body functions and the more you can eat :) I would check some of this by your doctor, as I'm only going from personal experience, but for me so far being raw not only is possible but its been crucial in healing from this all. And if you're not already seeing a someone with a holistic/alternative bent I would look into it, because all the conventional GI people I went to really messed things up worse for me. I've heard that acupuncture can help a lot too, not only in increasing the energy flow 'down' you body, and thus increasing motility, but helping with the anxiety and depression all this stuff can cause.

I hope this all helps, and let me know if you want any recipes, etc, for some of the easier to digest stuff!

My best wishes
-H





After doing the smoothies

[T-Bird]

Sorry to hear of this Cathy. But at least you finally got a dx. Consider that step 1 in your recovery!



The other thing is that this is not "fixable" it it treatable with medications and the pace maker, but my stomach will not go back to "working" again.

Don't believe this, you are just starting out trying natural cures. They only say something is "non-fixable" if they can't do it with drugs or surgery.

Fasting is a wonderful cure, and although it can be difficult at times, especially the first few times, it is NOT forever. And should never be.

This is one of those instances where you might need professional help. Not just from the reg docs - but from a raw food physician. There are some out there.


Best of luck, and don't give up. I truly believe that we can cure ourselves of anything - the body is amazing.

In addition to the nutrition aspect of the raw food, remember the other key areas:

positive attitude
exercise
de-stress on every level
spiritual/meditation
being outside in nature

Check out the curezone.com - they have some extreme healing techniques there for everything.

Not that I agree with all their shenanigans, but you may find something useful.

Best of luck!

[iluvmangos]

The foods to stay away from are fats, proteins, and high fiber foods like raw fruits and vegetables :(

I don't know how they expect you to live like that. How can one possibly live on a fatless, proteinless, fiberless diet for very long? You will become very unhealthy eating like that. Dead food will not allow you to heal or be even remotely healthy.



What do I do???
I really want to stay raw, but how?
I know I could do a juice fast, or puree everything but I don't know how long I can last not being able to "eat" something.
The other thing is that this is not "fixable" it it treatable with medications and the pace maker, but my stomach will not go back to "working" again.

If I thought juice fasting or smoothies would help me, I'd try it. Maybe you should just try it and see if you can prove them wrong that your stomach will never work again.

I just don't believe that your stomach can never work again. They just don't know how to fix it.

[Zanjabil]

I would think green smoothies would be easier to digest. Fruits should be okay for you too as most fruits are mostly soluble fiber, which is the easiest to digest. Such as bananas, peaches, cherries,pears, etc. I hope you find healing.

[rawmiss]

Do you have any idea how this could have happened? That would point you in the direction you need to go for healing. The Mayo Clinic lists many causes of this, like did you have radiation therapy or did you take some drugs that might have caused damge?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastroparesis/DS00612/DSECTION=causes
Why the stomach stops working
Arguably the most important nerve in your body, the vagus nerve stretches from your brainstem to your colon. It helps orchestrate the complex microcircuits in your digestive tract, including signaling the smooth muscles in your stomach to contract in peristaltic waves — usually at the rate of about three contractions a minute. When these contractions slow or stop completely, food doesn't move out of your stomach into the duodenum as it should.

Damage to the vagus nerve is the leading cause of gastroparesis, although the disorder can also result from damage to the stomach muscles themselves. Factors that can damage nerves or muscles in your stomach include:

■Diabetes. Affecting people with either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, this is one of the most common causes of gastroparesis. Over time, high blood glucose levels and their metabolic effects can damage the vagus nerve and disrupt its normal functioning. Once gastroparesis develops, diabetes often becomes worse because erratic stomach emptying and poor absorption make blood sugar levels harder to control.
■Surgery. Operations involving your esophagus, stomach or upper part of your small intestine can injure the vagus nerve and lead to gastroparesis. Symptoms may develop immediately after the surgery or appear years later.
■Medications. Many commonly prescribed drugs slow stomach emptying. Chief among these are narcotic pain medications, tricyclic antidepressants and calcium channel blockers. Antacids that contain aluminum hydroxide, some high blood pressure medications and the psychiatric drug lithium also can disrupt the normal functioning of the stomach. Symptoms usually improve once you stop taking the medication.
■Cancer treatments. Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy because most anti-cancer drugs target fast-growing cells throughout your body, including healthy cells in your intestinal tract. The nausea and vomiting are usually temporary and improve when treatment ends.

But some people receiving high doses of chemotherapy drugs may develop intractable nausea and vomiting as a result of chemotherapy-induced gastroparesis. In that case, problems with the stomach being able to move food (motility problems) originate in the nausea center of the brainstem, just above the spinal cord. Radiation therapy to the chest and abdomen also can cause gastroparesis.

■Other disorders. A number of other medical conditions can cause gastroparesis, including anorexia and bulimia, the connective tissue disease scleroderma, Parkinson's disease and other nervous system illnesses, and metabolic disorders such as hypothyroidism. For reasons that aren't clear, some otherwise healthy people develop gastroparesis after a bout of the flu or other viral illness.

[donnyandcathy]

Thank you all for your encouraging words, and also confirming what I was wanting to believe, that this is reversible, no matter what the doctors say.
As for going off the raw food diet, what would I go to, dead foods?
I'm with ya'll, I need living foods, and I will find a way to get them in me, one way or another!!
I did a juice/smoothie fast today, and boy am I hurting, bloated, and sick to my stomach, but I'm going to take that as it is doing something good in me, like trying to make me better.
I felt better yesterday when I ate my fruit, so I may have some melons tomorrow and see if that will help with the symptoms I am having today.

The doctor I am seeing is very supportive with natural and alternative treatment, even though he is a medical doctor.
I will talk with him more about diet when I meet with him Friday.

I will also look and see if there is any raw-food physicians in my area.

Isley333, I would love to talk with you via e-mail about your experience, and also some of the foods you could tolerate.

As for sit-ups, I have done 337 so far tonight :D

Thanks again!!
Cathy

[michigan roman]

337 :eek:

ok ' raw rocky ' = " rawcky " ;) this is what were gunning for :



http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt9/JBoogyBoog4321/watimstrivinfor.jpg

* have hubby get one of those bull horns to bark out training commands ;)

[donnyandcathy]

Don't I wish I could look like that!!!

:D :D :D

[T-Bird]

A little too muscular for my tastes.......I don't even like a man's tummy that bulked up, lol!

[andra]

I just wanted to offer some support and encouragement. I am really sorry that you are dealing with this. A former co-worker (who moved to another department) was diagnosed with gastroparesis and they believe in her case it was caused by a viral infection.

What helped her was really limiting the amount that she was eating in one sitting. So, instead of drinking a large green smoothie, I would suggest slowly sipping a small sized green smoothie and then waiting. She also found that really really chewing her food helped--I am assuming you already do this but I know a lot of people who dont LOL.

I think you got some great advice and I wish you luck.

andra

[juliebove]

I have this so I feel for ya! Mine is not severe and the problem seems to sort of come and go. There are foods I have to stay away from that are not on a raw food diet so I won't mention them here. Of the raw stuff, the foods that give me the main problems are leafy greens and tough things like broccoli. I do eat some greens, but not if I'm feeling bad. And I generally try not to eat them more than once a day or in a large amount. The last time I ate a really huge salad, I certainly paid for it. I was throwing up food I hadn't even eaten yet!

Each case of gastroparesis is different and you may find that there are some things you can eat that others of us can not. I do not seem to have a problem with nuts and seeds, but I try to eat just a handful at a time.

Liquids in general are good for gastroparesis because they tend to go through us. So try drinking juice in small amounts. Other than that, you may find that there are some foods you just have to eat to keep alive that you may not necessarily want to eat. As I said, each case is different so I won't comment any more than that.

Good luck!

[Tenuho]

could i ask......did you incorperate much fasting into your raw food diet?

and also....how was your eating pattern? were you a frequenct eater?

really sorry to hear about your problem....you never know with health related things they can be so complicated/confusing sometimes...... im not going to suggest you stick to raw.....or that i know what you should do....im sure there must be some way to get through it though...

i think itd be a good idea to go see a raw food specialist of some sort....

ever heard of the hippocrates health insitiute?

[EZ rider]

Here's my thoughts about a possible experiment you could try to see if it works for you. Try juicing all or most of the high roughage hard raw foods you eat. This would be foods like carrots, celery, greens, broccoli, etc. Eat as blended or whole, foods that are soft low roughage raw foods like banana, mango, very ripe tomato, watermelon, persimmons, etc. I enjoy reading your posts and I hope that eating live foods can heal you of this problem.

[donnyandcathy]

Juliebove and Isley333

If you see this can you e-mail me at donnyandcathy@windstream.net it is about the Gastroparesis.
Thank you!!
Cathy

[michigan roman]

Juliebove and Isley333

If you see this can you e-mail me at donnyandcathy@windstream.net it is about the Gastroparesis.
Thank you!!
Cathy

hope your feeling better :)

[carriesb]

I can't believe I found this post I'm so relieved to find people with this. I'll give the short version I had a baby by c section in March. And everything stopped they pumped me so full of drugs I could barely move I vomited non stop for 4 days before the NG tubed be(tube to empty stomach contents) I finally went home but have been miserable I'm very overweight yet very malnurished and my organs are messing up. I can't eat any whole veggies or fruit. I have been very confused at what to do. I have toyed with raw in the past but came to the conclusion I couldn't do it because of the texture of foods. I'm not thinking of going the smoothie route. On top of all this I have a hernia resulting from the c-section incision and they will not operate until I lose at least 60 lbs. I hope all that are going through this keep this thread updated. So maybe we can help each other.
I would like to stop taking 12 gas x a day and nexium and tums.

[gpadvocate]

I see that this is an old thread, but I'm wondering how you're doing and if you ended up getting the gastric neurostimulator?

I have had GP for 6 years and recently got the neurostimulator implanted at the Mayo Clinic. I've been on the horrible standard GP diet for 5 years and I'm interested in alternative ways to eat/heal the stomach.

[katchmoleen]

Hi, GPadvocate, Cathy is off the forum right now due to a family crisis. She hasn't gotten the stimulator yet. Now that you have yours and can eat a wider variety of foods, you will surely benefit from eating raw foods! Take the plunge and join us on a 30 day challenge!