So beautifully said.

How are you now? I hope you've achieved happiness. I'm feeling so depressed 😔

I'm so glad this brings you hope!! That alone goes a long way toward opening us up to the possibility of a new experience. This condition is so dynamic and, just like life in general, things never stay the same. There's just as much possibility for freedom like Megan's as for any other outcome. So glad you're here!! Sending lots of good wishes!

Judy, that's so beautiful. To embrace it and keep going... what more could we do? I'm so glad you've found the help and direction that you needed to get there and I'm grateful that you're following along here. Sending lots of good wishes your way!

Glad it resonated with you, Jo!

Sending lots of good wishes your way, Brenda! I got the stimulator in 2009 and the recovery definitely takes a bit. So glad you're feeling more hopeful though! That's a such a huge piece of all of this.

Hi, Hasmin! This is such a relatable question. I think we all want to know the "answer" when we see someone no longer suffering with something that we're struggling with. I don't believe that Megan had either the stimulator or a g-tube. Her physical symptoms improved over time, as they do for many people. But I think the most remarkable part of Megan's story, and why she was so eager to tell it, is the relief she experienced once she let go of trying so hard to fix herself and the diagnosis. There's so much to see there!

@@lwwgp you're right :) thanks & it gives a lot of hope for those with the same condition. does this mean that her experience was psychosomatic, or maybe a mind - body connection?

@Hasmin B yes, so much hope!! No, I don't think it necessarily means anything about the source or cause of the symptoms/condition. I think it really just points us back to the fact that we experience everything through our thinking and that means there's an opportunity to alleviate suffering _independent_ of what happens with our physical symptoms. Megan, for example, didn't suffer less *because* her symptoms went away... she experienced less suffering and then *eventually* her symptoms went away. And yes, I do think the mind and body are definitely connected. I wouldn't even say they're connected so much as they're the one and the same. It seems to me that when we feel less pressure and overwhelm and desperation, it can only be helpful in that sense. That's how I see it anyway!

For sure; always a good thing to check.

I get what you’re saying. I always tell my family that is impossible to not think about gastroparesis when you’re feeling it everyday. Nausea, pain, heartburn, early satiety, vomiting etc, is part of the daily life of gastroparesis patients. As a person with gastroparesis I can really assure that emotions and thoughts really have an impact on our stomach and make symptoms worse. The physical symptoms trigger emotional distress too, so it’s like a vicious cycle. Right now I’m trying to get out of the emotional black hole I’m in thanks to this horrible illness. Some days are better than others, it’s true, I try to get the best of them. Some people never have good days and that must be horrible and I really don’t know how I could handle it. I just… I don’t know. I always have in mind that tomorrow will be a better day, no matter what. That’s my hope everyday.

Hi, Sofia. I'm so glad that you're here. I'm sorry you're struggling emotionally but I'm really glad you posted your comment. When you say, "it's impossible not to think about gastroparesis when you're feeling it everyday," that's such a interesting thing to look at. It sure feels true (and I used to feel the EXACT same way) but I think we have all had moments where we got distracted, even in the midst of terrible flare ups. Where we got wrapped up in a TV show or a book or a movie, or where we had to take care of a child or a family member, or we were in a beautiful place or feeling especially grateful for something and for even just a brief moment, our mind wasn't on gastroparesis and we weren't in that black hole. In that moment - even if it's just a few seconds - we aren't suffering. Those moments can definitely be few and far between at times but they show us something SO VERY important. They show us very clearly that our experience doesn't come solely from having gastroparesis. If it did, every single one of us with objectively similar GP symptoms would feel the exact same way and we would feel that way ALL the time, even if we got distracted. But neither of those things is true. We do have moments where aren't suffering (or suffering as much) even in the midst of being sick. And I have talked with thousands of people in the past decade working with others with gastroparesis and the experiences are all over the map (and they often don't correlate with objective severity of the condition). That's actually the first thing that started to open my eyes to the fact that there was something more at play. This leads me to the second important thing about that phrase..."it's impossible not to think about gastroparesis." The really interesting thing is that we don't have to NOT think about gastroparesis in order to start digging ourselves out of that black hole. We simply see that we ARE thinking and that's why we're experiencing things the way we are. The more we get wise to the fact that we experience _everything_ through our thinking, the more space we start to create between us and that thinking. We can start to get curious about our thoughts and whether they're actually as factual as we take them to be. We start to notice that when we're really caught up in thinking, we don't feel good emotionally... we feel desperate, overwhelmed, hopeless, etc. But then something occurs to us -- something your knowing that there's always the possibility for tomorrow to be a better day -- that brings a different feeling. One of hope or relief. Truly, if you're going to have gastroparesis either way (since we don't have much say in that part of it), following a good, hopeful feeling seems like an easier way of life to me than following what leaves you feeling hopeless, angry, or disempowered. I think this discussion can be misunderstood as just "think positive" or "have a better attitude" but it's not about that AT ALL. It's about seeing where our suffering is really coming from because once we shine a light on that, things look a whole lot easier even in the midst of having gastroparesis. If you haven't seen my video called "Trying to think positive?" I think you might resonate with it: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZtmEqq6p2tmoZp8.html Sending you LOTS of good wishes! I"m so glad you found your way to this video and I hope that you hear something in all of this brings you a good feeling. There is truly SO MUCH hope for a different experience. Megan and I, and so many others, are living proof of that. ❤

Hi, Bill G8sdad. I'm sorry that you're suffering and in pain. Perhaps something in my reply to Sofia will resonate with you. If not, I truly hope that you do find something that brings you relief. Sending good wishes ❤

@@lwwgp Thank you very much for those words! GP is really a hard path, but like you said, even in the worst moments there’s something good. I’m still struggling emotionally and I’m new to this so I’m still learning how to live with GP. I bought your book and it has been a great help for me. Thank you again for replying! Means a lot!

@@Sofia-te4dp how are you handling it now? I’ve been diagnosed for 4 months and am struggling heavily mentally and physically.

Hi, Suzi! Glad you're here. I totally get how scary and hopeless the diagnosis can feel. I've definitely been there. The good news is that it IS possible to live WELL with gastroparesis and alleviate the suffering. Megan is such a great example of that. I hope you hear something in this conversation that feels inspiring or empowering to you. The idea that gastroparesis = paralyzed stomach is a common misconception but fortunately in the vast majority of cases the stomach isn't paralyzed -- it's weak and/or slow but it does work. I also always feel compelled to point out that no cure isn't the same as never goes away (there's no cure for the common cold, for example) and certainly not the same as there's nothing we can do to feel better. Lots of stories of and tips for that over on my blog at www.livingwithgastroparesis.com. I talk more about both of those things and lots more in this video I recently did answering gastroparesis FAQs in case you're interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m7yWrdKTuZO5fnk.html Sending lots of good wishes!!