Gastroparesis Sucks.

My gastroparesis is acting up a week now. Maybe a little longer, I just didn't realize the signs. I wish I loved protein shakes. I wish diet coke was nutritious. Lol  Suddenly, one meal, I ate my normal sized portion and I couldn't finish it.  I only eat twice a day and I am pretty routine with what I eat.  Normally, my belly empties pretty fast and leaves me nice and flat!  But not that day and not since. I eat and it just sits there. "What is gastroparesis?", you are probably wondering!  Normally peristalsis pushes the food down through your GI tract.  Like little contractions or waves. Sometimes, that doesn't happen.  They say that the stomach is paralyzed, but it may be just slow, like mine.

To sum it up, the food I eat, just sits in my belly and rots. It's been just sitting there, overfull since dinner last night. When food starts to break down it creates gas and because it's in my belly, I feel bloated and full.  I have practice again tonight, so I can't eat much until it goes down.  And since it's beyond annoying (it hurts and increases anxiety) to skate like that I just have to wait it out and time my meals around practice. Normally, I just need to limit what I eat a few hours prior to practice. I can't have water or food just before, or during, or I risk (and have!) aspiration of that fluid/food into my lungs. If there is a bunch of water in my belly, then exertion will put pressure that forces it back up my esophagus. Which is pretty grody.  It's good that I'm keto-adapted, but, if this happens too often, even my fat stores won't help me.

 Keto-adapted means that I burn fat primarily and use ketone bodies for energy instead of sugar (glucose). I have lots of fat, so I can use that up and still feel up to activities. Since I workout and do all my practices fasted already, it doesn't affect my performance. Luckily, it's only been a couple times a year so far that this happens. Lets hope this is short lived.