The Importance Of My Support System For Good GP Health!

Not only are diet, medications, exercise, a good team of doctors, and a positive mindset important in your overall diabectic gastroparesis health and management plan but a good support system with family, friends, and loves ones is a key aspect in your overall health, or at least it is in mine. When times are tough healthwise for us GPers, help from others is extremely helpful and is greatly appreicated! There are days where doing the dishes, or laundry is just too much, even getting ready for the day is a job in it's self. The physical help and the emotional help  GPers get from our support systems is key. Having those people to talk to helps as sometimes the Gastroparesis keeps you at home for days at a time and not around a lot of people.

Family and friends who are in a support system play a huge role in someone who lives with diabetic gastroparesis. The help they give by doing errends, household chores, cooking, and any other tasks and tending to, lifts so much weight off the GPers shoulders. Having family and friends around helps emotionally and it's uplifting. Just knowing you have support eases the mind, which is important because a GPer deals with A LOT on a daily basis.

 

I've leared a lot about the importance of a support system this past year since I moved away from family and friends to living with my boyfriend Brian, where we dont have family and dont know to many people yet. Everything that my family and friends would help me with when I'm sick was now all  on Brian. So when I'm sick I rely solely on him instead of many family members and a few friends to help me out if I needed it. It's hard on him, he works 10 hour days plus an hour commute each way then comes home to take care of me. It would be difficult handling all of that and the added stress that comes with it. I am so greatful and appreciate everything Brian, my family and my friends have done over the last 6 1/2 years, thank you from the bottom of my heart:)

 

When Brian and I decided to move in together I made the decision to make the move to another province as we were in a long distance relationship. I decided to make the move because at that time I figured it was easier for me to move since Brians career was going good and we had a good home to live in. We figured we had thought of everything, I had doctors and specialists lined up, I was going to be closer to my GP specialist, everything seemed to be ready, but the one thing we did not think about was my support system and just how important it really was in my GP health.

 

Whille I was in hospital for 4 1/2 months, Brian was the only one that could help me with fighting with doctors if they weren't giving the right medications, if I need something or needed something done, he was the only one I could rely on, meanwhile hes working full time and taking care of our home. It made me realize how lucky I am to have the support system I have back home and it also made me realize what an amazing man I have for the unconditional support and love he gives me. Brian noticed over the course of a while that whenever I had family come to where we live to visit, my health always seemed to improve. Just having them there lifted my spirits and it lifted me emotionally and mentally. Having family around felt amazing and I missed it. Back home I always had family around when I was sick and here I don't. It's something I'm gonna have to get used to because it's my new normal. Or is my old normal the better choice for my overall health? That's a question Brian and I have to think about, is being back home better for my health? This is an incredibly hard decision we're going to have to make.  Having positive people who believe in you and support you is a part of our overall health and it does make a difference, and I know that. I just can't imagine how those GPers out there manage who don't have a support system in any way. I am so grateful for the family I have:)

 

Back home I had a job with my uncles company that worked around my illnesses. If I needed to sit or lay down for a bit it was ok, if I couldn't come in for a day or 2 or a week or sometimes months, or I had to leave early it was all ok. This job and the support I got from everyone there was key in my overall health as well. Just knowing that I had a secure job was key in my stress levels and therefore in my overall health. 

 

I have had good stretches or have been in remission as I call it, a few times in my 6 1/2 years with GP. I have gone 3 months with little symptom of nausea and vomiting, I went 7 months with fairly no symptoms, and my longest I went 15 months with no symptoms except a bit of nausea due to high blood sugars, no vomiting or pain. I believe having a good support system in place was part of why I was in remission and why it is possible with gastroparesis! Whether a support system consists of one or two or twenty people, and which ever way they help out even if it's just to come for a visit, it makes a difference. It relieves stress, which in turn is better for anyones health. Just having people around can brighten a GPers day!

It's hard for me to admit that I, at times, need help from others but living with diabetic gastroparesis it happens and I have trouble accepting that, I always have. Whether I am far or near from my family I know I always have there support and that's what's important. I hope all you readers with gastroparesis have good support systems in place :)

Happy tummy days to everyone!! :)