When you wish upon a star...

So this past week, I had someone make a statement to me.  A statement which if they thought about it, I would hope they would want to take it back.

"I wish I had what you had - maybe I could lose some weight then"

Do you really wish you had what I had?

Do you wish that you could never sit down to a meal with your family and enjoy consuming everything just as they are - but instead you would just sit there and watch them eat?

Do you wish that if you did attempt to eat, that you would be in excruciating pain?

Do you wish that you have to take a handful of medications twice a day to try to help your GI system do some of the things it's supposed to?

Do you wish that you couldn't eat fruits and vegetables, because they could actually put you in the hospital?

Do you wish that you would become so malnourished and dehydrated that you would end up hospitalized for 9 days - 9 days away from your loved ones and then have to come home with a picc line in your arm?

Do you wish that for 10 hours every day, you would have to lug around a bag with your TPN treatment?

I honestly don't think they wished what I had.  Just as I would not wish this on my worst enemy.  What I do believe is that the person wasn't sure what to say to me.  That me standing before them with my bag and an IV line coming from my arm - made them uncomfortable.  That in some way they thought it would make me feel better if they said what they said.  I'm not offended by what they said - I know they didn't mean it.

Here's the thing.  I am still me.  Just because my GI system chooses to not work - doesn't mean that my personality of what made me - well me - has disappeared.  Yes, there are things I can't do.

I can't sit down and enjoy a meal with you.

I can't go out for drinks.

My energy levels aren't at full level, so I may not be able to go on a walking adventure.

I may also struggle to go out for a night of dancing.

I can't train anymore.

But there are still things I can do.

I can sit and laugh with you until our sides hurt.

I can lend you my ear for listening or my shoulder to cry on (just as those around me have offered to do for me).

I can sit on the sidelines as a proud mama and watch my little girl kickbox/grapple.

I can cook a glorious meal for my loved ones (it's challenging mentally, but knowing they are enjoying it makes it worthwhile).

Here's the thing - I can also carry on a conversation about other things which are not Gastroparesis related.  So please don't feel that because you see me that it is the only thing we can talk about.  If you have questions - by all means ask.  There is a lot of information out there about Gastroparesis - but each patient reacts/responds differently - so if you want to know what I am going through - just ask.  But there are lots of other things we can talk about - or if me being sick truly makes you uncomfortable, then we don't need to speak either.  Flash me a smile - and I will flash one back.

But what I do ask is that you think or chose your words carefully when speaking to someone that has a chronic illness.  You may not mean any harm with your words - but you never know what impact your words may have on someone.

Make sure you think before you wish you had something...