Celebrations and food and alcohol.
So this past week was Thanksgiving. Most years we are not home for Thanksgiving, or if we are we have my family over to my house to eat. This year my parents and my brother and his family were all out of state visiting my grandparents and aunt. So it was a Thanksgiving that we celebrated just ourselves - my husband and two children.
I got up early and my daughter helped me dress the bird. After realizing two hours later that I had accidentally shut off the oven, we were back on track and started cooking the side dishes and more importantly the desserts. My daughter set the table and just as I was getting ready to put everything out on the table - my stomach started acting up. Meaning my stomach blew up and I was now sporting my watermelon sized belly. I finished putting everything on the table and then headed straight for the couch to lay down. I was in too much pain to even sit at the table with my family.
They enjoyed the food - turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, pineapple stuffing, sauteed mushrooms, macaroni & cheese, green bean casserole, and bread - everything homemade from scratch. For dessert, my husband had requested cherry cheese pie and my daughter requested an apple/pear crisp (my son was content with the choices already made).
I was hoping to at least enjoy some of the mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes - but my stomach just wasn't having it. I was quite disappointed, but part of me was at least happy that my family was happy with the meal even though I couldn't have any.
Then on the evening of Black Friday - it was my 20 year high school reunion. Now there were people there who knew what was going on with me - but really the only ones who knew were those that follow me on here. I was thankful to be at my reunion without my picc line or my TPN bag - something which I had been worried about - but it would have been nice to be able to have a drink. Since getting sick, I have found that when I drink - the side effects and pain are just not worth the brief enjoyment.
So I spent the night drinking water - which some people thought I wasn't drinking because I was pregnant. I immediately said NO - and told them do not start those rumors. But I didn't go into explaining to them why I wasn't drinking. I also didn't eat any of the food they were serving - because I didn't want to deal with my stomach blowing up even more. It was bad enough that I didn't get to wear what I had planned to - because my stomach was acting up - fortunately I was able to find something which I think did a fairly reasonable job of covering up my distended stomach.
Everyone headed out to a local bar afterwards - which I wouldn't have minded going to hang out with a couple of people - but knowing that I couldn't drink and that everyone else would be - I just wasn't in the mood. So I headed home instead and tried to fall asleep.
It's times like celebrations when there is lots of food and drinks that I really hate the fact that I have gastroparesis. That I wish I could be like everyone else and just enjoy the festivities to their fullest. I am not fully there mentally yet, that I can just be completely relaxed and enjoy myself while seeing others eating and drinking.
Someday.
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