Hell nonnie1,
Slow stomach emptying and slow bowels are very frustrating and tend to dominate our every day decisions, as you clearly know. My one suggestion for you, as I continue to play the daily balancing game, is a gentle but brisk walk daily for about 20 minutes. Schedule it so you have already consumed a good portion of your daily food, so the gentle movement of your body can have an opportunity to mobilize the stomach and the bowels indirectly. Another technique I use, is I lay flat on my back stretched out and gently massage the belly area. I can pretty much feel where the stool gets hung up, as it masses in a firm area. The massage is very gentle and sometimes just a little jiggle will produce that gurgle I am looking for. Continual liquids is imperative. A bottle of water with a bit of lemon is nice to sip on so I can get a continual stimulation for my gastric juices, which facilitates both the stomach juices and on to the bowel motility. Obstructions are not fun and I have had my fill. When An obstruction is threatening, I keep bone broth in my cupboard so I can switch to total liquids until I get the gurgling I am looking for. The liquids keep the gastric juices going. If you totally obstruct though, this won't work and you will need intervention. Good luck with this, and keep those steady liquids going. While we don't have control over everything, we do have control over behavioral alterations in our day to day. That's the best we can do.

Good morning Teresa. I use bone broth because it's a clear liquid that is high in protein, low in sugar, and bland. When I am nauseated, the broth is more tolerable. You can boil your own, or buy it pre made. Pre made is nice, because when I don't feel well I don't want to try to boil down a chicken. Sugar levels are important to consider for many people with varying issues causing GI dysfunction, from bowel flora to diabetes concerns. Thus, bone broth becomes a good choice, vs pop or even Gatorade, to maintain electrolytes and stimulate the bowel motility without loading. However, since each person is very different, the choices need to be made according to that individual's specifics. Hope this helps.
UPArtist

Hi Tech Mom. I can post a few more strategies, but it is important to know that I am not a Nutritionist. I am just "into" nutrition. With that said, another strategy I use to get those nutrients ingested effectively, is building smoothies. It is a liquid route to get the raw veggies, proteins, and fresh fruits. You can do it through blended soups as well. The liquid and puréed forms of the foods pass through my stomach with less difficulty. Then they are able to be digested in the bowel more effectively. The smoothies (hot and cold) can be made to taste quite nice. I use them regularly when coming off an obstruction (especially the hot form) in order to achieve the nutrition I need when I am limited to only "cooked and soft". I use the cold form as a supplement to sneak in the nutrients in general. I also take a b-complex vitamin in powder capsules ( easier to move through the stomach). All my vitamins are chosen with the slow stomach in mind. I cannot afford to have those unpleasant things come back up into my esaphagus and mouth. Therefore I choose as many liquid versions, and buffered versions as possible. There is a lot going on in various research areas on FODMAP and bowel flora. It's good stuff and relevant to the variants of so many people's issues. The world of gastroenterology is exploding with new information. I hope this helps. We must try to live mindfully amid all the frustrations and explorations.

Good morning techmom. I was wondering how you were doing. I hope you are able to achieve a better quality of life by focusing on some new things to "try" while staying within the parameters of your dietary restrictions and safe movement. Have you looked at adding Tai Chi to your daily routine? It helps the individual move through patterns of weight shifting, head positions, and gentle strengthening for stability. It also facilitates "Mindfullness", which decreases stress levels in our bodies. Lower stress levels help bowel motility, then on to better absorption of those nutrients we are trying to acquire. It also helps with pain control and flexibility of the joints in a gentle way. I hope you are feeling well today!
Respectfully,
UPArtist

About the Tai Chi, try Tai Chi for Arthritis. It is much more simple forms, and, much less of them! Dr Arthur Lam (sp?) created it. I did it at my PT's, and, brought my mom, who had had a stroke, and, with some modifications (hold on to a chair, during difficult movements), she did great.

My teacher said that even if you only do the warm ups, or, the first few, easy movements, over and over, it can help with balance, etc...

I haven't been DX with Gastroparesis yet, have the stomach emptying test a week from Friday.

But, from researching it, it seems pretty probable.

I'm concerned for both constipation caused by my pain meds, for my chronic pain (haven't ever had an obstruction, thank goodness!!). Usually, 5 fiber capsules in AM and PM, are enough to keep me regular. But, if I have to stop the fiber capsules, I'm pretty sure added water (already drink a lot), and, walking won't help me. I have done this, when in hospital, during the delay for them to get my fiber capsules ordered.. I also ate as much fruit and veggies as I could. None of that worked, until I got my fiber back.

So, I'm very concerned, if I do have Gastroparesis (what else could it be...?!! Lower end/bottom of stomach is red, irritated, inflamed, along with first part of my duodenum.), about constipation.

But, I've also been DX again with prediabetes (had it before, then my A1c was in range several times), and, from what I've researched, how I'll have to eat, if it is Gastroparesis, is almost opposite how I should eat, for diabetes. Eating for Gastroparesis, seems like high carb food.

Also, as I said earlier, I have chronic pain, and, also, chronic health conditions. Shopping, putting it away, cooking, and cleaning up, wears me out, and, causes me to hurt (as does activity, such as walking daily... but, I'll give it a go...)

I mostly try to get easy to prepare, somewhat healthy foods (frozen, and can be nuked, are my go to).

I saw the broths when I was shopping for bland foods (don't know if it's psychological, but, after gastro PA told me about possibility of Gastroparesis, my stomach 'went'. Pain, can't tolerate any but very bland, 'vanilla' foods, etc...).

I didn't really look closely at the broths, as I remembered them being pretty salty. But, I'll look at, and get some, next time I'm at store.

I told my GP's PA, that I think I'll need another dietitian appt, to figure out how to eat for both Gastroparesis and diabetes, if I am DX with Gastroparesis.

For years, like, 20, gastro doc had me on proton pump Inhibitors, and, for the most part, they seemed to work, with my stomach 'going', every so often...

I had 'hot spots' in my stomach, in middle school, and was put on restrictive diet then. Also, had to take a muscle relaxer, and wait 20 minutes, before I ate. Having experienced that, is why I think, even the possibility of having it, is triggering me. Especially, with the other complications I'll have

If I am DX, I'm going to see my ND. I've found, that often, with chronic conditions, naturopathy can do more, especially, get at the cause, than western medicine, which can only treat the symptoms.

I enjoyed reading all these posts. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis in July 2019 and have been on a roller coaster since then. I saw a nutritionist and realized that figuring out a diet was virtually impossible. I have Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy with a cardiac component. Have had 5 pacemakers (beginning 1992) and after an episode of ventricular tachycardia and a heart rate of 480 bpm in Jan. 2018, I had a cardiac resynchronization computer with a pacemaker and debrillator inserted and have only had 2 episodes since. I am 69 and am a Type 2 diabetic, but A1C is under control. I am having trouble eating enough to keep weight on. At 5’8” I weighed 124 lbs. at my last checkup having lost about 6 lbs since July. I have been taking a stool softener daily, walking and doing pretty good until recently whenconstipation has overtaken my life. Finally I took Dulcolax and have spent all afternoon in the bathroom. I feel full all the time, have abdominal pain from top to bottom, feel like there is something stuck in my throat, feel nauseous at times, have heartburn and GERD for which I was given Dexilant, a PPI. My problem is that I have to take 16 pills a day and invariably some get stuck and that doesn’t include vitamins, probiotics, Tylenol, Famoditine before meals, stool softener and more. I am fearful of an obstruction because I do not want to have surgery because of my heart and I am wondering if my MD may be a cause of lower abdominal pain. I can no longer walk up stairs or an incline. I miss fatty foods, fruits, vegetables, meat and more. Today I have zero energy. I will keep reading for hints to help. Thank you for sharing your story with all. HURTING IN GA!

Thank you for responding to my post.
I will try more things. I too love canned pears and peaches. I have a lot of pain all over my abdomen, especially under left rib cage. Am going to go back to gastroparesis specialist in Atlanta and see if he can offer me more than a PPI. Thanks again!

@stubeckj70 It may be something to do with your esophagus or a hiatal hernia. So many things that it could be causing the pain. My last surgery was to repair all the damage that a hiatal giant paraesophageal .. sliding... hernia created. I had to have open surgery. I have pain all through my chest because of that surgery. I also have esophagus problems that contribute to it.. achalasia and Barrett's esophagus.

My prayers that you find the cause and a solution.

@stubeckj70 Bless your heart! I agree with you that finding the right diet when you have multiple conditions is virtually impossible! Like @fourof5zs said, we’re all different and so you have to go thru a lot of trying this and that to see what works for you. I’m afraid to even try some of the foods that work for her — baked beans and chopped nuts — because of the high fiber content.

My doc initially had me taking Colace and miralax twice a day to prevent constipation. That was way too much. After a lot of experimenting, I figured out what works best for me: I take colace twice a day. And then if 2 days go by without “going”, the next day I take 1 dose of Miralax which ALWAYS results in me “going”.