Tuesday, December 14, 2010

reverb10 day 14: appreciate

Today's reverb10 prompt comes from author Victoria Klein:

What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

This is an easy one for me. Sure, I could talk about appreciating my child, my family, my job, etc - and of course I DO - but I wanted this answer to be 2010-focused. So for that reason, the thing I came to appreciate the most this year is a calm stomach.

My stomach totally revolted on me this summer. I am not going to get into the gritty details, but I went months and months with only a handful of days of feeling good. It was truly awful. I went through some particularly unpleasant testing, and there was no real diagnosis -and I believe, at this point, that a good portion of it was stress-induced and poor diet-induced. I was lucky (??) to have a couple of friends going through the same types of issues, so at least I had people to commiserate with. (I know, "lucky" isn't quite the right word for this - especially not for them.)

I still have bad days. But I have learned what some of the triggers are, and I have really started to try to eat right - at 37, I still eat like a 12-year-old boy a lot of the time. But I'm working on it.

And now - man oh man, I really appreciate having a calm stomach. A LOT.

6 comments:

Stereo said...

You are preaching to the choir here, Amanda. We're in the same boat so TRUST me when I say I understand the immense relief that accompanies being able to eat and not having that very important necessity come back to bite you in the ass. Here's to more calm stomachs <3

Patti Murphy said...

Hey me too! Stereo and I also have the same feet.

I suffered for years, but I had to make some tough dietary changes and once I stabilized, I learned how to cheat a bit without paying the price.

The cookbook, peppermint supplements and IBS hypnotherapy from this site changed my life for the better:

http://www.helpforibs.com/

(I don't make any money from promoting this site. I just don't like suffering and like to stamp it out everywhere)

queencake and titangirl said...

yay to calm stomachs, something i am sadly not blessed with very often. it always helps to hear one is absolutely not alone with these things.

Jess said...

It is SO incredible how much we appreciate our health once we realize being on the other side is like! Whenever I get a bug and scratchy throat and feel like I just want to stay in bed for days, it reminds me how thankful I am for those days I feel good!

Great response, and I hope 2011 brings you more stomach calm!

jeanne hewell-chambers said...

misery does love company, that's for sure. glad you now have a handle on this, are able to recognize the triggers and be proactive.

Anonymous said...

Having been one of the "lucky" ones to have similar issues, I'm so glad we are both feeling better!! Here's to calmer stomachs in 2011!-Cathy