So, this one will be a little long. (Skip to the end for encouraging message)

I just know that there are some of you in the worst pain of your life right now wondering when it would be over and I need to come and let you know that it will be, eventually. So last year I took too many painkillers for some bad cramps I was having, and then when I got to the hospital they gave me a cups worth while I was delirious and long story short it destroyed my stomach. I'm talking internal bleeding, crapping blood for 3 days, DESTROYED. I couldn't eat anything, I couldn't drink anything, and I went to the doctor after they discharged me, and he said i was fine, gave me some pain killers and some weak PPI and sent me off. This was the beginning of a months long torture fest for me. Every day for 6 weeks straight I would vomit every morning, it was to the point where I had to walk around with a vomit bucket. Extreme fatigue. EXCRUCIATING stomach pain, like someone rubbed sandpaper on my stomach and then doused it in alcohol. Horrible anxiety caused by the damage done to my vagus nerve from the gastritis. Yes, gastritis affects your literal mental health too in ways you won't believe. I never felt that way I my life before, I was hurting. I had internal tremors, caused by vagus nerve damage. I had body wide inflammation caused by the inflammation of my stomach, which caused my acne to worsen beyond anything I ever experienced before. Dropped down down 110 pounds from 129, I looked horrible, I felt horrible and it hurt so bad. So here's the thing, doctors don't tell you about the diet part. They give you ppi and tell you to go on your way. Now I don't think you could've healed without PPI, I tried and the stomach bleeding just came right back. They really are helpful but you NEEEEEEEEED to eat clean. Nothing else will do. For months I wasn't doing the right thing, it took me a while to find out what works for me, everyone is different. Personally here's my diet that helped me through the most painful horrible parts of this.

BREAKFAST: plain oats cooked w water, no sugar no milk ever!

SNACK: oat milk smoothie with banana and spoonful of Greek yogurt (some people can't handle yogurt so be careful, you can just have the banana and milk if that's okay) light Sourdough toast with butter (if you can handle it)

LUNCH: over boiled jasmine rice no salt (to the point where it's almost like a paste), minced chicken seasoned with light salt, broccoli, no salt

DINNER: leftover lunch

There are some other dishes that worked for me as well, light chicken soup witch cabbage, carrots, broccoli and kale, light salt and Korean dish called congee I believe.

No fruit besides banana, only bottled alkaline water.

I ate like this every day. For months. I still eat like this too but now I can handle things like store bought wraps , white cheddar and feta, and even small slices of yellow cake and digestive biscuits. Im not in nearly as much pain, most of the tremors have gone and I can go to see my friends again. I don't have to eat small meals meals 3 hours again and I am off PPI !!!! Healing is possible ! I still can't eat peanut butter, drink any juices, no coffee, nothing fried, nothing spice nothing with too much salt, nothing with too much sugar. It is restrictive but you get used to it. You have to stay disciplined or you'll never heal believe me. I think I need about a year or so of this diet again before I can have burgers, fries, pizza etc. Honestly most of the time I never really miss it.

This final message is for those of you who are at the height of this illness. I would say I'm about 70% healed and I still get pain and need to lie down from time to time, especially during the evening. My body still needs regular rests and a hot towel to help with the pain. And it's been almost a year. Some of us take longer to heal, some of us take a few months. I think I'll be fully healed in maybe a year and a half again God willing. But I've come to terms with that, this illness is with me for a while. Now i know if you're really sick you won't want to hear it but I won't make it seem like this is a one and done thing, I've been through it all. I've gotten scoped, I've gotten all kinds of ppi, the only thing that helps is discipline, clean eating, ppi and time. TIME TIME TIME. I know it feels like you're dying I know it feels so painful, you don't look or feel yourself and for some reason nobody but other sufferers get what's happening. It's okay. I understand, but your body wants to heal, and it will. It will just take time. You're going to be okay if you keep doing what you're supposed to. Flare ups happen, pain has become a part of our lives but you're not alone and you're not in this forever. It will get better. If I can make it though the horror, and live with the healing process and so many of us have, then you can do it too. I'm sending a big hug to everyone that reads this, you're stronger than you think. Cry about it if you need to, God knows I have, but never give up, you'll get through it. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤