I just threw out 4 cans of Maesri curries.  Taking a look in my food pantry, I recognize my habit to over buy.  In the case of canned goods, often by the time I think about using them, they are years past the expiration date.  In this case, 3 years past.  Today I realize that the state of my pantry reflects the state of my digestive system last week: a steady accumulation of too much food, so much there’s no room for it all.  Last week I got a good reminder of what happens when I do that.

I wrote earlier this week I make poor food choices and I pay the price, it’s not like I don’t know.  A few days later on Facebook, I wrote: “Ugh my ick has now descended and lower tummy feels blocked the last 36 hours. No food since Thursday, just clear liquids. No doubt it is a metaphor for me holding on to ideas or whatever that are better released. In the meantime, I went to the pharmacy and was advised to take Milk of Magnesia. Yikes, I never took something like that, don’t like meds, wish me luck.  I know it’s a result of my eating a little too heavily the last couple of months, and it’s caught up wit me. I won’t do that again anytime soon.”

I asked a nurse friend and he suggested, “I don’t work the floor anymore but when I had patients with bowel problems I would mix them a black and white. That’s 30cc, or 30ml, same measurement, of MOM and 120cc prune juice. I would warm it in the microwave. Worked every time if my memory serves me well.”

This friend was my hero! I’d never had this before and apparently it was just a simple case of constipation, but it seemed giant to me who is used to all parts working well. I read on webmd.com that you’re not considered constipated unless it’s been three days. Three days? Holy cats, I thought an hour after every meal was the norm. Granted my typical diet is fresh greens and watery soups, with chicken, fish and potatoes a few times a week. Guess I’m wimpier than I thought if this made me think something might be seriously off. One friend tells me she regularly spends 45 minutes in the bathroom several times a week and is constipated often. She drinks a liter of soda a day and eats a heavily fried meat and bread diet, very few greens, is a smoker and drinks coffee every day. Ouch. There but for the grace of God go I.”

A friend commented on Facebook: “You’re not embarrassed to write about everything.” I responded ” I’m not embarrassed to write about what goes in my body or what comes out of it because I pay attention to it as part of my spiritual practice. It’s about mind, spirit AND body. Plus I got 6 private messages about this post, people telling me it happens to them all the time and they had no idea what it was.”

I live for stuff like this: sharing info that is helpful to others about things I’ve gone through myself.