Hi, I would like to introduce you to my friend Gus

We are approaching Gastroparesis Awareness Month and I would like to introduce you all to my buddy Gus. The below information is taken straight from G-PACT's Facebook page about my buddy Gus: (Please keep in mind that this is my version of Gus and not the official Gus of G-PACT)

GUS Gutbuster© is G-PACT's friendly plunger who is plunging out DTP! Bad plumbing? Call GUS (Generating Understanding and Support). He wants to help fix your plumbing problems! 

The challenge last year was to create your own Gus.  Then take photos of Gus to help spread awareness.  I thought now this is going to be fun and I created my own Gus and started spreading awareness.  Knowing all along that the more people that saw him the more awareness there would be.

Then I decided to take my little guy and go beyond just that one month.  I started taking Gus where ever I went including the store, appointments and he even joined me at work for a few days.  You should have seem people at the grocery store with Gus riding along in the amigo. Gus became a fixture in his seat belt being driven safely from one point to the next.

I am so glad that the organization encouraged participation by the patients.  From the second my little Gus joined my life he has been my Facebook and Google profile photo.  So no matter what you are doing tonight if you know someone that could use a smile please take a second and introduce them to GUS.  It is a good way of thinking how wonderful today could be if I only had an easy cure like this to pump my Guts into gear

Now I want to share something really cool to all of you that happen to meet Gus for the first time, or, run back across him today.  This year I will be entering the little guy in the state fair photo contest.   I am not able to do as much as I was doing back last year and I know I could never take him to places so that people could ask me about him.

Yet, how many people will I actually reach with a simple picture customized and placed in an area where thousands will file by to look at judged photos.  To me that may be one of the most important awareness things I have ever done.  If you happen to be in KY and are at the 2013 state fair pass by the photo contest and see if you can spot Gus he will be happy to put a smile on your face.

See you can spread awareness when you do the best you can on the days you feel good.   Then on the days you aren't feeling so good you can look back and think about how you tried your best.

For my fellow fighters keep on fighting and remember one day they will figure this out and we will have won.  Until then don't give up hope.  It is okay to rest on bad days,  but on the good days enjoy life to your fullest because you deserve it.    

There is so much more and remember this is something that I live with and am writing from my perspective.  Talk to a doctor if you feel you may have this or any other disease because without proper diagnosis you will never get the treatment you deserve.