Beginning of this year I realize that I got gastric health problem. This is because I took my health for granted by regularly skipping meals especially breakfast, and also not eating my meals on time too. That time, the doctor told me not to drink coffee and not to eat spicy food. Hearing that was painful because coffee and spicy food are my favorites. These half a year was indeed challenging. I have been seeing doctor for many times because the gastric symptoms just keep bugging me.

It is frustrating to get all these nausea, indigestion and bloating but at the same time you need to eat your meals. Then you no longer able to eat and enjoy what you love anymore, not just a week or two but for months! Not just one type of food but many! Examples, coffee, spicy and sour food, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato, tau gei, daun kucai, kangkung, pineapple, durian, rambutan, mango, orange, grapes, watermelon, planta, oil food and fried food like KFC, even bread and pau (because of the yeast, yeast is acidic), cake, onion, peanuts and Horlick and milk.

In Malaysia, most of the local food here are usually spicy. This make my choice of food very limited. Also, even if you order the right food to eat, the cook might cook you the 'wrong' one. The cook might accidentally put some chilly or the cook didn't put any chilly but the wok got some chilly from the previous dish.

Once you got gastric, it is not like fever that you can pop two pills of Panadol and the next day it is gone. It takes very long time to be healed. Many of friends said the same. I have been battling for around six months. Some of my friends, years! Some even said, once you got gastric, it will stay with you forever and cannot be completely recovered. As long as you don't skip meals regularly, you are okay.

When you do some research, gastric can be related to stomach cancer. When I read the article, I felt worry because I have all the symptoms like bloating, nausea, indigestion or stomach discomfort and heartburn. After consulting doctor, I am a little relieved because I don't have yet the advanced symptoms which are weight loss, blood in the stool and fever everyday.

I also want to share something that I learn during this period. Sometimes the doctor can give you the wrong advice. Example, my panel doctor advised me to drink milk which is good for me but another doctor said otherwise. In this case, seek for more second opinion. Another thing I learn is, if you keep going back to the same doctor, eat the medicine he prescribed and follow his advice but your gastric is not getting any better, go to get consultation from another doctor. For myself, another seeing another doctor, I only realize that there are more things I shouldn't eat. Imagine, if you continue to see back the same doctor, I will continue to suffer because I keep eating the food I shouldn't eat because the doctor never advice me.

Lastly, my advice for you is please don't skip your meals regularly and eat your meals on time. If can, eat your meals the same time, every day. Don't take this for granted. Otherwise, you will bear a lot of suffering consequence for it.