Sorry things are not going well. Yes, this is definitely an 'up and down' condition, and it can be extremely frustrating.

I have good days and bad, but in the past month or so, I seem to be seeing more good days, off and on. Today is pretty good, though I do have mild pain I can deal with. I think (and hope) the aloe vera gel is making a difference--maybe that's why it's been feeling better. So if it's the gel you bought--great! See in a few weeks if it seems to be making a difference.

I will keep praying for you and for all here who are dealing with pain and the frustration. God bless.

Hi sunlovinmom thanks. Mine seemed easier a few months back,with the pain going down a lot some days. Now it flares up bad most of the time. I remember a day in October when we went to an illuminations do in the town park, I managed to eat doughnuts and hot chocolate and it didn't flare up. I had no pain that day. Now it hurts bad even cutting them things out. Do you think it will gon away? Surely the stomach heals up,I can't face the thought of having this for years. Ive read that it goes when the cause goes. I pray every day yes we all need praying for. At least we are all in this together. It is really like a community which is good.

I bought the Aloe vera juice as something called Aloin,I think, has to be got out of it as that is not good for you. Most AV juice though Ive seen for sale seems to have added things like figs or cranberry juice. I just wanted the plain stuff.

Definitely good days and bad days . I had a death in my family Thursday and my car broke down yesterday . By last night the pain and nausea were back . Tonight it seems to be a bit better . It really is so frustrating.

"Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You too must be patient. You must stand firm. The Lord will soon come back. Brothers and sisters, don't find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. As you know, we think that people who don't give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finaly did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern." James 5:7-11

"Are any of you in trouble? Then you should pray. Are any of you happy? Then sing songs of praise. Are any of you sick? Then send for the elders of the church to pray over you. Ask them to anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer offered by those who have faith will make you well. The Lord will heal you. If you have sinned, you will be forgiven. So admit to one another you have sinned. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen." James 5:13-16

Hi Jackie well this is so frustrating and painful. I should be in bed but Im in so much pain. I know those scriptures. Ive been anointed and prayed for. Its the first thing you think of when you believe. I hang on we wait for a miracle. Its no use giving up,we all need to get over this and get back to good health. We can't have the rest of our lives with gastritis pain,or any other pain. Other people will get gastritis too and follow us. Its awful. I know we need to hold on in faith. We keep praying and looking for answers.

poorlygirl41: I get plain aloe juice (Fruit of the Earth, I think is the brand) from Wal-Mart here in the states.
I bought the aloe gel from General Nutrition Center (GNC) stores. This is plain, also.

If you don't live in the U.S. and have no access to these stores, perhaps you could contact Wal-Mart and GNC and see if they could ship to you.

I realize too, that aloe is not for everyone; it just happens to help me (at least I hope!). I'm not sure if it would affect any meds you might be taking--that's something else to consider.

Best of luck to all here. I think we've had more than our share of misery with this 'stuff'! Let's hope 2012 is a great year for healing!

Hi Poorlygirl,
I so feel for you. I don't pray to be healed but I do pray for the strength to get through each day. I figured that would be achievable, for me anyhow.
I don't know about the cause impacting on the healing process. If you get gastritis from the hpylori bacteria that can heal while the stomach remains inflamed and can still take a long time to heal. Raven once likened it a bomb going off in our stomaches and that is the best description I've heard.
I wish I knew what makes some of us suffer for so long. I don't believe I'll fully heal from this but as I'm getting more of my life back all the time I'll be content with that and gaining more foods along the way.
Pray is powerful and sometimes we need to tweek the prayers if what we're asking for isn't coming our way.
I pray that you are over this horror very soon. As hard as it is please try to stick with the diet. I've had it for nearly two years and I know it is very challenging.
Take care,
cas

Warm thoughts in your time of need. May you find the strength to carry on and continue to move forward. Remember, even though you may not see progress, it does not mean that progress is not being made. Be angry, upset, cry and fight. Your emotions make you stronger in this battle. Be kind to yourself always too.

Hi its hard to hang on as the pain is back again today. Its bad. I wonder how long I have to put up with this. It just gets more painful. I just wish the doctors could help me and do something. I don't know why its like this. As I get one day when it settles down then another bad day I wonder if the hiatus hernia has something to do with it. I really don't know,all I know is that I can't cope with it.

If I may make a recommendation, check out a few books about chronic illness. We often don't think of gastritis as a chronic illness, but it can take a long time to heal or improve if it heals at all. Personally, understanding why I was feeling the way I was did help lessen my fears and also my anger about the entire medical process. Anger is healthy and in this case, normal. But accepting it can take time...

Reading books about chronic illness is a great suggestion, ravenfish!

I have one called "Living with Chronic Illness: Days of Patience and Passion" by Cheri Register. It's older--from the late 80s, but yes, it does help one cope. In doing a quick search, I see the book is still available online.