Into Every Life a Little "Whine" Must Fall

The fall garden is IN.  3 beds were barely enough.  Yeah!  Here's the spinach, broccoli and cauliflower bed.  The other two are direct seeded.

Ok! Now onto the important stuff. 

Update on my health:  You can stop reading this now if you like. 

I'm mean really!  Stop now! 

I'm just going to whine a little here...it is my blog after all.  And as sympathetic as SM has been to my "pain" I expect he's going to fall into the "Suck It Up" camp real quick.  I mean everybody has issues.  Who was I to think I'd avoid them forever.  I should be damn glad that it's not all that big a deal.

Lower GI is fine/normal.  Yeah me!

Here's the scoop on my upper GI.  I have a small Hiatal Hernia (which is not uncommon) and that is likely contributing to the reflux.  I also have a "patch" of inflamation (gastritis hopefully) that he biopsed along with some of my small intestinal tissue (celiac biopsy...no thank you, please). 

Pending the results of those biopsies...(always remember kids that it's good to be a boring patient)...I should be able to find some resolution.

He's put me on a medication to "speed up" my digestion.  Bethanechol.  (The side effects list looks interesting...)

He's also rx'ing me Zegarid which is a "souped-up" version of the Prilosec that has slowly stopped working over this past week.  I didn't let on but last week was no fun...24-7 heartburn.  Yick.

Zegarid must be an expensive drug because my insurance company needs a letter from the Dr (prior authorization) stating that it's necessary. 

(He wants me on an 8 week course of this stuff and then we re-evaluate.)  So I'm on the Prilosec until the approval (or disapproval) comes through.

When I was given the Dx of GERD, what 3 months ago (?) it came as a pretty big suprise since I've never had heartburn.  This all came on quite suddenly.  I was pretty sure it was an ulcer.  I actually hoped it was an ulcer since ulcers have the promise of a cure.  Whereas GERD...nope. 

Oh...don't get me wrong, when I say no cure I mean that there is no easy fix.  And who doesn't love the easy fix?

The reality is, like so many other conditions, you need the magic M word. 

Management.

Just like gluten sensitivity/Celiac you need to make lifestyle changes.  Some are easy...no coffee, caffeine, soda pop, spicy foods, alcohol...Yes I can give up alcohol pretty easily.  Some I never started ie: smoking.

Some are a little tougher.  "Don't eat 3-4 hours before going to bed."  Hey...I don't get home from work most nights before 6pm.  Eat real quick cause I'm usually passed out by 9:30pm.

And some fall into the waaaaa category.  Don't want to do it, "No Sir" I just don't want to do it.

Avoid fats.  What?  But I love butter.  I love ice cream.  I love chocolate.  And they love me!  This isn't like giving up gluten!  I really could care less about pasta and breads and cookies.  (Well, maybe I care a little bit)

But giving up fats?  Those wonderfull little molecules that make life taste so good?  It would be like giving up sugar!  Wait, I'm supposed to cut back on that too? 

Cut back...not give up.  I'm getting way too dramatic here.  Cutting back does not mean never ever!  Maybe just don't eat those things 3 squares daily. 

Moderation.   Hey, it's another magic M word!

Isn't getting older fun?