I love the Internet
I went online and looked up acid reflux. Simple, watered-down version: turns out that one of the causes of it seems to be that the lower esophageal sphincter doesn't close off the stomach like it should, so acid creeps up the esophagus, wreaking havoc as it goes. Awesome! The website said that chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods, and smoking (which I do not do, anyway) all aggravate reflux. It also said that chewing gum might help because because it increases production of saliva, and saliva contains a natural "bicarbonate" (I can't figure that one out, either). Have I yet declared my love for the Internet?
So today, I had no caffeine, and I bought a pack of gum. I didn't eat until dinner time, because I'm so sick of feeling this way that I've been kind of afraid to eat. After dinner, I had a stick of gum. People, I am not feeling the burn of the reflux. I'm feeling normal! I know it's not a cure, and I still need to go see my doctor, but I am just so godawful grateful...The combination of being caffeine-free and chewing the gum is probably the answer. We'll see if it continues this week, doing the same thing.
So, in case you weren't sure...getting old suuuuucks.
In other news, my business card figure drawing is coming along swimmingly! I took digital pictures of myself in the various poses I wanted to try, and Friday night, I did a composite layout drawing of two of them. Then, this weekend, I worked on the dress and shoes, and the hair and face. With just a few tweakings, I'm ready to transfer the drawing to illustration board and then start painting. I can use the original drawing and modify it to do the website drawings, too. Progress!
I'm starting to learn some piano, as well. Brandon has begun to teach me the first bars of Beethoven's "Für Elise" and "Ode to Joy", as well as a touch of music theory. When I learn those bars, he'll teach me more. I've been practicing in my head, memorizing the notes and the placement of my fingers. Tim said I could borrow his portable keyboard to practice on, but I have yet to get my acid-y ass over there and get it. Piano will be easier for me to learn (as opposed to when I tried to learn guitar a few years ago), because A) the notes are laid out in a straight line, 1 through 8, A through A, and B) there's no calluses to develop, and my fingers love that. I've always wanted to learn an instrument--I'll start with piano and work my way up to drums. My neighbors'll love me.
So today, I had no caffeine, and I bought a pack of gum. I didn't eat until dinner time, because I'm so sick of feeling this way that I've been kind of afraid to eat. After dinner, I had a stick of gum. People, I am not feeling the burn of the reflux. I'm feeling normal! I know it's not a cure, and I still need to go see my doctor, but I am just so godawful grateful...The combination of being caffeine-free and chewing the gum is probably the answer. We'll see if it continues this week, doing the same thing.
So, in case you weren't sure...getting old suuuuucks.
In other news, my business card figure drawing is coming along swimmingly! I took digital pictures of myself in the various poses I wanted to try, and Friday night, I did a composite layout drawing of two of them. Then, this weekend, I worked on the dress and shoes, and the hair and face. With just a few tweakings, I'm ready to transfer the drawing to illustration board and then start painting. I can use the original drawing and modify it to do the website drawings, too. Progress!
I'm starting to learn some piano, as well. Brandon has begun to teach me the first bars of Beethoven's "Für Elise" and "Ode to Joy", as well as a touch of music theory. When I learn those bars, he'll teach me more. I've been practicing in my head, memorizing the notes and the placement of my fingers. Tim said I could borrow his portable keyboard to practice on, but I have yet to get my acid-y ass over there and get it. Piano will be easier for me to learn (as opposed to when I tried to learn guitar a few years ago), because A) the notes are laid out in a straight line, 1 through 8, A through A, and B) there's no calluses to develop, and my fingers love that. I've always wanted to learn an instrument--I'll start with piano and work my way up to drums. My neighbors'll love me.
Comments
Reflux is horrible, as you are aware. I destroyed the valve to my stomach when I was bilemic. I've been known to pop 2 pepcids just before bedtime, just in case...
A couple years ago, when I was on a no (and I mean... NO) carb kick, I asked a doctor friend: was it my imagination, or was I having less problems with the reflux after having cut out carbs?
He told me carbs actually increase the acid production in your stomach, hence the possibility for more reflux.
Now that I am back on carbs, I think I'll give your gum idea a try! If only I could give up my diet coke!
The gum thing works, for me, anyway. And so does Prilosec (all thanks go to the Princess for suggesting it)! Oh, do I miss my Diet Coke, though (sniff, sniff)...I'm with ya on that!
I tried Prilosec, but it made my ankles swell up, so no go there. I'm trying to switch to a more natural "diet", not for weight loss, but rather for a more healthy lifestyle. It's kind of a raw food plan, wheatgrass, sprouts and such. So medications are definitely on my bad list.
As far as diet coke, I had been up to 2 double gulps a day when I went cold turkey on fountain sodas. I started reading about how BAD aspartame is for the body... scared the crud out of me. I was in 7-11 yesterday and found out they have unsweetened tea... maybe I can trick my mind into thinking I'm drinking soda? It's amazing, now when I drink diet sodas, all I taste is the chemicals. Not good!
Mazel tov for making your diet healthier! I'm beginning to realize that we humans are much better off with natural foods, like animals in the wild eat, because we are just as biological as they are. If we eat better, maybe such medications that we take wouldn't be necessary.
I used to hate diet soda, thinking that it had no sweetness to it at all, but then I read you could drink it on the Sugarbusters diet, so I drank it. Now I know the aspartame is sooo bad for us--didn't stop me from drinking it, though! Plain iced tea with a bit of Splenda or honey might be a good substitute. At least, it feels better to be drinking healthy, and after awhile, I find, I get used to the tastes of new foods.