Thursday, April 30, 2009

Yesterday - 4 out of 10

My cough was a lot better and I had a good night's sleep. Acid Reflux still bad.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Yesterday - 2 out of 10

Bad cough all day and worse reflux :(
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Yesterday - 3 out 10

This cold virus is not only wearing me out it is causing more reflux. An awful day and last night was worse (with Ezra waking up crying and Abbi coughing after Ezra woke up). I am running on empty and on target for a day worse than yesterday :( I'm at work but considering going home to rest...
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Monday, April 27, 2009

Yesterday - 3 out of 10

Having the bad chest congestion that I had yesterday, I took a mucinex. Bad idea...it only made my reflux worse :(
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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Yesterday and Today - 5 out of 10

a couple of so-so days...ok in the AM, minor acid after lunch...more after dinner. I'm not really getting any better and I am getting pretty frustrated. If only my reflux was under control :(
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Friday, April 24, 2009

Yesterday - 6 out of 10?

Well I have the upper-respiratory virus that everyone but Noah has officially has (I say officially because Noah says his ear hurts).

Yesterday I had post-nasal drip so it was hard for me to tell what was reflux and what was virus. I was tired and achey all day though.

The good news...maybe...is I got to sleep in late because I have to work late (server updates). So far, this AM, my sore throat is gone and I just had some mild, chest congestion. I am praying that I have an, all-around, better day.
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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Yesterday - 6 out of 10

Yesterday started out a little better than Tuesday. I got a walk after dinner and felt even better. Then an hour before dinner I started coughing and having post-nasal drip. This is likely the virus that everyone in my family has had lately. This AM I woke with a sore throat and phlegm, but no reflux. Here is praying and hoping my day doesn't go South on me.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Yesterday 5.5

Most of the day I was reflux free. From 8 PM throughout the night the acid was back. I started out this AM with a little "acid tongue"...which is never a good sign.
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Yesterday - 5 out of 10

Day started off as an 8...I felt great until lunch. The rest of the day was tons of reflux..a 3. I am averaging it to a 5 :( I am hoping for a better day today.
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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Today - 8 out of 10

Ezra, Brennan and Luke were sick today which is always a bummer.
As for me, I had very little acid reflux. One thing I did was eat dinner much earlier...4 PM...I also have been eating a little more carbs (of those allowed). All I know I had a great weekend and felt better today than yesterday and better yesterday than Friday. I know these things go in cycles, but I hope for a better week.
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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Overs 50 pounds shed in 3.5 months

The only benefit to being sick is I have lost over 50 pounds in the last 3.5 months. I still have almost that same amount before I get to my pre-marriage weight so I am not too worried.
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Today - 6 out of 10

No reflux until after my early dinner. Mostly better now and going to sleep.
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Yesterday - 5 out of 10

Day started out as a 7 ended as a 3. Acid reflux at night was awful.
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Friday, April 17, 2009

Yesterday - 7 out of 10

I felt much better yesterday. I did have a little heartburn. Poor little Ezra is sick with a nasty flu-like virus (fever, snot, cough). I woke up at 2 AM and gave him tylenol and some water and wiped crusted snot off of his nose. I am pretty exhausted this AM.
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Today - 3 out of 10 :(

Bad day today. I felt bad after breakfast and the reflux just got worse and worse. I am quitting the Assist. It is the new variable. Sorry Tina.
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Today - 5 out of 10

Today started of great (7+ in the AM). Reflux started a couple hours after lunch and then got better. After dinner I had reflux for several hours. It is finally starting to wane. I am starting to think that dinner should be limited to just a snack :(
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Yesterday- 6 out of 10

I am starting to rate how I felt the previous day. 1 is the worst I have felt and 10 is symptom free.

I took Assist twice yesterday. Maybe it helped. I had my usual nighttime reflux between dinner and bed (but it was less than usual). I slept well (thanks baclofen and Abbi for the neck massage). Even half a pill of baclofen zonks me out (and gives me very vivid dreams).

So far I feel pretty good today (7.5 out of 10). I pray that I continue to improve.
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Monday, April 13, 2009

Assist

So I am trying some digestive enzyme pills that Tina Crawford (wife of my Sunday School teacher) gave me: Assist (by Body Ecology). Took one at lunch and another one with dinner. I will let you know if they help me at all. So far I haven't had a change in symptoms (good or bad). I imagine it may take some time.
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This past weekend

I had a pretty good weekend. Saturday was Ezra's 2nd Birthday and Sunday we had a good Easter. Somehow we packed 3 days into the last two days :). As for symptoms: Acid Reflux has been a little better under control. I still have moments during the day where I have some reflux/heartburn. It seems like it is usually worse in the late afternoon and early evening. Back to work today. I am hoping for a good day.
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Gastropareis (GP)?

This is an updated reprint of a post I put on Facebook:

I have been asked by a couple of people about my medical condition so I decided to create this blog.

Just after Christmas I had surgery on a toe-nail. Because of this I was on antibiotics (Cephalexin) for 3 weeks. During my second week I started to get heartburn and acid reflux. I took some Prilosec but it only helped for a week. I saw my doctor a few times and tried Nexium and Zantac and other stuff to no avail. I made all the life-style changes recommended: diet, exercise, probiotics, raising the head of the bed, no food after 5 PM, small meals, no food triggers, etc. Nothing helped. I went to a GI specialist and had several tests (Endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, gastric emptying study). The first two showed nothing wrong. The last test showed that my stomach wasn't passing food through quickly enough. The Gastro doc says I have Gastroparesis (GP).

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gastroparesis/index.htm

I don't have any symptoms other than reflux (common symptoms are nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain). I have lost 45 pounds in 3 months because I can't eat much. I just started Stage 3 of a GP diet (after being on the awful Stage 2 for about a month).

http://www.gicare.com/diets/Gastroparesis.aspx

In the past I have tried, Zantac, Prilosec, Nexium (awful gave me heart-palpitaions and confusion), AcipHex...all with no improvement. Currently I am on a couple acid reflux meds (generic Zantac and generic Protonix, two pills of each per day) and a med for the GP (liquid suspension of Erythromycin Ethylsuccinate, twice a day). I also am taking Baclofen (in hopes it will help improve muscle-tone of my LES). I just started this new regimen on Thursday after seeing a really good Nurse Practitioner at my GI doctor's office. My reflux is a little more under-control...but I can't say I am noticing vast improvement. On the other hand, I do feel like I am not getting drastically worse. Time will tell.

At this point Celiacs (gluten-allergy) has been ruled out by bloodwork.

Your support and prayers are appreciated. Pax Out!