We had an excellent week...until yesterday...more on that later.
Bill started using his treadmill again this week. He walked every day except Monday. He's got it on the lowest setting and he says he walks some then rests some then walks some more. His legs don't seem to be bothering him after not walking for so long. But, last night he was bothered all night with leg cramps again. Hopefully he'll start drinking more during the day instead of waiting until after the cramps start and then drink all through the night, which makes him need to get up for the bathroom!
Amanda's surgery went very well Monday and she came home from the hospital Wednesday morning! I went over that afternoon to sit with her while Ryan went to get her medicine, but by the time I got there Tori (her daughter) and her boyfriend were there so I went to the store with Ryan. The tumor was benign and it was completely removed so we're extremely thankful for that!
Now, about yesterday. First a little backstory. When I had my colonscopy about 8 years ago I also had an endoscope to see what my stomach always seemed upset. Acid reflux was the culprit for that, but the dr. also said that I have a pouch at the top of my esophagus. I asked my mom if I had trouble burping as a baby and she said yes, and that when she would finally get me to burp, I usually spit up. Over the years since I've noticed that at times when I eat it would feel like the food was just stuck at the top of my throat, not like I'm choking, there is just a very sharp pain at the base of my throat. Instinct tells me that if I burp and move some air out of the way that the food will go down, so a small drink of diet coke usually does the trick. This has only happened sporadically through the years, but it's been happening more and more lately. I've tried eating very slowly between bites, taken small bites, chewing well, anything I could think of. It also seems to be at the end of a meal so I thought that it was a painful reminder that I was full and not to overeat!
Anyway, last night, just after I had started eating, it happened and a drink didn't clear it. Stretching my neck or bending over also didn't work. I was only getting very small burps. Finally I went to the bathroom and spit up some, nothing from the stomach, and no particles of food. I know this is not pleasant to read and it certainly wasn't pleasant to go through. After about 30 minutes I finally had a good sized burp and the pain all went away. But, I felt horrible the rest of the evening and went to bed about 7:30. I even made Bill take his meds a little early so that I would know he had taken them.
I'm almost afraid to eat, especially meat. So, Monday morning I'm calling the dr. and get a referral to the gastro drs. to get it checked out. I did some research online which I know can be dangerous. It looks like this can be esophageal spasms according to the Mayo website. There are some tests that aren't as invasive as the endoscope that maybe can be tried first, but since it doesn't happen all the time, I don't know.
Anyway, that's our week. We're both tired today and I can tell I slept all hunched up since I ache all over. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day! Happy Easter!
Low stomach acid has the same symptoms as high acid, but most doctors treat with PPIs which can cause a whole host of issues. We need our stomach acid, we just need it to be in our stomach. The Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) separates the esophagus and the stomach. Proper stomach acid levels signal the LES to close tightly, so that food digestion can take place and not harm the esophageal lining. However, low stomach acid levels don’t give off the closing signal, and cause the sphincter to loosen. Once loose, acidic stomach fluid comes back up into the lower part of the esophagus causing a burning sensation. This is why a large meal will give you heartburn. There’s not enough acid in your stomach to saturate the heavy meal, so the LES doesn’t close. Furthermore, there is also a pyloric sphincter that separates the stomach from the small intestine. The body will not open this second sphincter if the contents of the stomach are not properly acidified. Instead of moving through the pyloric sphincter, food sits in the stomach and ferments, producing gas and pressure (also making the LES leak open)
ReplyDeleteI started taking a probiotic about 4 years ago and got off the PPI. I do take a zantac at bedtime and have only been bothered with reflux once in 3 years and that was just recently also. From what I read about the esophageal spasms, they can be triggered by certain food or drink or by anxiety. Mine seems to be triggered more by meat. I'm going to really watch what I eat and then see what triggers it.
ReplyDelete