treat my GERD

He put me on Protonix for two months. Also, I have to get an abdominal ultrasound to check for gallstones. And some bloodwork to check for H. Pylori (apparently a lot of people who complain about GERD actually have ulcers). Oh, and while I’m there, they’ll check my cholesterol, too, which can’t hurt, right? Oh, and I have a strained muscle in my back from the cheap backpack I’ve been using to schlep my laptop to and from work.

I can’t eat or drink anything on the morning of my ultrasound, not even water, starting at midnight.

Then, after two months, if I still have symptoms, he’ll refer me to a gastroenterologist, who will stick a tube down my throat to check for Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which the gullet becomes a real asshole. No, seriously, the cells in the esophageal lining transform into tissue similar to that in the intestine. Ick. I hope I don’t have that, although older family members of mine do, so maybe it’s destiny.

OK, I gotta do something about this.

I try to eat less but I keep getting . . . well, hungry. And there always seems to be food around, yummy food that my mouth likes but my esophagus finds distasteful. Cut back on the java a bit. Not sure if it’s helping yet.

Today I went for a run and it felt great, so good that I cracked open a beer afterwards. That felt great too. Is it just me or does beer taste better after a run? Then I gave myself another serving of that yummy macaroni and cheese that Sara made.

It doesn’t help that we’re cooking for this skinny kid of ours. If it were for me alone, I’d be eating a very low fat diet. But for him, well, that wouldn’t work. And making different meals for every member of the household? Well, that seems wrong too.

I’ve been OK for a while but getting back into the office (plus leftover turkey and extra coffee) has been playing havoc with my digestive system.

Had a cold, stopped running and watching my diet, gained two pounds, and the GERD is back. Well, at least I know how to get rid of it now.

Well, I’ve lost about seven pounds on the No Beer/Go Running Diet (yes, this is a stealth weight loss goal but it’s for clear health reasons). This is despite the fact that I do actually drink beer on occasion (see rule 6). I also added a corollary to rule 6, which is that none of the rules apply (except for rule 6) in Mexico. In fact, I don’t think they apply outside of the United States. They may not even apply outside of California. I’m not sure.

Anyway, switching from a nightly beer to a nightly glass of wine seems to have worked well. Also, I’m increasing my olive oil consumption and my exercise (Hah! As if that were possible!) in an effort to raise my “good” cholesterol.

Oh, one more thing. If I do get a touch of indigestion or reflux, a glass of seltzer water or an Altoid (or both) seems to work wonders.

Although the Prilosec did stop my GERD for two weeks, it also promoted bad habits: because I had an iron stomach, I ate whatever I felt like eating. So I’m off the drug for now and I’m trying to adjust my diet to minimize indigestion. I cut out dairy on Tuesday and that seems to help a lot. The no beer thing is primarily for weight loss, although I must admit I had a beer last night (see rule 6), a Lagunitas IPA. I was at the Mad Cat Film Festival watching my friends The Secrets of Family Happiness accompany a few silent films. They were great, as was Tartufi, the other band. Tonight we get a sitter (exchanging with another parent) and we’re going to see Nellie McKay. We’re getting out a lot this week for parent types.

The doctor suggested I take Prilosec OTC, which is available over the counter (as the name indicates). When I mentioned we were getting tomatoes in our box and I was sad I couldn’t eat them, he said, “When you’re taking this stuff, you can eat anything.” It’s true. I totally have an iron stomach right now. However, it seems to me that I should go easy on it for when I go off the Prilosec again.

Anyway, he suggested I should lose weight. When I protested that I’m not fat he said that it’s not weight in absolute terms but weight in comparison to what the body is used to. Indeed, I weigh more than I ever have before. So I’m going on the No Beer/Go Running Diet (I invented it). The rules are:

1. No beer.
2. Go running (on days I don’t bicycle).
3. Stop eating when full.
4. Only a little bit of wine.
5. Only a little bit of ice cream.
6. The rules can be bent for company.

Anyway, the idea is to get back down to my age 30 weight, which is about ten pounds below my current (age 35) weight, in three months or so.

Doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I’ll talk to him about it. I’ve been getting heartburn and refluxy-type symptoms a lot lately. Not sure what it is but I’m trying to eat better and maybe fix it. My daily shot of espresso doesn’t seem to affect it much but I’m willing to eliminate it to make sure.