The title may seem a bit abrupt, but I feel it to be true. I have struggled with heartburn my whole life. When heartburn is chronic it is called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD for short as well as a hiatal hernia. A cliff notes version of my struggles are my scars. I have what they call Schatzki’s Rings, they are rings of scar tissue down my esophagus from prolonged exposure of stomach acids. What this means is that foods and beverages have a hard time passing through my esophagus and will have a high chance of getting stuck. It has happened to me many times, especially if I eat too fast. The pain is intense and I have to try and regurgitate my food. It is a horrible time for sure. But even so, I became used to it and would just ‘deal’ whenever it happened. Yesterday I had an intense throat irritation which was accompanied by a headache. I thought maybe I was getting sick again. Last night while trying to sleep I could feel the stomach acid flowing up, I could feel it burning my esophagus and throat. I had to prop my head up and sleep on my back. I even tried drinking some baking soda water and too a probiotic pill. These helped a bit but last night was a wake up call for me. You see our bodies will take a lot from us and will find ways to cope. When there is an irritant our bodies will create cells to combat that irritation. When that doesn’t work they create stronger cells, and so on and so forth. Eventually our bodies will try and wipe it all out and creates cancer cells. I definitely do not want this because I’m to stubborn to give up foods I like eating and drinks I enjoy partaking. So, after last night torture sleep sesh I made this list of off limit foods and drinks:
Foods/drinks I can no longer have or need to try and avoid whenever possible:
Chocolate
Carbonated drinks
Alcohol
Citrus/acidic fruits
Fried foods
Dairy
Spicy foods
Coffee
Processed meats (bacon, sausage, pepperoni, etc)
Potato chips or processed snacks
Tomatoes in any way
Excess of sugar and salt
This will be a huge shift for me since some of these are part of our everyday diets and others I greatly enjoy. In a world where we just try to mask it with acid reducers and pills I don’t want that life. I’d rather live without the pills and feel better. I realize as well that my refusal was just another way I was self harming. This new is how I will love and care for myself.
I hope that you’re all taking care of and loving yourselves today 💚💚
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