With a bit of hope...

We may have found the problem behind all the health issues that have plagued me these past years.

On Friday the 11th, I had an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) at Dekalb Medical. It showed that I have a Hiatal Hernia big enough to cause problems other than GERD (acid reflux) but not large enough to require surgery ( whew).
There's a lot of stuff inside the chest in that area that can be affected by this condition. One of them is the Vagus nerve (one of the longest in the body) which picks up readings from all over the body and sends the signal back to the brain. The brain, in turn, sends out commands telling various parts of the body what to do or how to react. With this type of hernia, it can press on that nerve and "short circut " things-so to speak. The brain can't figure out what's going on and sends the "fight or flight" signal to the rest of the body. Everything goes into high gear (even if you are lying down.) and throws everything out of whack. Heart rate and blood pressure go up, breathing can become difficult, and stress signals go through the roof. To sum it up, your engine is racing but the transmission is not in gear.

After all of this happens, you are left feeling exhausted (fatigue), dizzy, and heartburn like you've never imagined. This what has been going on with me for the past 3 years or so.

Now, I have to take blame for some- well a lot- of this. Smoking is one of the big things that irratates the stomach. This will be a tough habit to quit. Pasta, most breads, and even liquor were easy to give up. But having smoked for 35 years, it is so ingrained in my daily life, change will be difficult. Diet is another adjustment that will help control flare ups which means giving up some favorites (the demons in disguise) that irritate.  Stress at work will also have to be addressed and regulated.

Now that I know the cause of this, I will take steps to correct it. Difficult- YES. Impossible- NO.

I hope this has been informative and enlightening. I know it opened my eyes.

Some Fun Things To Ponder

*UNANSWERED QUESTIONS*

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If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...
 Does that mean that one enjoys it?

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There are three religious truths:
Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the Leader of the Christian Faith.  Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters

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If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

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Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
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If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

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Why do croutons come in airtight packages?
Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

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*Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car is not called a racist?

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Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

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If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

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 If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

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Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

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What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
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I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me, they're cramming for their final exam .
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I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons
and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?

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Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?
What are we supposed to do, write to them?  Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

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If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?
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 *You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

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 *Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
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 *If a cow snorted when it laughed would milk come out of her nose?

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 Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

AND FINALLY....

As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice that when you put the two words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells 'THEIRS'?

Enjoy a laugh every day!