After yet another 1+ hour wait, I have my results. I am not going to die prematurely, at least not from this. Yay. When you’re all done dancing, I’ll continue typing. (Insert Pause Here)
I’m going to be brief because my detailed medical history is boring and probably not for publication on the web, though if anyone wants more than I’ve posted here, I’ll share. The final diagnosis is Gastrointestinal Neuropathy — which is most commonly associated with diabetes, but I do not have diabetes.
What does this mean: Nexium twice a day for the next 3 months, then once a day for one month. If the problem doesn’t get worse, once a day forever. On top of that Flora-Q which is a probiotic. Other than that, I can resume much of my normal activity with some exceptions. Doctor V. Alin Botoman believes that over the next year or so the damage will slowly repair itself and I will get back to normal or at least as normal as I ever was. BTW, I didn’t know it until today but Dr. Botoman is chairman of the Department of Gastroenterology at Cleveland Clinic locally and also at the University of Miami where he is Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine — and he’s got impressive credentials.
No tomato-based products, nothing carbonated, and no citrus products. I can have very limited amounts of coffee (a few cups a week) if I want and even the occasional orange juice or lemonade (US kind not UK kind) if I so desire. I need to keep my stress down a bit — which means I probably should never drive in Miami again 🙂
There’s more and it’s not quite as easy as I made it sound, but it’s certainly not as bad as I expected. I can now go to Publix and get a proper grocery order.
(Please note I am not a doctor and am not guaranteeing I am explaining my condition fully or properly so you shouldn’t base something you have based on something I’ve written here.)