Thursday, June 24, 2010
Still Here
I haven't been a very good blogger lately. We have been busy, but there's been more than just busyness going on. For the last eight weeks or so, my throat has been bothering me. It started as just a burning sensation, and it progressed to a feeling that my throat was constantly swollen, and I could barely swallow. Of course, my mind immediately jumped to all the worst case scenarios.
After doctors first checked to see if my allergies were the culprit (I was pretty sure this wasn't the case), I visited the ENT and was diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux. This is a condition similar to GERD, but you don't feel the heartburn. Because the reflux is "silent" it can damage your voice box and your throat before you realize that there is a problem. I was so thankful to find out the cause of my symptoms, but I have had to make some big lifestyle changes. If left untreated, LPR can cause permanent damage or even cancer, so I have had to really adjust my diet. I can have no caffeine (bye-bye to my Diet Sundrop addiction and chocolate), no tomato-based products, no fatty or fried foods, and very little dairy. What that leaves me with is a lot of fruits and veggies (raw are preferred). It will take months to control this and for my throat to heal, but I am hopeful that I will eventually be able to eat some of the foods that I love, even if they are in much smaller portions.
Additionally, this condition is linked to asthma, which I was diagnosed with last year. It is possible that the asthma was triggered because of the silent reflux, so I am hopeful that if the reflux is controlled, the asthma will go away as well. Another positive is that I have lost 11 pounds! Initially, I lost weight because my throat was hurting, and I was worried. Now, I am losing weight because I am living on fruits and veggies. I would much rather be reflux-free, but I am excited to be near my pre-pregnancy weight (and it's only taken 8 1/2 years and a medical condition to do that!).
We have had so much fun stuff going on lately, and I hope I am getting back in the frame of mind to document it here. As Jesus said, "Life is more important than food" (but I do admit that I miss the food)!
After doctors first checked to see if my allergies were the culprit (I was pretty sure this wasn't the case), I visited the ENT and was diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux. This is a condition similar to GERD, but you don't feel the heartburn. Because the reflux is "silent" it can damage your voice box and your throat before you realize that there is a problem. I was so thankful to find out the cause of my symptoms, but I have had to make some big lifestyle changes. If left untreated, LPR can cause permanent damage or even cancer, so I have had to really adjust my diet. I can have no caffeine (bye-bye to my Diet Sundrop addiction and chocolate), no tomato-based products, no fatty or fried foods, and very little dairy. What that leaves me with is a lot of fruits and veggies (raw are preferred). It will take months to control this and for my throat to heal, but I am hopeful that I will eventually be able to eat some of the foods that I love, even if they are in much smaller portions.
Additionally, this condition is linked to asthma, which I was diagnosed with last year. It is possible that the asthma was triggered because of the silent reflux, so I am hopeful that if the reflux is controlled, the asthma will go away as well. Another positive is that I have lost 11 pounds! Initially, I lost weight because my throat was hurting, and I was worried. Now, I am losing weight because I am living on fruits and veggies. I would much rather be reflux-free, but I am excited to be near my pre-pregnancy weight (and it's only taken 8 1/2 years and a medical condition to do that!).
We have had so much fun stuff going on lately, and I hope I am getting back in the frame of mind to document it here. As Jesus said, "Life is more important than food" (but I do admit that I miss the food)!
Labels: Me
4 Comments:
Oh my goodness, Lauren! This sounds rather intense! I will be praying for you - that this situation heals soon.
Oh no! I am so sorry! Very glad you were able to discover the cause and get some answers! :( But bye-bye chocolate?!
Glad that you have some answers although I'm sorry about the loss of caffiene and chocolate! However, feeling better is probably even worth the loss of those two things! : )
I am so sorry for everything you have gone through. I admire how well you are handling it! Hang in there!
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