Last Tuesday I had to go to the hospital to have an out patient procedure with the GI specialist. He diagnosed with me with severe acid reflux and did an endoscope. He told me that I have a very large ulcer in my esophagus and that he had never seen on this large.
I have met my individual deductible for myself of 400 dollars. My copayment for everything besides office visits will be 10 percent of cost until I max at 2,500 as an individual and then my insurance will pick up everything at 100 percent. This does not include mail order medications or office visit co payments.
The GI specialist put me on protonix since the prilosec was not working and also put me on carafate three times a day. I am also prescribed a very bland diet with either water or clear liquids to drink. I am not allowed to have any decaf tea for eight weeks. I made it through week one finally.
What I found was that bland diets can be well, bland but I am starting to feel so much better. My coughing and gagging has decreased a small amount and I have been drinking so much water that I am well hydrated now. I have been told to eat three small meals a day with two high protein snacks to ensure nutritional needs.
Some of the things I have been eating are plain scrambled eggs (no butter), hard boiled eggs, any canned fruit, any canned veggies, a lot of soup, cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, canned tuna fish in water, peanut butter, plain white bread, pancakes, etc etc.
My MIL bought two roaster chickens the other night from sam's club. I was able to the bones, skin, and frame in the crock pot this morning to use as a basis for soup. We will have chicken noodle coup tomorrow for dinner.
I can not have most things that I would usually eat on a regular basis. I am not allowed to have any raw veggies, anything acidic, no fruit juices, no tea, and limited meat. The meat is a bit difficult for me to swallow even in small amounts. I did have some chicken two nights in a row with some difficulty swallowing.
The goal is to have the ulcer healed by the end of 8 weeks. I am not on any blood thinners or take ibuprofen or aleve. I stick to tylenol as needed for discomfort. There is a huge concern regarding any potential spontaneous bleeding that could happen.
Hope you feel better soon. Hopefully the meds and bland diet work and you will be able to swallow better.
ReplyDeleteIt's been 8 days and slight improvement. Thank you!
DeleteI always choked on rice! Even chicken without rice choked me. I am on protonix and it has saved my life. I hope you get better with all this. I could not sleep at night either for thrashing in bed all night long and through the next day. Of course, I don't have the ulcer for which I am grateful.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to get better and the ulcer heals. Thank you!
DeleteDebbie, Sorry that you are going thru this. I am a GERD patient, on Protonix for life, due to Barrett's. Are you reading all labels? I ask as there is juice in canned fruit, a lot of commerically prepared foods contain onions, garlic and the mystery ingredients, ideally, should be avoided as well. Soda is normally not recommended as well. Did the MD hand you a list of to avoid foods on a GERD diet?
ReplyDeleteYep, reading labels. I am staying away from most canned veggies including tomato products. The only canned veggies I am eating are green beans, peas, and a small amount of corn. I don't drink any soda and prefer decaf tea which I am not allowed to have until after 6 to 8 weeks. I did a google search about bland diets and got a lot of ideas.
ReplyDelete