The Stomach Ache

Monday night my stomach was a little queasy, but I got over it. Tuesday it hurt during work, but I ignored it sufficiently and when I got home from choir I ate a little plain pasta - with garlic oil, salt and pepper. Wednesday evening at writer's group I sat uncomfortably until it was over and I came home and moaned about it to F, and then I ate some ice cream - a pint of Ben and Jerry's here is almost seven euros! That's like ten bucks...so I ate it slowly.

Thursday (yesterday) morning I woke up at 5:00 with horrible stomach pain, but I made it in to work. At 11:00, I decided it was time to go home. I got the name of a doctor from a colleague named Jana, and made an appointment for today. I got a little direction on how to use the healthcare system from a woman in HR and then made it home. I lay for hours in bed and on the couch, trying to get comfortable. I had some soup. I had no idea what in the world it could be. Stomach cancer, a tumor, an alien. It's so horrible to have a strange new pain. Finally, when F got home, I whined a bit, took a shower and some Advil and I felt better. I was good for a few hours until we went to bed.

When I woke up this morning, I was having a little pain, but it wasn't horrible. It was ever present, so I lay in bed answering e-mails. We'd slept until 8:30 so I didn't sleep at all. I finally went to the doctor at 2:15. He is Dr. Prins. He's very Dutch, that sort of flat, no affect, very serious kind of guy. Maybe when he's operating in his native tongue he's more animated. I doubt it. I thought I was going to get Dr. Tan, a Chinese fellow.

Dr. Prins listened to me and told me that he thinks my stomach acid, which has always been over active, has burned a place in my stomach or esophogus. He gave me a perscription for pills that will help the pain and help the area to heal. I guess it's time for me to rethink the diet. I like strong coffee and spicy foods. I like anything fried. I don't eat spicy, fried food all the time, but I eat anything I feel like. Now I haven't had coffee for two days. I don't feel like I'm detoxing like I have in the past, but I miss my coffee. I hate being ill. But I'm glad it's not something horrible. At this point it's at least fixable. I just need to pay some attention to what I'm doing.

I'm still feeling a little weak and yucky. Nice post.