Help! Seems like something has taken over my body and wants to take it down! Okay, okay….a little less dramatic. Since turning 50, it seems ails that have been developing over time have crescendoed! I feel like a pure tee hypochondriac. I've gone to the doctor more times this year than EVER! And to think my biggest fear was getting that signature William Randolph under eye bulge. I've had an insidious toothache. My dentist hoped that with a little TLC and drugs, my tooth nerve would settle down. Nothing doing. My tooth has been in a rage ever since my dentist put a temporary crown on it. Since that time, over a week ago, food has not tasted as good. I've felt bad at work. And I've cried almost every night due to fatigue and discomfort.
As if that wasn't enough, I've also had a upsurgence of acid reflux. But get this, it's not the typical GERD. It's raised its game to silent reflux. Yes, silent reflux. I didn't even know that existed. My feelings of a thick throat, coughing, hoarseness and feeling like my esophagus barely had enough room for the pills I continued to swallow prompted me to visit an E-N-T specialist. He sprayed some anesthetic in my nostrils and stuck a long tube down my nose so he could see clear back to my voice box. Unpleasant is an understatement. Silent reflux is what he called my condition. It's when the fluid that refluxes constantly irritates the throat area. It's also called silent because people might not have heartburn with it. It has been absolutely MISERABLE! So, in addition to pain relievers and Amoxicillin, I've been taking Nexium twice a day and intermittently popping Antacids. Seems my silent reflux ain't so silent cause I have had pain in my chest. Now I realize that along with pulled chest muscles, I have heartburn!
Oh, I'm not through. I've also had hand pain. My ulnar nerve is irritated – has shortened, the neurologist said – and as a result my pinky fingers tend to go numb and I have stabbing pain in the middle of my palms. This, they say, happens when you tend to lean your elbows on the table. Since I don't do that, they said that skinny people have this happen more often than others because we don't have enough fat to cushion it. Oh bother!
And the cu-de-gra, at my recent annual physical, I was told I am pre-diabetic! Pre-diabetic? I can't believe it! Me. The person who isn't a health nut, but am a mindful eater. The person who isn't a smoker or a drinker. Me! I am just more than puzzled by this. So, my doctor told me I needed to eat less carbs and up my fruits and veggies. Hopefully, if I raise my game, I can reverse this. So, pray for me y'all. I just didn't expect all this to happen my 50th year.
I guess there is a bright side. Preparation H does wonders for under eye puffiness.
