October 20, 2011

Mr. B and Dr. Mc started reconstructing my
downstairs work top last night. Goody!

Thanks for all the phone-in and write-in diagnosis of my symptoms. Survey says: 1) gastritis; 2) ulcer; 3) hiatal hernia; or 4) gallbladder. And the winner is ... Helicobacter pylofri ... or more commonly known as gastritis. Interesting that this is related, yet unrelated to the pleurisy I had last week. If you remember your Pleurisy 101 lesson from last week, pleurisy is an inflammation of the chest area that causes sharp pain and difficulty in breathing. I'm told the cause of my pleurisy is stress. I've learned from years of suffering from pleurisy that when I feel it coming on, I load up on ibuprofen because it's an anti-inflammatory.

Now for Gastritis 101. Gastritis is a condition in which the stomach lining is inflamed. The most common causes of gastritis are infections and prolonged use of anti-inflammatory drugs, and is exacerbated by ... stress. Left untreated, gastritis leads to a peptic ulcer. So I'm supposed to relax and de-stress (right!), take Tylenol for the pain (not ibuprofen), and Nexium for the next month. In theory, it all sounds good. If I don't feel better in a week, I have to go back for a test to see if I have a peptic ulcer. Hmmmmmm ... relaxxxxxxxx!

Today I'm creating a corporate blurb and a bio. So far my day has involved going to the doctor, picking up an auction item, further revisions to the auction program, and writing my blog. To come is my hair appointment and two short writing projects. BUT, in an attempt at relaxation, I told the people I was supposed to meet with tonight about the new executive director for Bayou City Art Festival that I won't be attending. Just too much stress!