I can live with it just fine nowadays

I then went to see my family doctor after some time. He said that I had heartburn and that I should watch what I eat – for example, eat less fatty foods. He also mentioned that some people get heartburn when they eat sweet foods like candy.

So I started paying attention to my diet and got the impression that it could have something to do with that. I tried to cut certain things out of my diet, but I have to admit I simply really enjoy eating them. I also stopped eating sweet foods completely for a while. My symptoms got better, or even went away for weeks. But they came back again.

I went back to my doctor and told him I didn’t feel quite right. I simply found the burning really unpleasant, downright awful. He said that my stomach was causing the problem and prescribed chewable tablets. I always carried the tablets on me and chewed them whenever the symptoms arose, and then I felt better again. I was happy with the way things were. The main thing was that the symptoms were under control.

Then my doctor’s practice was taken over by a different doctor, and the new doctor said we should take a different, more long-term, treatment approach. He prescribed different medications, but they didn’t work. So I went back to using the chewable tablets.

I had a gastroscopy and was diagnosed with gastro-esophageal reflux disease. It hadn’t developed very far and there was no need for further treatment. That’s still the case today. I take the chewable tablets whenever I need them, and that works out fine.

My symptoms are definitely related to what I eat. Certain things I eat or drink cause problems, including chocolate, some types of candy and certain kinds of red wine. But I can eat everything else, even spicy foods.

If I’m not careful enough and eat sweet foods, or drink the wrong kind of wine, then I pay for it. I used to find it difficult to say I don’t drink this or that when I went out. I sometimes found it easier to take a sip of wine to avoid awkward questions, and then deal with the consequences. I did used to do that sometimes.

It always takes a while before the symptoms start. I usually only notice them when I lie down in the evening. Then my throat and upper chest burn, there where my food pipe starts. That can be really uncomfortable. I can’t just imagine it away or distract myself. Drinking something or swallowing doesn’t help either.

I always slept pretty horizontally until my doctor suggested that I raise my upper body a bit. I can sleep well if I do that. Overall, I’ve gotten used to having reflux and can live with it just fine nowadays.