Author: Christine Elias

I have a reputation of being a bit of a baby when it comes to pain and illness. It is an undeserved reputation but nonetheless it has been hard to shake.

Well, today I think I got some ammunition for the next time I am accused of being a delicate flower.

Today I got an esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Just so you know, an esophagoscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the esophagus. A gastroscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the stomach. A duodenoscopy is a procedure to view the inside of the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. These procedures are performed as a single procedure by a gastroenterologist and are collectively referred to as an upper endoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

Okay, maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal but this was done without sedation of any kind. Yes, I was wide awake. No drugs. It was my choice. Drugs would have made me feel loopy for about 6 hours and I had other things to do today besides listening to 80s music and relaxing.

I’m fine by the way. No issues.

Okay — two issues — I need to lose weight and I need to stop worrying. Apparently stress — even small stressors — can manifest themselves in stomach issues. I don’t have any big issues in my life and I figured stress was not an issue in relation to the function of my central regions but my doctor thought otherwise.

I tend to dwell on small things — like will I ever find a light fixture that is pleasing — and this is bad for my gut.

The weight is a more obvious issue. No matter that I have already lost a lot of weight and now wear regular people sizes — I am short and I need to slim more.

No problem on both counts. I already feel less worried (I am practically mellow at the moment) and I had an apple for dinner. An apple and a hamburger. Some salad, too.

I’ve read (and re-read) a few books lately about food: In Defense of Food, Fastso and the Skinny Bitch. I liked the first two but the Skinny Bitches were too mean and extreme for me — I won’t be a vegan anytime soon.

But I did type up some points I gleaned from all three books. Next I plan to devise a mnemonic to memorize them…

1. I am not on a diet. I am just trying to eat better.
2. Think before you eat something. Think about why you want it and if you actually feel hungry.
3. If you make a bad choice, it’s okay — life is short — just try to make a better choice next time.
4. When eating out try to split meals or else have a smaller appetizer as a main course.
5. Don’t torture yourself with negative thoughts about food — it’s just about taking one day at a time and making more good choices than bad ones.
6. We’re not perfect and sometimes a treat is nice —we must accept this, otherwise life will be boring.
7. Eat real food not fake food.
8. Don’t eat too much and eat lots of plants.
9. Eat food your great-grandmother would recognize — and that includes things like butter. The fake butter products are the ones to avoid.
10. Avoid junk/processed food/drink. Read the ingredients. Avoid chemicals not delicious foods.
11. Eat at the table not in the car.
12. Love yourself!