Silent GERD

 Gastrointestinal Esophageal Reflect Disease symptoms, or GERD, is a very common disease (heartburn). Some people can manage it with simple antacids like calcium carbonate. Others may need proton-pump inhibitors like Prilosec. I was one of those who needed Prilosec since 1996. I took a daily dose of 20 mg, and I was fine since then until a few months ago, specifically last November (2025) when I began feeling pain upon swallowing. The pain first persisted for a few days, then a few weeks, then it would come and go, I finally consulted with an ENT physician who told me that my problem was not my throat, but rather my GI track that was producing too much acid. I even did an endoscopy, the test revealed inflammation of my esophagus. I began taking 40 mg of Prilosec daily, 20 mg in the morning and another 20 mg in the evening. This controlled my GERD better, but pain would still come and go. Finally, my PCP told me to take all 40 mg in the morning and to take Pepcid (10 mg; chewable) in the evening. So far, and for the last 10 days, no pain in my throat at all. Knock on the wood, so far so good. By the way, I initially thought it was the nasal saline I was spraying in my nose daily to avoid allergies that caused the pain. It was not. Nasal saline is fine. It was that silent GERD that I thought I controlled it well with 20 mg Prilosec for some 30 years. My PCP, laughingly said, "You are NOT that young guy, my friend, anymore." I guess not!

A Smile

I saw you when you smiled; I knew what you were thinking about; you claim that you are my friend; NOT...You are just an evil person behind an evil smile...I don't want you to understand me or to judge me. I do not conduct my life based on your values...I assure you, it would've been a miserable life for me. You are so twisted in your brain, I feel sorry about you. I cannot wait until I tell you how I hated every minute of it...And, about that evil smile that you had on your face the other day, keep it to yourself because no one wants to see your ugly face with that terrible, evil, absolutely unwanted, stupid, and horrible smile of yours. When you smile the entire room turns dark...I deceitfully sometimes convince myself that may be you have changed...I won't think that way again anymore because I will keep that ugly, awful, evil, disgusting smile of yours in my memory every time I will see you...I cannot wait for the day I do not have to see you anymore...Love...your coffee buddy... 

Selfish

1 for you...2 for me...2 for you...4 for me...4 for you...8 for me...You will never win with a selfish person. The only way to win is to not mimic them.

House Decor: Chandelier

 

I Saw a Saucer---A Flying Saucer on August 12, 2012 at the Food Lion Shopping Plaza at 8 pm, Holly Springs, NC---I was leaving the parking road, turning right into Main Street, Before I turned, the saucer came over the trees hovering, stopped, and then went and hovered over the coffee shack

 

For all of you whom I forgot to say Merry Christmas, please accept my deepest apologies...Merry Christmas

 

An old bookmark I found in one of my books published 1988 (Hanta Yo)

 

MCPHS University, Boston, Massachusetts

 

Wisdom

 "The first step of a 1000-mile journey is to plan it." Unknown Author

And the video (NASA)

 

Curiosity Rover Selfies (NASA)