Alas, I have been absent for a while. Although my attention has been mostly elsewhere, I have not forgotten you.

Now that I have suffered the indignity of having my insides videotaped from both ends, and it has been confirmed that everything that should be in there is in there, and nothing that shouldn’t be there (like six-letter words that start with “C”, for example) can be found, maybe I can get back to some normalcy.

Of course, it is rather depressing when your doctor gives you an itemized list of the foods that will irritate your particularly nasty case of reflux, and it consists of all of the things you enjoy.  And the drugs make you dizzy. And give you abdominal cramps. And depression. And anxiety. And sleep disorders. And each office visit to the gastroenterologist is $390.oo. And it’s an hour away.

At least I can sleep better now, knowing that I don’t have any of the wonderful things my family doctor mentioned. Things like a hiatal hernia, Barrett’s Esophagus, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, ulcers, ciliac disease, or any of the myriad other disorders splashed in living color across glossy literature in the gastro suite.

This is what I get for telling my doctor I have heartburn more than twice a week – you know, like the commercials on TV tell you. “Be sure to consult your doctor if you suffer from heartburn more than twice a week.” Now I know. I have to admit I was a bit concerned, given my family history and an episode two years back involving the other end of the digestive highway.

So, my neglected blog, I will do my best to dust off the cobwebs and get back to some writing. I’m sure I have some things to say, and not just about my guts.