Preparing for Motherhood

Apparently, 80% of expectant mothers experience some sort of gastroesophageal discomfort during pregnancy, since the baby pushes the stomach higher. Perhaps I just want to experience a measure of the pain before my time...
No, it's probably actually a matter of genetics. Both my mother and my maternal grandmother don't have a hearty enough constitution to handle a lot of spice or acid in their diets, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised to follow in their footsteps. I found out today at the doctor that the burning in my tummy is esophagitis (doesn't that totally sound like something I made up?). So, he put me on a month's worth of Prevacid and I have two bottles of Mylanta cooling in the fridge (Mom swears it tastes better when it's cold).
It's good to have a diagnosis finally (since I've been incorrectly medicating myself for the past three days, and in turn likely exascerbating the problem), but I did find myself feeling a bit, well, mortal. Now I can't have spaghetti sauce or diet orange soda (staples in the Goodell home) or wine for a while. Small sacrifices, to be sure. But to someone who considered herself a relatively healthy eater before, it's a bit of a drag. I know my friend Matt Lind can relate.

But I'm thankful nonetheless to be on the mend.

Tummy Trouble

On Sunday I went to my uncle Jack's house for dinner--Aunt Carolyn made chili. Before we ate my stomach was happy, serene, peaceful--normal. Ever since then, it's been anything but. And I'm not sure there's a direct correlation. But 2 days of upper GI burning has me thinking that it's probably time to get a professional opinion on this one. I've exhausted the Pepcid, the Tums, the ibuprofen, the Tylenol, the Pepto-Bismol, the M.O.M. (Milk of Magnesia). All to no avail. I hate going to the doctor, not because it's scary or daunting, but because it's an inconvenience! That's probably a lousy thing to say...most of the world couldn't afford to get to a real doctor. Add guilt to burning sensations...