Some answers

I have acid reflux disease. I've had it since I was a child. For the most part I can control it with a bland diet. No sugars, not over eating ect. For 5-6 years now I have had terrible "stomach attacks". I double over in pain, throw up and always have to go to a hospital to get any relief. I'm generally out for the count for about 2 days. Every time I have had to go to the hospital I have had no health insurance and left with no answer other than " It's your reflux."


My last episode was on November 2007(I'm sure there's a blog somewhere) and that was the answer I got yet again and I still had no insurance. I went over a year since Ive had any issues, but I ended up in the hospital yesterday, this time I have health insurance.

I woke up at 430 with Skip almost not able to breath because the center of my stomach, right under my rib cage felt like someone was squeezing it with a vice and stabbing be in the back at the same time. I did my usual of sitting in the bottom of a hot shower to get some relief. Skip had to go to formation and was just feeling awful about leaving me. But in any case I had already alerted my mom(thank gawd for her) and she was ready for the call to take me to the ER if I needed it. AS usual i did nothing but throw up HUGE amounts of stomach acid and nothing got better. So i called mom and she came to get me.

We went to Memorial North simply because I didn't feel like sitting in the waiting room downtown like I have always had to do. I didn't sit in the waiting room for more than 10 seconds before I was wheeled into a room. A nurse was instantly there and within 10 minutes a doctor was at my side asking VERY specific questions about my condition. This is the first time I have seen a doctor for my problem who wasn't just writing a pain script. No Joke. He went very in depth about what my gallbladder, esophagus and stomach could be doing together to cause this kind of issue and ordered an ultra sound to look at my organs. Tons of blood work was done and I got some really great NON NARCOTIC pain drugs administered on my request. There was no argument like I am used to getting. It was nice to be coherent the whole time.

I was there for 7 hours. The doctor came in and started telling me what was going on. My gallbladder has a stone and a small amount of inflammation, tho not enough to cause the pain I was having. He explain to me my esophagus was spasming because of the acid that may have very well caused a fair amount of scare tissue at the opening from my stomach. He says with the years of these episodes and the reflux I have some swelling and damage. I was prescribed NExium to take twice a day to help heal the erosions and clear the excess acid as well as a 14 day regimen of a pill that's sole purpose is to heal my stomach and esophagus. I have to take that 3 times a day and its like a horse pill!!

I know have a referral to see a GI doctor to get a scope done to make sure the scare tissue isn't enough to become cancerous, and receive more treatment for that. I also will need one of those tests where I get to drink the icky fluid and have them look at where it goes and how my organs are digesting it. Yummy.


I will never believe another hospital when they say they treat patients the same wheather they have insurance or not.