Leah B.
Humble Servant of All
Two or three days before Christmas I went to ER with shortness of breath and squeezing pain and pressure in my ribs and chest. It was determined the cause was uncontrolled GERD. I was told to watch what I eat and to supplement my daily dose of omeprazole with 20 mg of famotidine for two weeks. [I had originally believed my symptoms were caused by my COPD, that this was a COPD flare. I had treatment with prednisone and antibiotics. The prednisone gave me horrific side-effects and very, very likely contributed to this GERD attack as did multiple stressors. One biggie is TMJ and a jaw movement disorder times eight years. Both are greatly improved since I got my jaw orthotic and went through multiple adjustments. However, this happy development is recent. I've been suffering and sleep deprived for years. There were other stressors as well.] But back to point: I watched what I ate over Christmas and Christmas Eve. Then after Christmas, I put myself on a super bland diet. I also did research and purchased a kelp supplement for GERD. How the product works is instead of blocking stomach acid, it forms a barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, kind of like a floating cork. A real physician invented it. I listened to a one-half hour presentation/interview and was impressed. Unfortunately, the product did not arrive today as it should have. Anyway, I'm so far scared and disappointed. I still feel acid in my throat. I'm bloated. My upper airways are impaired. Most concerning to me is the rib pain and pressure in my ribs. It's not as bad as when I went to the ER, but it's still there. I believe I need a full GI work-up including a repeat endoscopy. I believe this is serious. I wish they had admitted me overnight and ran all GI tests once the ER determined it was not my heart or lungs. Anyway, in Jesus's name, please pray for a dramatic turnaround for me with regards to this condition. [My other fear is physical deconditioning. I haven't exercised in three days. Exercise is crucial for my COPD control.] Please pray this product helps me. I think the omeprazole could not keep up with the increased stomach acid production; however, maybe that's not true or only partially true. Maybe there's something else going on. My point is please pray for guidance choosing doctors and for me to get the right care. I didn't want to get surgery, but now I read about improvements in the procedure. Please pray in Jesus's name I can get doctors to cooperate with me with perhaps mixing some of these natural methods with meds or even substituting them. This kelp [sodium alginate] is actually a breakthrough treatment my insurance should be covering -- ha, ha, ha! I would hope a physician would be cooperative, open-minded and willing to help guide me through, but many are not. In fact part of the problem is lack of time and fragmented care. That is why I ended up being the one who diagnosed my condition correctly in the end, not the pulmonary doctor's PA and not the GI doctor's PA. Also the ER doc figured it out because she listened to me for ten minutes. I am just terrified. I'm also sad. I got my lung disease under excellent control. I got my jaw issues straightened out after years of pain and suffering and sleep deprivation. Now this. I can't take anymore. I'm not even human. Please pray for me in Jesus's name.

