Dysplasia Schmasia

When I realized yesterday that I hadn't gone for a single hike for the entire month of January I decided something had to be done about that.  With the temps in the low 30's I decided to make a break for it, even if the wind was still howling and snow was still falling.  I needed to meet my mother in Kenosha for an appointment with her cardiologist so I left a little early and stopped at Bristol Woods for a short walk.

sculpted snow

 I've never hiked there before, the trail system is not very extensive.  But, I was able to hike about 2 miles in under an hour.  Normally that wouldn't be a workout, but  the trail was snow over bumpy ice, and in some spots I crunched right on through a couple of inches of unbroken snow.

I wasn't the only one leaving footprints, but this guy didn't get down through the snow as far as I did.

There wasn't much to see, but it was nice to get some fresh air.

Things have been a little hectic and stressful around my home this past two weeks, it seems like everyone I know is having health problems.  So it was good to get out for a little bit and do something relaxing.

Yesterday I went chocolate-free.  Doesn't sound like much of a sacrifice until you realize I eat dark chocolate in small amounts all day long every day.  I finally decided it was probably a contributing factor in my digestive woes.  Chocolate (and coffee) relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and I've been suffering from heartburn symptoms even while faithfully taking my Omeprazole.  I noticed coffee made it worse and cut out that completely about a month ago, which was much easier since I only have a couple of cups of decaf a week.  I'm on the hunt for carob treats, but all I found at the store today was a bag of carob chips for baking that cost $6. I bought it in case I have a hard to ignore craving.

I hope Whole Foods has low sugar, no chocolate treats - how much can a girl give up, after all?  No dairy, low (I mean LOW) sugar, low gluten, and fruits and vegetables in small amounts...now no dark chocolate too.  I'm giving corn and tomatoes a rest as well but I'll try adding them in again later.  My latest upper GI indicated my Barrett's Esophagus has progressed and I'll be going in for a series of ablation treatments in February.  My pre-cancer cells (dysplasia) need destroying, and I need to make sure I've got a plan in place to keep my improved esophagus clean and healthy.  In case you're interested in what the treatment's all about, I found a link to a great video of the surgery here.  Just click on the picture under the "media in this article" section in the middle of the page.  It has a 90% success rate, gotta like those odds!