Couch 218: Northern Minnesota 2050

Thanks most of the secondhand books stores here have closed over the past couple of years. Its sad nothing like the smell of old books.

Almond milk is OK on its own, but I hated how it tasted in coffee, so I switched to soy. I thought cashew milk was really good (including in coffee but had to stop using it when we learned my daughter is allergic to cashews (she didn't drink any of the milk, but I didn't want to have it in the house). So if you can find cashew milk, try that, too. I wasn't a fan of oat milk, but it may have been the brand I tried.

Cashew milk sounds delicious. I love cashew nuts.
It's probably more expensive, though?

What about coconut milk? I've never tried any of these nut milks.

I don't know about coconut milk as a dairy substitute - I've only really come across it in Asian cooking.
I attended a Thai cookery demo at a local food festival last year, and had my first experience of fish soup.
It was gross.

well, i tried to sleep on my left side all night but this morning my head still feels full of cotton on that side and still can't hear in that ear. guess i'm calling the dr tomorrow. bah humbug, i'd hoped it would drain overnight. Oh well, time for work. later couchies, hugs all around to whoever wants.

Thank you.

My digestive system has never been great, but after I had my gallbladder surgery, it really became a mess. My gastro doc says it is basically my lot in life. I have moved to Fairlife milk which I seem to tolerate just fine - basically lactose free. There a various brands of lactose free milk out there. Personally, I don't taste a difference, and on the plus side, it lasts MUCH longer in the fridge and we aren't big milk drinkers around here anyway.

I keep imodium with me at all times. It is what it is. Again, GI doc says that is perfectly fine to take as needed.

I kind of know if I eat out, I will probably pay for it later, particularly if the meal is spicy or fatty. If I think ahead and take imodium first, I can usually get ahead of it.

My GI doc also prescribed cholestyramine powder that I use on occasion if the problem is not resolving quickly. It is a powder for high cholesterol that you can mix in water or orange juice and it, shall we say, thickens things up. LOL. The trick is figuring out how much and how often to use it because it definitely can works well . . . sometimes too well if you know what I mean. I don't use it often, but on occasion it is quite helpful.

Basically, I've learned to be lactose-free as much as possible, eat less (over-eating increases the problem), be proactive about choosing less spicy/fatty foods (and be prepared with imodium if I do eat them). Mostly, it keeps things tolerable. I have certain days (not really whole days, just an hour or so) when my colon tends to revolt and I just deal with those as they occur. Not fun, but I don't worry too much about it anymore since my GI doc has said it is more a nuisance than any kind of danger. I have other GI issues that are more potential dangers like a tendency toward precancerous polyps (and two direct relations who did have colon cancer), so we keep an eye on that, but the IBS symptoms are a separate issue.

There's 2 types. The canned one, which is way higher in fat and best for curries and desserts, and the dairy substitute which is a lot less rich.

I got irrationally upset at the supermarket. One large section of various brands and types of cow milk and two small shelves for dairy substitutes. Half of those were soy, which I dislike. Couldn't find almond, just a single "rice and almond milk" blend, one brand of pistachio milk (?! Expensive!), and one brand of coconut milk. I got the coconut milk but haven't tried it. Because I gotta finish the stupid carton of cow's milk I still have.

I did read that chia seed puddings are easy to make and good for both types of IBS. Pretty much any plant milk or yoghurt works.

I'm living off grapes, blueberries, peanut butter, crackers and satchel soup at the moment. Just zero appetite.

T was like "you better regain appetite!" (Mock sterness) but I chalk it up to being bereaved. No one died but yknow, toxic family etc and a "family of choice" fellow lgbtq and survivor friend left my life. I didn't want to out myself to the GP so I said they died. >.<

Thanks for clarifying, QM. I'm sorry for your loss.
The end of a friendship is a kind of death.

Omg, I love fatty and spicy food. I have them only rarely but I can see how they can make things worse.

I better start that food tracking diary folks suggested haha. Its not a confirmed diagnosis for me since specialists are costly and it could be something else altogether.

I don't seem to get the cramping a lot of people on reddit experience, for example.

Hugs

I feel like a broken record going on and on about useless crap to my friends so I didn't get in touch with them.

I emailed my T and he got worried and texted me and I was an idiot and just told him I was fine.

I hate myself.

Artie-bean, have you tried the vinegar and rubbing alcohol trick? One part vinegar, one part rubbing alcohol; put about a teaspoon or so in your ear and waggle it around so it gets way in there. Alcohol helps the water evaporate out of your ear faster, and also disinfects stuff a bit so the stagnant water in there doesn't lead to an ear infection.

Not Official Medical Advice or anything, but it's what I do when I get water stuck in my ears. (Also I did a Google and the Stanford Ear Institute recommends it too!)

Hugs, could you text back and say actually you're not fine?

Thank you! I use an alcohol-based ear drop, but I don't think it has vinegar in it. I might have to try that. Except for i'm reading online about it and how you're not supposed to put anything in there if you have a tear in your eardrum - now i am of course wondering if that's what the problem is and i might should not be putting anything in there. although you'd think i'd know if i had a torn eardrum wouldn't i?? Who knows... and i shouldn't be swimming anyway if i have a tear in it. ugh.

Artley, same! Only i still have my gall bladder. I do not do fatty foods unless i WANT to be ill. Negative reinforcement?

I had a perforated eardrum once & it was very painful, & the ear,nose,throat doctor had to repair it. I've also had stuffed up ears from fluids in them (too much pool water, a cold, etc.) & they didn't have pain, just annoyance. They either dried up by themselves or a doctor recommend ear drops, over-the-counter or prescribed.

Pain at the end of the day is still pain.

I'm sure they don't see you the way you view yourself. If you were one of my friends I'd want to help.

Can you email T again and tell him you're really not okay? I've done that so many times I've lost count.

P.s I love that you also used artie bean too!

How did it take me this long to discover Dark Mode? So much easier on the eyes, everywhere.

I think my D just named one of her koosh balls after Dr. T. I call him "Dr. [first name]" to her, and she named the koosh ball [first name].

That's sweet, LT!

ahhh breaktime! Penelope is becoming such a sweetheart as she gets older. She spends a lot of time in the office with me while I'm working, wanting me to rub her neck and pet her. Also this morning I guess the big cat was chasing her because she came zooming in there at high speed and laid down between my feet under my desk. Squee! It has taken her a long time to really start warming up to us. She's sitting next to me right now at my laptop staring at me she must know I am 'talking' about her haha

2.34 am and I can't sleep.

I downloaded In therapy by Susie Orbach. On the first case study: Richard and Louise are so irritating.

Sorry you couldn't sleep, I hope you were able to close your eyes and rest for awhile after reading.