Got a call from a friend we used to be real close....

I am a Buddhist. There's a lot of different types of Buddhists but the central tenant of the beliefs in Buddhism is that life is pain and suffering, although they are illusions (although they are illusions they are the type of the kind "George don't get whacked too hard by that tree or you'll die").

My pain came about 8 months ago with stomache aches and difficulty swallowing. A few tests latter I was the proud new father, intriqued by their every grumble and delighted when they seemed to kick me after I had an Indian dinner (w/a few friends) topped off by a Vindaloo constest (basically it's a contest to see who can finish a bowl of *ExXTREMELY* hot curry) it's a wonder they don't pop out doing those Boosby Boorkely dances.

Diagnosis was fairly: Ulcers, GERD, starting of Barrett's Syndrome. Ulcers and GERD means that diet now sucks Flamino's hind teat. 90% Vegetarain, Just Fish and Dairy, although dairy is off-limits to me except in very small doses. No Tomatoes, No Cheese, no Mayonnaise, Severally recuded oil intake, Citrus Juices whatsoever which cuts out most juices except Apple. Who the hell ever heard of Quinoa? But the best was yet to come.

So I have to drive to Alabama a few months ago (from Denver) to move my mother-in-law into hospice. Sucked. What a place. Now I've been down therr 5 times (about every week) because she's been "ready to go", but she did'nt go. I can't hate for not dying but the it long drives every month are tiring.

So life's changing. You can alway your old problems for new problems, nature will help out. Hoping that I get to stay home a little more and enjoy myself.

Sounds like a rough patch. Keep truckin', because when you are in hell, don't stop.

Sadly you are the third person I know to have major stomach problems, the other are my sister and a close friend. My friend will die from his in a few years if he does not eat right. I he does eat right maybe 10 - 15. Basically the lining of his stomach is not protected from the acid and over the coure of his life that acid has been eating away faster then the cells are growing.

Anyways it seems everyone is going through major hardships these days, but that doesn't mean every day has to be hell. Perception heavily dictates how we deal with our situation, and even how we feel.

hope things get better

Well, then i'll be the fourth person you know

When i went to Singapore, i got addicted to the local pepper (mainly because it was everywhere, EVERYWHERE, from the burger to the yakisoba to the ham sandwiches) and back in Brazil i used to eat it like i'm a car and it was fuel

I got some bad ulcers now, but it doesn't stop me from chugging at least 2 mugs of coffee a day and it never will

But seriously though, i heard there are three levels of ulcers and i'm in the middle. You got the worst one?

I had some bad sushi yesterday and my stomach has been giving me mixed signals ever since...

Mine's better now but I have to take three Prevacid's each day. I've quit smoking, I've quit caffeine, no more pizza, no more diet coke or any carbonated beverages, almost no meat and nothing citrus whatsoever. But it seems like that was all a load happy horse shit. Four months of that and it didn't do jack. The only thing that helped was the Prevacid, in large doses. The internists are doing more experiments. They are still not sure what it is.

On a happier note a lot of my watches sold during the Holiday Season. My theory is that people were scaling back a little and didn't feel comfortable buying that 6k Omega. But some of them were comfortable with the 1.5k-2.5k price range of my watches. Price points are such a tricky thing in the luxury goods market.

when i saw the title i started singing the song..

but that sucks sorry to hear it.