Vacation and restaurants!! Rant!

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I recently took a mini-vacation to Duluth and northern Minnesota and

this is my second vacation with achalasia swallowing trouble. I am

realizing that I can really tell the difference in my achalasia

between the memories of my earlier vacation - spring of 2000 and this

one.

On my last vacation I could drink ice water and cold drinks. I could

also swallow better (although not well) and didn't ever have to leave

the table to throw up.

This vacation I had a lot of trouble. First of all, I could not

eat/drink/snack in the car partly because I felt panic that I

couldn't stand up if I needed to. Not a huge deal but when you're

driving 7 hours it is nice to be able to do this. Plus the person I

was riding with tends not to eat regular meals but snacks on crackers

and candy - which I can't do. Then that person isn't hungry for

meals.

I had to leave the table to stand up or go to the restroom and throw

up with almost every restaurant meal (and when you're eating every

meal out, its a big pain).

I have been carrying a 24oz water bottle with me everywhere for the

last few months in case I run out of water at the table and the

waitress isn't around, or in case they insist on giving me ice

water. There were meals where I had to refill my water bottle in the

restroom during the meal because I couldn't get the water I needed

from the wait staff.

I'm really angry at wait staff who can't be inconvenienced to bring

me at the least water with no ice, and at the best room temperature

water. They generally insist on painstakingly pouring me water from

the icewater pitcher, attempting to pour it without any ice getting

in the glass. I ask you - how much warmer is water that has been

sitting in ice than water that actually has ice in it? Very

frustrating! And sometimes they get this attitude like they can't be

inconvenienced with anything slightly out of the ordinary.

Its expecially irritating when I went to a fancy restaurant in Duluth

where the dinner entrees were in the $25-$40 range, and they did

that. They wouldn't bring a carafe of plain water and insisted on

pouring " ice water with no ice " for me and then didn't check back

enough for refills. So here I am in this posh place with my plastic

sports bottle, leaving the table no less than 4 times to either throw

up or refill my water bottle myself in the ladies room. Good

impression on the people we were dining with, who I had just met.

Other than the huge problem of eating out, I enjoyed Duluth and the

other places I visited very much. The vacation overall was a lot of

fun. Its a shame that this health problem detracted from it as much

as it did.

But what I was just realizing is when I compare my eating experience

on this vacation with my previous one, I see that my achalasia is

getting worse. When you're just experiencing home life, it can

progress slowly without noticing. For me it took this new vacation

to see it.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant!

[Guest guest]

I had a funny incident after the waiteress brought ice-cube water after I had

asked for ice-free water. She took it away and returned after about five

minutes with water so hot it burned me. I asked, and she said she had put the

ice-cube water in the microwave to melt the ice.

allan@...

----------

From: [sMTP:jennlee.2@...]

Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 5:47 AM

achalasia

Subject: Vacation and restaurants!! Rant!

Hi all,

I recently took a mini-vacation to Duluth and northern Minnesota and

this is my second vacation with achalasia swallowing trouble. I am

realizing that I can really tell the difference in my achalasia

between the memories of my earlier vacation - spring of 2000 and this

one.

On my last vacation I could drink ice water and cold drinks. I could

also swallow better (although not well) and didn't ever have to leave

the table to throw up.

This vacation I had a lot of trouble. First of all, I could not

eat/drink/snack in the car partly because I felt panic that I

couldn't stand up if I needed to. Not a huge deal but when you're

driving 7 hours it is nice to be able to do this. Plus the person I

was riding with tends not to eat regular meals but snacks on crackers

and candy - which I can't do. Then that person isn't hungry for

meals.

I had to leave the table to stand up or go to the restroom and throw

up with almost every restaurant meal (and when you're eating every

meal out, its a big pain).

I have been carrying a 24oz water bottle with me everywhere for the

last few months in case I run out of water at the table and the

waitress isn't around, or in case they insist on giving me ice

water. There were meals where I had to refill my water bottle in the

restroom during the meal because I couldn't get the water I needed

from the wait staff.

I'm really angry at wait staff who can't be inconvenienced to bring

me at the least water with no ice, and at the best room temperature

water. They generally insist on painstakingly pouring me water from

the icewater pitcher, attempting to pour it without any ice getting

in the glass. I ask you - how much warmer is water that has been

sitting in ice than water that actually has ice in it? Very

frustrating! And sometimes they get this attitude like they can't be

inconvenienced with anything slightly out of the ordinary.

Its expecially irritating when I went to a fancy restaurant in Duluth

where the dinner entrees were in the $25-$40 range, and they did

that. They wouldn't bring a carafe of plain water and insisted on

pouring " ice water with no ice " for me and then didn't check back

enough for refills. So here I am in this posh place with my plastic

sports bottle, leaving the table no less than 4 times to either throw

up or refill my water bottle myself in the ladies room. Good

impression on the people we were dining with, who I had just met.

Other than the huge problem of eating out, I enjoyed Duluth and the

other places I visited very much. The vacation overall was a lot of

fun. Its a shame that this health problem detracted from it as much

as it did.

But what I was just realizing is when I compare my eating experience

on this vacation with my previous one, I see that my achalasia is

getting worse. When you're just experiencing home life, it can

progress slowly without noticing. For me it took this new vacation

to see it.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/1/2001 11:15:47 PM Central Daylight Time, PLFarm@...

writes:

<< As to automobiles, I just about never eat anything in a car

as I have had some of my worst experiences doing this -- >>

, so did I, but I now have a solution to that. I carry

with me, everywhere I go, a box of plastic ziploc bags

and a plastic container to store them in until I can dispose

of them. I even carry one in my purse for a real emergency,

but have not had to use one of those yet.

Gee the things we do to survive!

Magg

[Guest guest]

-A few thoughts on your vacation posting--

I have found that water warmer than 50 F is absolutely critical for

me in swallowing solid foods and water above 60 F works best. When I

go to a restaurant, pot luck etc. I try to remember to bring at least

24 oz. good water from our well that is at room/car temperature.

Then when I arrive at the restaurant, I let the waitperson know at

the outset that I have a swallowing problem and require large

quantities of near room temperature water to ensure that my food

doesn't come back up. Usually I say a pitcher of water, no ice or

cold water will make the meal much easier for both of us. If it's

the kind of situation where the water comes out of the tap cold (as

any well does--at home, I draw a big pitcher well in advance of

mealtime), I have my back-up water and use this first while the other

water gradually warms on the table. I have gone so far as to ask for

an extra couple of glasses so I could split the cold water up,

allowing it warm faster. Sounds like a lot of trouble, but it sure

makes a difference. By the way, I'm pretty sure I know the

restaurant in Duluth you're talking about--I used to sell vegetables

and herbs to them and they know me there, but still on the occasions

when I go there, it's a tough place to get a pitcher of water--they

have this idea that a good waiter will be attentive enough to keep a

steady supply of water in your glass. In cases like this, you just

need to be specific about your problem and let the waitperson know

exactly what you need.

As for vacations in general, my experience has actually not been too

bad. We recently went on a 4-day backpacking, hiking, fishing,and

camping trip. This kind of trip worries me because of the greater

difficulty in elevating my upper body at night to prevent food

aspiration and the tendency to go to sleep as soon as it gets dark

because there's nothing else to do. No matter how much planning we

do, we always seem to get the dinner fire started later and get the

meal cooked later than I would like. Also, in the backcountry we no

longer drink untreated water, so it becomes a question of

establishing camp early enough to boil plenty of drinking water and

allow time for cooling. (I have a cool little filter device that I

usually use, but it turned up missing on this trip!) However, I can

report that things went well and I only did much coughing one night

(when you're in a tent with zipped up mosquito netting you don't want

to have to make a hasty exit to get rid of aspirated food). I also

took a four day canoe trip a few summers ago and things went fairly

well then also -- the key for me is eating bigger meals morning and

noon and filling a pack with all the rain gear,etc so I can get some

elevation in the tent. As to automobiles, I just about never eat

anything in a car as I have had some of my worst experiences doing

this --something about the angle of the typical driver's seat and

knowing that you can't easily rise up and walk around if you feel the

need. I have flown a few times since developing achalasia. I don't

usually eat much airplane food anyway because it's so awful, but I

would guess this could be almost as bad as in a car(and maybe even

worse if you need to get up and the aisle is blocked!) The one type

of vacation that really worries me is overseas to an area where the

water is considered unsafe to drink for visitors. There are lots of

places I would like to go that fit this description, but so far I

haven't been able to put together this ambitious a trip so I don't

know how I would deal with this problem.

Glad to hear you enjoyed Duluth. I'm constantly amazed at how much

tourist business has developed there. Have you been up the shore

much past Two Harbors? The terrain becomes much more rugged as you

travel up the shore, and there is some really beautiful country with

all sorts of outdoor recreational opportunities. In the past few

years, quite a bit more high end/luxury type tourism has developed in

the area from Tofte to the Gunflint Trail (translation--the food is

much better now, but food and lodging is no longer a low budget Mom &

Pop experience).

Please keep me posted about anything you hear from or about Dr.

Stiennon.(Am I correct in thinking that he currently lives in

Madison?) I read through most of his monograph, and even though I

couldn't follow all the technical details, I have this gut feeling

(sorry, bad pun) he just might be right. Other than achalasia, I

have made very few visits to the doctor in my adult life, but about

20 years ago, I had some GI diagnostic work done in International

Falls because of some vague GI symptoms. The x-rays turned up

nothing, but at the time I was convinced I had a hiatal hernia.

from Park Lake Farm (not too far from Duluth)

> Hi all,

>

> I recently took a mini-vacation to Duluth and northern Minnesota

and

> this is my second vacation with achalasia swallowing trouble. I am

> realizing that I can really tell the difference in my achalasia

> between the memories of my earlier vacation - spring of 2000 and

this

> one.

>

> On my last vacation I could drink ice water and cold drinks. I

could

> also swallow better (although not well) and didn't ever have to

leave

> the table to throw up.

>

> This vacation I had a lot of trouble. First of all, I could not

> eat/drink/snack in the car partly because I felt panic that I

> couldn't stand up if I needed to. Not a huge deal but when you're

> driving 7 hours it is nice to be able to do this. Plus the person

I

> was riding with tends not to eat regular meals but snacks on

crackers

> and candy - which I can't do. Then that person isn't hungry for

> meals.

>

> I had to leave the table to stand up or go to the restroom and

throw

> up with almost every restaurant meal (and when you're eating every

> meal out, its a big pain).

>

> I have been carrying a 24oz water bottle with me everywhere for the

> last few months in case I run out of water at the table and the

> waitress isn't around, or in case they insist on giving me ice

> water. There were meals where I had to refill my water bottle in

the

> restroom during the meal because I couldn't get the water I needed

> from the wait staff.

>

> I'm really angry at wait staff who can't be inconvenienced to bring

> me at the least water with no ice, and at the best room

temperature

> water. They generally insist on painstakingly pouring me water

from

> the icewater pitcher, attempting to pour it without any ice getting

> in the glass. I ask you - how much warmer is water that has been

> sitting in ice than water that actually has ice in it? Very

> frustrating! And sometimes they get this attitude like they can't

be

> inconvenienced with anything slightly out of the ordinary.

>

> Its expecially irritating when I went to a fancy restaurant in

Duluth

> where the dinner entrees were in the $25-$40 range, and they did

> that. They wouldn't bring a carafe of plain water and insisted on

> pouring " ice water with no ice " for me and then didn't check back

> enough for refills. So here I am in this posh place with my

plastic

> sports bottle, leaving the table no less than 4 times to either

throw

> up or refill my water bottle myself in the ladies room. Good

> impression on the people we were dining with, who I had just met.

>

> Other than the huge problem of eating out, I enjoyed Duluth and the

> other places I visited very much. The vacation overall was a lot

of

> fun. Its a shame that this health problem detracted from it as

much

> as it did.

>

> But what I was just realizing is when I compare my eating

experience

> on this vacation with my previous one, I see that my achalasia is

> getting worse. When you're just experiencing home life, it can

> progress slowly without noticing. For me it took this new vacation

> to see it.

>

> Thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant!

>

>

[Guest guest]

HAHa....me too, Magg. Those plastic bags were a staple on my long car trips. Everyone would ask what the bags in the glove box were for and I never knew what to say. I guess this disease is so gross that I am often ashamed to tell anyone about it.

Alan

Re: Re: Vacation and restaurants!! Rant!

In a message dated 9/1/2001 11:15:47 PM Central Daylight Time, PLFarm@... writes:<< As to automobiles, I just about never eat anything in a car as I have had some of my worst experiences doing this -- >>, so did I, but I now have a solution to that. I carrywith me, everywhere I go, a box of plastic ziploc bagsand a plastic container to store them in until I can disposeof them. I even carry one in my purse for a real emergency,but have not had to use one of those yet.Gee the things we do to survive!Magg

[Guest guest]

Hi Allan

Thanks for the laugh I needed it this morning - we had visitors yesterday. Not many people understand what its like to prepare food for half a day to feed everyone & then not be able to eat yourself!!!!!

Just feeling a little frustrated I guess & to think I have to live the rest of my life like this.

On a more positive noe I have found a great restaurant very close to home that has a couple of dishes I can eat & are excellent with the water jug.

Thankyou to everyone in this group who have enlightened me and given me a laugh with your stories & jokes.

Donna

-- RE: Vacation and restaurants!! Rant!

I had a funny incident after the waiteress brought ice-cube water after I had asked for ice-free water. She took it away and returned after about five minutes with water so hot it burned me. I asked, and she said she had put the ice-cube water in the microwave to melt the ice.allan@...----------From: [sMTP:jennlee.2@...]Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 5:47 AMachalasia Subject: Vacation and restaurants!! Rant!Hi all,I recently took a mini-vacation to Duluth and northern Minnesota and this is my second vacation with achalasia swallowing trouble. I am realizing that I can really tell the difference in my achalasia between the memories of my earlier vacation - spring of 2000 and this one.On my last vacation I could drink ice water and cold drinks. I could also swallow better (although not well) and didn't ever have to leave the table to throw up.This vacation I had a lot of trouble. First of all, I could not eat/drink/snack in the car partly because I felt panic that I couldn't stand up if I needed to. Not a huge deal but when you're driving 7 hours it is nice to be able to do this. Plus the person I was riding with tends not to eat regular meals but snacks on crackers and candy - which I can't do. Then that person isn't hungry for meals.I had to leave the table to stand up or go to the restroom and throw up with almost every restaurant meal (and when you're eating every meal out, its a big pain). I have been carrying a 24oz water bottle with me everywhere for the last few months in case I run out of water at the table and the waitress isn't around, or in case they insist on giving me ice water. There were meals where I had to refill my water bottle in the restroom during the meal because I couldn't get the water I needed from the wait staff.I'm really angry at wait staff who can't be inconvenienced to bring me at the least water with no ice, and at the best room temperature water. They generally insist on painstakingly pouring me water from the icewater pitcher, attempting to pour it without any ice getting in the glass. I ask you - how much warmer is water that has been sitting in ice than water that actually has ice in it? Very frustrating! And sometimes they get this attitude like they can't be inconvenienced with anything slightly out of the ordinary.Its expecially irritating when I went to a fancy restaurant in Duluth where the dinner entrees were in the $25-$40 range, and they did that. They wouldn't bring a carafe of plain water and insisted on pouring "ice water with no ice" for me and then didn't check back enough for refills. So here I am in this posh place with my plastic sports bottle, leaving the table no less than 4 times to either throw up or refill my water bottle myself in the ladies room. Good impression on the people we were dining with, who I had just met.Other than the huge problem of eating out, I enjoyed Duluth and the other places I visited very much. The vacation overall was a lot of fun. Its a shame that this health problem detracted from it as much as it did.But what I was just realizing is when I compare my eating experience on this vacation with my previous one, I see that my achalasia is getting worse. When you're just experiencing home life, it can progress slowly without noticing. For me it took this new vacation to see it.Thanks for giving me the opportunity to rant!

[Guest guest]

Oh - that sounds terrible - and dangerous.

I've had a couple sort-of funny experiences relating to water also.

Often when I get the ice water without ice I just try to warm it by

holding the glass between my palms. Kind of dull but it works if the

glass isn't styrofoam. And I always have my own bottle which I can

drink from while the other glass is warming up.

On to the humerous (well, sort of) -

Once at one of those get your own drink places, I got water -

freezing cold - out of the soda dispenser. I filled the glass about

half full and then thinking I was pretty clever went to the hot-water

carafe that was set out for tea and filled the rest of the cup. Bad

thinking though, as there was too much hot water and the plastic

glass quickly started to melt itself! Talk about a mess and trying

to drink quickly!

I recently asked a gal at a service restaurant for water no ice and

please not very cold and she was like, " I don't think we have any

like that. " (Hello! Is there a sink in the kitchen?) So she

brought me the very cold water from their soda dispenser and placed

it in front of me and said (I thought kind of sarcastically) " Enjoy. "

I stared at her, a bit confused, and she walked back to the counter

area and as she went, kind of stumbled through words

like, " enjoy...your water... " I thought she was being pretty

insulting or something. Later she came over and apologized to me -

said she was half-asleep (it was breakfast) and is used to giving

people their food and saying, " Enjoy. " So from habit she had said

this when giving me my water and then realize that was pretty stupid-

sounding.

The only other kind of funny thing is one of my favorite restaurants

is great about bringing me a carafe of water (and its even not too

cold!). The lunch special always comes with a soda and I always get

one even though I can never drink much of it - even a bit of caffeine

feels great! I never ever thought to specify no ice with the soda

though! The waiter pointed it out one day. I suppose if I had no

ice in the soda I could probably drink it a bit better (soda still

isn't that great for me to get down though...). Duh! Just never

thought of it.

> I had a funny incident after the waiteress brought ice-cube water

after I had asked for ice-free water. She took it away and returned

after about five minutes with water so hot it burned me. I asked,

and she said she had put the ice-cube water in the microwave to melt

the ice.

> allan@t...

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

Thanks for the water tips. I did enjoy Duluth - I had no idea it was

such a tourist destination - they even have an Imax theater. The

Great Lakes Aquarium is very nice. I was staying in Virginia

visiting someone and we spent time in Duluth and some other places in

the area. I did the underground mine tour at Soudan which was pretty

cool. And the Wolf Center - in Ely? We went to Two Harbors on the

way home, and then made our way along the coast back to Duluth. I

would have liked to go further along the North Coast but not enough

time. I thought that Two Harbors and Knife (I think that was what it

was called) were pretty nice places to walk on the lakeshore. Finding

beach glass is kind of an obsession with me - I have quite a

collection from Lake Michigan - and now from Lake Superior!

I know what you mean about vacation trouble with sleeping. I didn't

have one really good nights sleep the whole trip. At home I have

about 7 pillows and they are all arranged at the proper angle so I

can sleep elevated enough. Our hotel room had three pillows for two

people, and I asked for extras and didn't get any the first night.

So I had two of the bed pillows, the two couch pillows, and the first

night even the couch seat-cushion.

The second night finally got two additional pillows and an extra

blanket so left off the couch seat-cushion. Still got up all the

time during the night - probably from eating too late while on

vacation.

I'm glad to hear you have managed to cope with the condition enough

to go camping and stuff. I was thinking about that when I stopped at

a lovely Wisconsin state park (Amnicon Falls) on the way back and

sadly thinking that I could not even imagine going camping any more.

Perhaps with a pop-up camper or RV or something, but no way the

regular tent on the ground kind, which is the only kind I've ever

done.

With your inspirational tips perhaps I'll give it a try sometime.

What's the worst that could happen - a sleepless night?

> -A few thoughts on your vacation posting--

> I have found that water warmer than 50 F is absolutely critical for

> me in swallowing solid foods and water above 60 F works best. When

I

> go to a restaurant, pot luck etc. I try to remember to bring at

least

> 24 oz. good water from our well that is at room/car temperature.

> Then when I arrive at the restaurant, I let the waitperson know at

> the outset that I have a swallowing problem and require large

> quantities of near room temperature water to ensure that my food

> doesn't come back up. Usually I say a pitcher of water, no ice or

> cold water will make the meal much easier for both of us. If it's

> the kind of situation where the water comes out of the tap cold (as

> any well does--at home, I draw a big pitcher well in advance of

> mealtime), I have my back-up water and use this first while the

other

> water gradually warms on the table. I have gone so far as to ask

for

> an extra couple of glasses so I could split the cold water up,

> allowing it warm faster. Sounds like a lot of trouble, but it sure

> makes a difference. By the way, I'm pretty sure I know the

> restaurant in Duluth you're talking about--I used to sell

vegetables

> and herbs to them and they know me there, but still on the

occasions

> when I go there, it's a tough place to get a pitcher of water--they

> have this idea that a good waiter will be attentive enough to keep

a

> steady supply of water in your glass. In cases like this, you just

> need to be specific about your problem and let the waitperson know

> exactly what you need.

> As for vacations in general, my experience has actually not been

too

> bad. We recently went on a 4-day backpacking, hiking, fishing,and

> camping trip. This kind of trip worries me because of the greater

> difficulty in elevating my upper body at night to prevent food

> aspiration and the tendency to go to sleep as soon as it gets dark

> because there's nothing else to do. No matter how much planning we

> do, we always seem to get the dinner fire started later and get the

> meal cooked later than I would like. Also, in the backcountry we no

> longer drink untreated water, so it becomes a question of

> establishing camp early enough to boil plenty of drinking water and

> allow time for cooling. (I have a cool little filter device that I

> usually use, but it turned up missing on this trip!) However, I

can

> report that things went well and I only did much coughing one night

> (when you're in a tent with zipped up mosquito netting you don't

want

> to have to make a hasty exit to get rid of aspirated food). I also

> took a four day canoe trip a few summers ago and things went fairly

> well then also -- the key for me is eating bigger meals morning and

> noon and filling a pack with all the rain gear,etc so I can get

some

> elevation in the tent. As to automobiles, I just about never eat

> anything in a car as I have had some of my worst experiences doing

> this --something about the angle of the typical driver's seat and

> knowing that you can't easily rise up and walk around if you feel

the

> need. I have flown a few times since developing achalasia. I don't

> usually eat much airplane food anyway because it's so awful, but I

> would guess this could be almost as bad as in a car(and maybe even

> worse if you need to get up and the aisle is blocked!) The one

type

> of vacation that really worries me is overseas to an area where the

> water is considered unsafe to drink for visitors. There are lots

of

> places I would like to go that fit this description, but so far I

> haven't been able to put together this ambitious a trip so I don't

> know how I would deal with this problem.

> Glad to hear you enjoyed Duluth. I'm constantly amazed at how much

> tourist business has developed there. Have you been up the shore

> much past Two Harbors? The terrain becomes much more rugged as you

> travel up the shore, and there is some really beautiful country

with

> all sorts of outdoor recreational opportunities. In the past few

> years, quite a bit more high end/luxury type tourism has developed

in

> the area from Tofte to the Gunflint Trail (translation--the food is

> much better now, but food and lodging is no longer a low budget Mom

&

> Pop experience).

> Please keep me posted about anything you hear from or about Dr.

> Stiennon.(Am I correct in thinking that he currently lives in

> Madison?) I read through most of his monograph, and even though I

> couldn't follow all the technical details, I have this gut feeling

> (sorry, bad pun) he just might be right. Other than achalasia, I

> have made very few visits to the doctor in my adult life, but about

> 20 years ago, I had some GI diagnostic work done in International

> Falls because of some vague GI symptoms. The x-rays turned up

> nothing, but at the time I was convinced I had a hiatal hernia.

>

> from Park Lake Farm (not too far from Duluth)

>