this's and thats's

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All righty then, This last listing of posts made me hungry. Jo, what kind of grapes were they? I like grapes, too, but they used to be hard to swallow (duh, Deborah). The red ones are supposed to be better for us (fight toxins in the digestive system?) so, of course, I like the green ones even more. When I wanted grapes, pre-VAT, I would get the concord grape juice or the peace and grape blend juices! Yum! and those juices make such great popsicles, too! Cindi! How are you? , I had my gallbladder out when I was 23. I had some amazing gallbladder attacks before the surgery. Nasty business! My doctors have told me that they suspect there might be a connection between Achalasia and other

organs so I'll be checking out those posts about the gallbladder. ! I'll take the buffet! Sounds great. Part of my current problem is that I've avoided so many different kinds of foods in the last few years, that I sometimes avoid them again because they have lost their allure over time. Thick, crusty bread may look great to me, but it's always been a disaster for me to try to eat. My M.D. told me to avoid it for a while and then, if I do eat it, to chew it a lot. Kinda takes the thrills outta it, doesn't it? Not that I need to inhale anything. But today I had rice pudding for lunch because it just looked better than anything else in the frig. and I knew I could swallow it easily. Same goes for ice cream. Trader Joe's has that Double Rainbow brand and I picked

up some French Vanilla two days ago, and yum-oh-my, it's great! I did have a stroke after my son was born and that is in the way-back days. But I have also have pulmonary embolisms on several occasions and so I could say I am predisposed to blood clot problems. I also have an enlarged heart (which I did not know I had until I had a treadmill test about four years ago). Since that time I have learned that I just might have an enlarged heart because I used to be an athlete. Good. I'd rather it was that way than as a result of too much Haagen Dazs. And, asthma. I never had it when I was a kid. I seemed to have picked up asthma, and also had pneumonia six times, ever since the late 1980's. I wonder just how much of all of this is related to stress?

Many people on this site have mentioned the stress and Achalasia connection. That goes for spasms, too. Seems right, doesn't it? Kathie in Pittsburg, Yes, getting the soda is FANTASTIC !! Oh, how I love soda! But my therapist, whom I love and adore, told me that recently he was diagnosed with anemia and he learned that anemia and Coke as well as several other sodas seem to go together. Evidently sodas suck calcium out of our systems. Rats! Have any of you guys ever heard that? And I also get the take-out box from restaurants. It takes all the guesswork out of the meal. There is no need to fret over whether or not I can eat it all or leave something good (and paid for) behind. And I try to get the salad dressings in little cups with lids so that

the lettuce will be all right when I get home and open that box for lunch the next day. I LOVE SALADS !!! I just had one from Trader Joe's: fresh pear slices, gorgonzola cheese, sun-dried cherries, toasted almonds all over a bed of great mixed greens !!! with a vinnegrette! yummers! , hope your spasms are leaving you alone more and more. It must be a bit depressing, too, isn't it! I hate it! I'll hate it for you, too! all best, Deborah, still at the beach in a Tin Can with Prince Albert P.S. Ann! did you get a chance to visit any museums in Amsterdam? Did you get to sample any of those great

smoked cheeses and fish?! P.P.S. Hi Sandi in Nor. Cal. and Hi, Sandy, in So. Cal.