Is There an Apple in My Throat?

I swear there is an apple in my throat! I am one of the many people who suffer from acid reflux. I developed it during my first pregnancy with Lane. I had gained 60 lbs-ya, not pretty! Anyway, my doctor said once you have it, that's it, you'll have it for life. Well, I was kinda in denial of the "for life" part and thought all I would have to do is lose some weight and I'd be fine. I've lost 28 lbs since January and was feeling great! So, I brilliantly took myself off my reflux medicine-I hate having to take medicine every day-thinking I had solved my reflux issue, WRONG! I went on a trip with the kids to visit family in Ohio and thus begun my ordeal. While I was there my throat felt like it closed up and I couldn't breathe. I even went to urgent care and they told me it was allergies! So, here I was taking Claritin, Benadryl and using my rescue inhaler. My throat eased up a bit on the way home but I was downing coffee the whole trip back. Well, for reflux sufferers, that's not great. My voice became raspy and it was on fire! Then a light bulb went off in my little head~Duh! REFLUX! Here I was drugging myself with antihistamines and it was reflux. Now, for about 2 weeks there feels like there is a lump or an "apple" in my throat. My esophagus had swelled from all the acid to protect itself. I am now back on my medicine of Protonix-about 1week and doing a little better. Hopefully this swelling will get better altogether in the next couple of weeks! So, for now, no coffee-boohoo! No spicy foods, or the killer for me-NO CHOCOLATE! Lesson learned~