All About Me

Hello and thank you for visiting this web site! What follows is my story, why I decided to learn as much as I could about acid reflux , and how I determined to build one complete web site that answers as many questions as possible.

My name is Samuel Whatley. I was born with a disability called Arthrogryposis (r-throw-gry-po-sis). Arthrogryposis, is a combination of two Greek words which means "curved or hooked joints".

This disorder is usually caused by decreased fetal movements in the womb. The limbs in the fetus needs to move in order for the muscle and joints to develop properly. If the joints don't move, extra connective tissue builds up around the joints and fixes them in place.

These particular joint contractures found in an infant with Arthrogryposis vary, but there are several common characteristics:

• The legs and arms are affected. The wrists and ankles are the most affected. Another way to imagine this is to think of the fetus closed up inside the uterus, confined in that position.
• The joints in the legs and arms are limited in movement.
• Muscles in the legs and arms may be delicate and fragile.
• One or both of the hips may be dislocated at birth.

Growing up, I had quite a few health problems. So, I always thought that being sick or being in physical pain came with the territory. One of the main problems I had was digesting food, especially when going to bed after eating dinner.

The other symptoms I experienced were heavy coughing, frequent belching, and mostly stomach acid regurgitating out of my mouth while I was asleep.

I didn't even know it was happening until I would wake up and discover stains all over my clothes and bed sheets. I never knew this was a common problem until one day, I saw an infomercial discussing GERD.

This was my first time ever hearing of such a term "GERD" or "acid reflux". After watching that program I realized that this condition wasn't just something that "went with the territory". It made me feel better, because this let me know that I wasn't alone.

Over time, I began to experience symptoms that were a bit more severe. Certain foods I ate would have an affect on my ability to swallow. Foods like meats, breads and snacks wouldn't pass through and would get stuck in my throat.

When I finally got up the courage to make an appointment with my physician, she gave me a prescription to take Nexium, ("the Purple Pill"). Immediately, after taking the meds, I noticed a difference.

Foods would pass through smoothly, the heartburn stopped, acid would stay down in my tummy at night, so everything seemed fine. Within two weeks though, I began to experience a truck load of side effects:

• Headaches.
• Increase in blood pressure.
• Dry throat when waking up.
• Fatigue (I couldn't get myself out of bed for anything).
• Diarrhea-like symptoms.

Experiencing all of these side effects drove me crazy. So, after discussing this with my physician, she took me off of Nexium and gave me a prescription for a drug called Ranitidine (Zantac). This drug reduced my heartburn, but it did nothing to prevent other stronger symptoms.

When I brought this to my doctor's attention I was referred to a specialist ( Gastroenterologist ). This doctor told me to continue to take the Ranitidine, but in a different way. After two weeks of taking it the new way he scheduled me to have an upper endoscopy (EGD).

Basically, an upper endoscopy helps the physician to look inside of your esophagus and stomach. The purpose of this procedure is to find out why a person might have swallowing difficulties, nausea, vomiting, or acid reflux.

The results revealed I had what was called an esophageal stricture. The doctor did a poor job of explaining to me exactly in English what that meant. As soon I returned home from my doctor's appointment, I researched the internet and learned that basically an esophageal stricture is a continuous narrowing of the esophagus

That was due to all of those years of symptoms I was experiencing. While on the internet, I also decided to find out a little bit more about GERD (more commonly known as acid reflux.)

I was very unhappy with the bits and pieces of information I found. I had to visit several different websites to find the complete answer to even one question!

So, this is when I decided to learn as much as I could about acid reflux and try my best to build one complete web site that answers as many questions as possible.

Thank you again, for taking the time to visit my web site! I sincerely hope Acid Reflux Tips will answer all of your questions. Have a wonderful day and a better tomorrow! :D

Sincerely,

Samuel Whatley
www.acid-reflux-tips.com

Even though I've conquered my health issues, there are still things that get me going. One of them is the Solo Build It scam Google bomb. See, I build this site using SBI! and it is not right that vicious competitors could get away with a Google bomb to malign a company that doesn't deserve. How do I fight back? By posting a link to the site that tells the TRUTH. This is what really happened and you all can read about it here: The SiteSell site.

I hope that balance helps you decide right from wrong if you ever encounter that Google bomb.

Notice & Disclaimer: Acid Reflux Tips is for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice. Always consult your doctor with health questions about specific medical conditions.