All posts tagged: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Pumped Up Wednesdays: Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha

Published by

Among the treats that I look forward to each Christmas are Starbucks’ holiday drinks. Every year come the start of the -ber months, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of November, which heralds the revamping of Starbucks branches nationwide in shimmering glitter and joyful color, and the replacement of those trademark white and green cups with bold red ones. Blackboards are erased, new posters are displayed, all announcing that the trio we’ve been waiting for is back — Peppermint Mocha, Toffee Nut Latte and Dark Cherry Mocha. When I learned that the season of Christmas caffeine cheer has indeed finally started, I just had to pass by my nearest Starbucks right after a grocery run. It didn’t matter that I haven’t gotten the official go signal from my doctor. I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to uphold my own personal Christmas tradition: ordering my first cup of Peppermint Mocha. Stepping up to the cashier, I wavered between that and the Toffee Nut Latte. The peppermint won, mostly because those red sprinkles lying on a bed …

Back to Zero

Published by

I was excited all week to start my “Pumped Up Wednesdays” series, wherein I’ll be featuring one specific coffee drink/coffee place weekly. I was brainstorming and researching on what new drink to try, all athrill as if it was to be my first ever sip of the ambrosia that is coffee. In preparation for the much-anticipated happy hours and Halloween partying next week, I went back to my doctor yesterday for my two-weeks-late follow-up consultation re my GERD. How sad is it that upon another peek down my throat, she discovered that there was still some swelling in my esophagus? There goes the young, wild and free chilling in Boracay. I asked my doctor if I could possibly sneak in a cup of coffee and a bottle or two of liquor, and she said that it would be up to me. If I do, I should drink my medicine before, but it wouldn’t be able to counteract the acid production. I promised that I’d limit it as much as I could, because I have to …

1/2 Cup and a Sigh

Published by

It’s been nearly a month since I was diagnosed with GERD, better known as acid reflux. For me, the worst part of it was all the restrictions involved — no fried food, no fatty food, no chocolates, no alcohol, NO COFFEE. Basically, take most all the food and drinks that I love, and that’s what was on my “no contact with mouth” list.  According to my doctor, that was to be strictly followed within the two weeks that I was to take my medicated proton-pump inhibitors. That was back in September 19. What’s happened since then, and why did I not run over to the nearest Starbucks at the first stroke of that much-anticipated fifteenth day? I stuck with the doc’s advice to the letter…well, more or less. I may have eaten a handful of potato chips one time, and maybe taken the tiniest bite of choco-cappuccino cake. But I did follow that no coffee rule, which was perhaps the hardest of them all. In fact, I didn’t take my first sip of coffee ’til …