Reflux

Every once in a while my stomach throws a revolt. Certain foods set it off and normally I can wait out the preliminary rumblings. But occasionally all hell breaks loose within a couple mouthfuls of my meal (tomato sauce and Chinese food are the chief instigators). Last night a new tomato sauce I liked (Classico's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions) got things started as I began to chow down on a plate of spaghetti. I hadn't eaten very much when I was rushing for the bathroom. It's happened enough before that I wasn't particularly alarmed (even as recently as last November in a Chinese restaurant on my birthday). A quick upchuck of the offensive matter and I'm usually good to go to finish my meal (it sounds strange, I know, but I generally feel pretty good once the episode has passed). Last night was a little different. The retching was quite intense with more gagging than I'm accostomed to. At one point, I couldn't resist, I had to see what effect all this was having on my face. A hideous visage stared back at me from the mirror above the toilet, I was red verging on purple, eyes bulging, with tears, snot (I have a cold), and drool mixing freely while running down my face. I remembered thinking for a moment that this must be what it's like to choke to death. Am I choking to death? Is that what's going on here? What a stupid way to go? Fortunately, the retching ended. Or so I thought. After sitting back down to my spaghetti (I certainly wasn't going to let it go to waste!), I found myself racing back to the bathroom for a second round. This time it was so sudden, I didn't think I was going to make it. With my hand clamped down firmly on my lips, I could feel the pressure of the vomit building within my mouth as I dashed across my kitchen. Well, this is a new twist, I thought. With a headlong lunge, I made it in time, and the retching was indeed less intense this time around.

I'm happy to report that the rest of my meal was uneventful.