My husband has had chronic GERD for years without knowing it. He started having symptoms that didn't make sense around last January. He was short of breath, cleared his throat a lot, had nausea and an upset stomach, and finally passed out in the middle of the night. I found him unconscious on the bathroom floor. After months of tests his GI doctor diagnosed him with Barrett's syndrome, a precancerous condition of the esophagus, but he couldn't explain the respiratory involvement. Worse yet, the only solutions offered were very invasive - surgery to remove the abnormal cells or light therapy with not the best chance of success. We needed a second opinion and we found Dr. Koufman. She ran different tests that tracked his acid level during an entire day of activities, including while eating, sleeping, coughing, everything. My husband had an enormous amount of acid and was refluxing all the way up to his larynx. The standard course of treatment from the GI doctor included a one-a-day medication that did not last the full 24 hours for my husband, so since he took it in the morning, it stopped working while he was sleeping,in the worst position for reflux to again attack the esophagus that was trying to heal all day.
Within a couple of days of meeting Dr. Koufman, my husband was on the strict phase of the diet. It wasn't easy since he was previously working in the wine trade and had to completely stop drinking wine, coffee, pretty much everything except water, milk, aloe juice and camomile tea. She also changed his medications to better control the condition over 24 hours. Within about 3 weeks, he started feeling noticeably better. After a couple of months, he went back for more tests and his condition had improved dramatically. This all happened before the book was published and when it came out he was so excited by the recipes. What a difference it has made to be able to enjoy gourmet-style food after months of just obeying a list of forbidden foods. Now his condition has almost completely reversed, he has lost 35 pounds, and he is able to start adding things back in, like Gala apples.
Although a life-threatening disease is never a good thing, this experience has changed life for our entire family. Dr. Koufman's care and now her invaluable book have not only turned around my husband's condition and allowed him to take charge of his health, but the delicious recipes have allowed him to enjoy food again without feeling like he is stuck with a life-sentence of bland.
