I've never tried taking THAT much apple cider vinegar - I only slurp like a half a TEASPOON! or a third of a capfull. I've heard of people that simply mix it in a glass of water and drink it and others that sprinkle it onto white bread and eat the bread. I can usually slurp it out of the cap just fine. I have found that once you open the bottle for the first time the vinegar kinda ages and the flavor improves (it becomes richer and less harsh). Since I wrote my response I have had another bout of freaky pains that took me to the hospital. I didn't think it was a heart attack, I thought it was something like a torn artery or vein. Extreme shooting pains from the center of my back radiating out to my sholder while I was walking the dog (like I do every morning). I got myself to the nearest hospital and explained to them that I have a hiatal hernia and that the pains could be connected to the three slices of pizza I ate late in the evening the night before and the fact that I had rolled over in my sleep and slept on my stomach. They listened but thought it was something more severe. They ran all the tests and everything came up clean, so they had no explanation for what was wrong. The pain went away in like an hour but since this was a large hospital I ended up staying there most of the day waiting for tests or test results before they would release me. I guess I will forever have this problem. But it only seems really bad once every 10 years so I think I can handle that.

just wanted to see if anyone else has these symptoms. i had my gallbladder removed a year ago, but still seem to have some of the same symptoms i had before. i was also diagnosed with a hiatal hernia along with gerd. i have such intense pressure between my shoulder blades that radiates to my chest and makes it hard to breath. i have trouble swallowing sometimes and have had the acid that comes up and burns my throat while i've been sleeping and has awakened me. doctors don't seem very concerned and blow it off as if its just tension or a pulled muscle and want to send me to get a massage. i have this everyday and i pray it will get better with diet and exercise, that is my last resort. any advice will certainly be appreciated.

I had years of UTI problems. I went from doctor after doctor who would give me medication to try to clear it up. Finally I got one to give me a referral to a specialist. He did the proper x rays and tests. Called me into his office and told me. My tumor was so large it took up my whole bladder and still he got it all. If I can be of any other help please do not hesitate to ask. I have been reading these forums for years but never felt compeled to speak up before. So if I can be of any help to someone I will. Having been through that experience was something I hope I never do again. Perhaps if I had asked for a referal sooner I wouldn't have been so bad off. By the way I quit smoking 3 years ago and he told me that was probably the sole reason for getting the cancer.

My husband had a double hernia repaired about a year ago. You will (or should) be checked before hand to see what shape your gall bladder is in. Apparently, if there's any problem at all with it, it will need to be removed prior to the hernia repair. If they don't do that, and your gall bladder causes problems in the future, the mesh used in the hernia repair can become seriously and life-threateningly infected. So if you still have your GB, be sure to have that checked out, as well, even if you aren't having problems. DH wasn't, but had a bunch of stones, so they first removed his GB and about a month later, repaired his hernia. All in all, he missed about 3 months of work between the 2 surgeries, but it was worth it, he feels so much better now. I'd strongly recommend going to a really top-notch, surgeon. His was one with a really good reputation. We knew several people who had similar (hernia and GB) operations around the same time. DH's surgeon did things differently--much more cautiously--but it made a HUGE difference in DH's comfort and recouperation. He really did much better afterwards than the people who had surgeons who seemed more interesting in 'stream-lining' things. The Hernia was repaired in a same-day surgery place. It was much more uncomfortable, and a longer recouperation than the GB, surprisingly. Don't expect to be doing anything at all for the first 24 hours (and you'll feel MUCH better if you can lie flat, if you're anything like DH) Be sure your driver has a car with good shocks, and try to have the procedure as close to home as possible--the ride home was pretty uncomfortable for DH, if I recall correctly. Try to schedule for as early in the day as possible, you don't want to be rushed out of the recovery room, if you have it at the end of the day (DH's was scheduled early, but got postponed till the end and he really wasn't ready to leave, but the place was closing for the day). First few days were a little rough, especially since DH came down with a really bad cold the day he had the surgery (one with a horrible hacking cough, so that wasn't good, but he got through it). My SIL had hernia surgery a few months after DH and she's also fine. You'll feel much better for having the problem fixed.