Buenos dias desde Buenos Aires

I am finally in the great city of Buenos Aires! YAY! The flight took 10 1/2 hours. It was pretty awful. I tried to sleep through most of  it.

The airport was a breeze, though I wasn't expecting to pay a $140 "reciprocity fee" (good for 10 years! great.) at customs. Eh. Customs story: There were two shady looking dudes ahead of me in line. One had a US passport and could pay the fee, the other had an Armenian passport and no visa. Apparently he didn't know you needed a visa to get into Argentina so he was denied entry. Can you imagine paying $1,000+ to fly to Argentina and being told you can't come in? Awful.

I was picked up at the airport by a car service. My driver was super friendly telling me since I am travelling alone not to be in the La Boca barrio after dark (it's a bit slummy) and to carry my purse in front of me not on my back, among other things.

When we pulled up at my hotel I had to ask him where it was. There is no sign marking the entrance to the Cocker. The facade is nice enough, but when you walk in it is so beautiful and unique. It's less a hotel and more a B&B (there are only 4 rooms here) and the staff really makes you feel like it is your home away from home. For example, I leave snacks and drinks in the kitchen fridge and I read the BA Herald in the mornings sprawled out in the most comfortable couch ever in the salon.

I had a shower and a nap when I got in. Woke up around 1pm (12pm ET) and familiarized myself with San Telmo, the barrio (neighborhood) I'm in.

San Telmo is the oldest barrio in BA. This barrio is an antiques shoppers dream. If you walk down the main road, Defensa, there are nothing but antique shops, some quirky and relatively inexpensive, some amazing, but expensive, with the most beautiful antique jewelry you've ever seen in the windows.

OH! So I should mention the exchange rate though it is still confusing me. It's currently about 3.8 Argentine pesos to 1 US dollar. I changed about $360 when I came in and got a bit over $1,400 Argentine pesos. Yesterday I got THE BEST STEAK OF MY ENTIRE LIFE for $87 pesos which means I paid about $22. NOT BAD! Last night I got a bottle of Malbec and a ham and cheese sandwich for $12!!! NICE. To say I'm amazed by the awesome cheap food here is an understatement for sure.

Gastroparesis

Tests are back. Blood work looks good. Except I need more potassium. That I can deal with.
Unfortunately, the gastric emptying study I had on Tuesday indicates I have gastroparesis.

Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a disorder in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents. Normally, the stomach contracts to move food down into the small intestine for digestion. The vagus nerve controls the movement of food from the stomach through the digestive tract. Gastroparesis occurs when the vagus nerve is damaged and the muscles of the stomach and intestines do not work normally. Food then moves slowly or stops moving through the digestive tract. If food lingers too long in the stomach, it can cause bacterial overgrowth from the fermentation of food. Also, the food can harden into solid masses called bezoars that may cause nausea, vomiting, and obstruction in the stomach. Bezoars can be dangerous if they block the passage of food into the small intestine.

Treatment of gastroparesis depends on the severity of the symptoms. In most cases, treatment does not cure gastroparesis—it is usually a chronic condition. Treatment helps you manage the condition so you can be as healthy and comfortable as possible.

Medication

Several medications are used to treat gastroparesis. Your doctor may try different medications or combinations to find the most effective treatment. Discussing the risk of side effects of any medication with your doctor is important.

• Metoclopramide (Reglan). This drug stimulates stomach muscle contractions to help emptying. Metoclopramide also helps reduce nausea and vomiting. Metoclopramide is taken 20 to 30 minutes before meals and at bedtime. Side effects of this drug include fatigue, sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and problems with physical movement.
• Erythromycin. This antibiotic also improves stomach emptying. It works by increasing the contractions that move food through the stomach. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
• Domperidone. This drug works like metoclopramide to improve stomach emptying and decrease nausea and vomiting. The FDA is reviewing domperidone, which has been used elsewhere in the world to treat gastroparesis. Use of the drug is restricted in the United States.
• Other medications. Other medications may be used to treat symptoms and problems related to gastroparesis. For example, an antiemetic can help with nausea and vomiting. Antibiotics will clear up a bacterial infection. If you have a bezoar in the stomach, the doctor may use an endoscope to inject medication into it to dissolve it.

Dietary Changes

Changing your eating habits can help control gastroparesis. Your doctor or dietitian may prescribe six small meals a day instead of three large ones. If less food enters the stomach each time you eat, it may not become overly full. In more severe cases, a liquid or pureed diet may be prescribed.
The doctor may recommend that you avoid high-fat and high-fiber foods. Fat naturally slows digestion—a problem you do not need if you have gastroparesis—and fiber is difficult to digest. Some high-fiber foods like oranges and broccoli contain material that cannot be digested. Avoid these foods because the indigestible part will remain in the stomach too long and possibly form bezoars.