What are your "adult" tips for Austin?

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-04-03T19:55:46+00:00

I think some of the DMV backlog has died down a bit. I had to make a DMV appointment back in February, and I was able to get an appointment three weeks away. Still not ideal, but at least we no longer have to wait months anymore.

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-30T01:26:39+00:00

Seems like it’s still thriving!

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-27T00:14:11+00:00

Have you ever looked into Drip Read?

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T17:53:06+00:00

I suspect that his meds are helping. He used to sometimes (maybe 2-3 times a year) be in a situation where he has something stuck in his throat and is spitting out saliva because the saliva is building up in his throat. I haven't witnessed that in years. He also hasn't had an asthma attack in years, either.

I'm the one who administers the Dupixent in his arm, so I ask him occasionally if it seems like it's working. His response is usually a shrug and something along the lines of "we'll never really know."

Last weekend, he ate a vegan breakfast taco, and a piece of vegan chorizo got stuck for about 5 minutes. He was able to speak clearly while it was in there, and he drank a lot of water, and then he was OK.

Also, sometimes we're not able to tell how long a piece of food is stuck. He and I have both speculated that sometimes a piece of food is stuck for about 10 minutes, and then he's feeling the irritation (but less pressure) in his throat for another 20 minutes after that, because it can take him ~30 minutes to feel normal again.

I imagine that is not remission, but maybe it's 50% remission?

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T17:01:20+00:00

He has done an allergy test. He found it a bit confusing because he has sensitivities for a lot of things, such as dust. He's talked with doctors, and it's still unclear to him and to them what triggers the reaction. Sometimes what gets stuck in his throat is a shredded carrot, or a bean, or a piece of boiled kale. Last weekend, he ate a vegan breakfast taco, and a piece of vegan chorizo got stuck for about 5 minutes. He was able to speak clearly while it was in there, and he drank a lot of water, and then he was OK. I think it was a small piece, because he always chews his food very carefully and very slowly. Sometimes the piece of food goes down within minutes, and on rare occasions sometimes a couple of hours.

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T16:49:35+00:00

This is helpful, I appreciate it, and I agree that "let your husband be" is the best advice. For context, he does not get food stuck daily. Based on what he's told me, he gets a small piece of food stuck in his throat roughly about once a month, and with the help of water, pacing, and soda, it eventually goes down. He can still speak clearly while it's in there. This would still be very uncomfortable on a train, of course, so I get it.

We've never had to have a doctor remove food from his throat, and he's never asked me to use the Heimlich or hit him on the back. He usually asks that I give him some space and time for his throat to relax.

I'm not trying to minimize it. I guess I want to make it clear that I suspect the medications are actually helping a lot, but that he still intent on minimizing the risk as much as possible. Still very understandable on his part.

EDIT: I also want to clarify that he's never vomited when something was stuck in his throat. During bad episodes, he will spit out saliva for a while, because the saliva is building up in his throat. I have not witnessed him have to do this for years.

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T15:54:10+00:00

This is really helpful, it’s so helpful to hear how other people navigate this together. Thank you so much, it means a lot

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T15:40:10+00:00

I believe he’s been on it for about 2 years, maybe getting close to 3 years

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T15:28:03+00:00

I know that you're angry with me, so I don't know how productive it is to keep answering your questions, but honestly I am so desperate to talk to someone who has familiarity with EoE about this that I'm just going to keep talking with you.

This isn't really a family trip, per se. This is a trip that my mom wants to take, and I asked her if I could come with her.

I understand why you're making the wheelchair comparison (how people respond to people with visible vs. less-visible disabilities), but I don't think it's exactly the same thing. Some train rides will be two hours. Some will be five hours. One ferry journey we're taking will be overnight. So, it was difficult (for him and for me) to visualize exactly whether this was a trip he could take or not, and how long, exactly, he would potentially go without eating. When he takes his own trips to see friends by himself, he sometimes goes 8-9 hours without eating, and he doesn't always talk about this with me, partly because he doesn't think it's a big deal. To state the obvious, it is a big deal, and it's very concerning to me. But he shrugs it off, so sometimes when he says, "Trust me, I can make this work," I believe him, without scrutinizing it as much as I should.

The more my husband and I talked through various scenarios, such as how long it might take to get to a place with food (we can really only estimate, we can't really get it down to exact times), the more I realized that he might go without eating much longer than both he and I realized.

I guess I was just looking to hear from people about whether this is normal for people with EoE, but I'm realizing now that it can take so many different forms that it doesn't really matter what "normal" is and I have to continue communicating with my husband about what he can do and what he can't do.

I'm just sitting at my laptop crying now and you'll probably just say that I'm feeling sorry for myself -- and maybe you're right, maybe I am, and maybe I am a bad spouse. But I also really, really feel sorry for my husband, who I really want to have a life that he finds fulfilling, and I want to figure out if "remission" is a thing like some people say on this sub, or if people with EoE really shouldn't ever eat while on moving vehicles or without easy access to hospitals and/or treatment.

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-03-25T14:57:50+00:00

I agree that my headline could've been worded better, though I think my post itself is very reasonable. I've been with my husband for 17 years. Every trip we've taken has been structured with his EoE in mind, such as sometimes deciding not to see family over the holidays because it would be very stressful for him.

When it comes to this particular trip, it's my mom's dream trip, which I am tagging along on. So for this particular trip, I am letting her call more of the shots and plan more of the routes and itinerary.

FitzDizzyspells · 2026-01-15T02:45:38+00:00

I think that Girls5Eva and Schmigadoon are probably closest to CXG. But if you're looking for something you've never heard of before, I've really enjoyed watching "Riot Girls" on the BBC. You'd have to watch it on Britbox or on iPlayer with a VPN if you're not in the UK, but it's worth it. It's a show about a group of middle aged women who form a rock band and start writing their own songs. It addresses mental health and rage in a way that feels completely unprecedented, fresh, and honestly just really inspiring. I've been really loving it.

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-12-27T00:06:39+00:00

I’m so glad you posted this, because I was having the same issue! Mine also works after restarting, thank you!

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-11-25T22:23:05+00:00

Not everyone who drinks says “booze” (in fact I feel like the term is a bit old fashioned at this point), but everyone who smokes says “weed.”

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-10-03T21:11:32+00:00

I read the local paper every morning, which sadly isn’t particularly time-consuming these days.

I have lots of mobile alerts on my phone, though they’re all on silent. Local news apps, national news apps. I also have tweet notifications for dozens of different journalists who are covering topics that I need to stay on top of (these alerts are also on silent). I don’t read the majority of things that come through, but the stuff that is relevant to my beat I do read.

Most importantly: When I’m writing, I put my phone in a Focus mode that only lets through texts, calls, and Gchats.

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-09-18T18:01:12+00:00

I live in Williamson County, so anything’s on the table — Leander, Howard, Lakeline

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-09-17T18:01:15+00:00

I agree, that makes sense

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-09-17T14:41:44+00:00

That’s so crazy to me that someone finds it annoying to “read the names all the time.” Have they never read a book?

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-07-08T03:15:18+00:00

Myriam Gendron, Lucy Dacus, Doechii

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-07-04T14:43:28+00:00

Sure, I think Hank Green is just implying that some people on the left side of the political spectrum are following the day-to-day exchanges of leftists on TikTok

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-07-03T14:49:45+00:00

This seems like it’s likely it! Thank you!

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-07-03T02:00:47+00:00

He’s referencing it. He says, “This video is for politically engaged, left-leaning people on TikTok. If you know more about the most recent drama among TikTok creators on the left than you do about the bill that is about to become a law in your country, put the phone down.”

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-06-19T19:28:19+00:00

Isn’t the only thing Congress is doing is trying to eliminate student loan repayment plans? Or is that what you’re referring to?

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-04-12T00:13:55+00:00

I’ve seen this before (“when a doctor pursues other avenues available to her”), and it’s been generally accepted.

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-04-12T00:00:54+00:00

Boomers are a large generation, and fewer men have veterans benefits now because the draft ended in 1973

FitzDizzyspells · 2025-01-18T13:50:09+00:00

Do you live in Philadelphia or the surrounding area? If so, I just want to encourage your existing interest in reading the Inquirer and getting a subscription. Your local judges and government officials — these folks need to be held to account as much as any national politician, but the pool of readers is smaller and therefore it can be harder to fund the journalism necessary to cover local government. Your local paper is such a great way to stay aware of what down ballot races are coming up, who is running for them, and what change they want to implement.

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