November 10 '96
Volume 22
Hard To Swallow
Some Things Are
The simple act
of
swallowing food must necessarily involve the esophagus, since it is the esophagus
that allows the passage of food into the stomach (Biology 101). Under ideal
conditions and even less than ideal conditions, this process goes largely
unnoticed. Only when one attempts to inhale at the same time the act of
swallowing is occurring or whenever a narrowing of the esophagus occurs,
does this elementary function of the digestive tract concern the average
person. It is with the latter that I wish to call attention.
Medical doctor’s use the term reflux (to flow back) to describe the
flow of liquefied stomach contents into the opening of the esophagus that
joins the stomach. The harsh acidic contents may, over the course of time,
contribute to the development of a restriction or narrowing of the esophagus,
which complicates the act of eating for many individuals. Food particles
become lodged in the narrow passage and soon block all food from entering
the stomach. At first the blockage is imperceptible until the irritated esophagus
signals the brain that a problem has occurred, and the associated pain alerts
the eater of the problem. By the time the eater receives warning that something
is not going down, it is often too late for muscle relaxation or breathing
techniques to solve the dilemma, and the only available recourse is to
expectorate the contents of the esophagus (the preceding sentences sound
a lot like Dr. Red Duke of the University of Texas Medical Center). Expectoration
is not something that should be performed at the dinner table, but rather
in the privacy of a bathroom or rest room of a public place.
There is a bit of embarrassment associated with an esophageal blockage. The
person eating will suddenly stop as if to transfer his attention to a distant
object as he simultaneously assumes a more upright posture. It is analogous
to quail hunting with a bird dog. When the dog goes on point it does not
go unnoticed. Fellow diners may suspect him to be choking and inquire if
they should perform the Heimlich maneuver. Hopefully, they will not act rashly
and bear hug the individual without first being fairly certain that his condition
merits such a tactic.
Whether the condition manifests itself in the privacy of one’s home
or in a restaurant will, to some extent, determine the level of embarrassment.
Persons suffering from this malady are seldom able to mask their condition,
while under full attack by their nervous system. It should be duly noted
that reflux is only one of the conditions responsible for an esophageal narrowing
or restriction. The million of Americans suffering from esophageal blockage
is not known to this writer, but I personally know of a handful of sufferers
including myself.
Martha Montgomery of Pontotoc, Bill Jett of Jackson, Richard Pennington of
Greenville and Barbara Carter are among those familiar with the problem.
Some have required surgery to correct the problem, while others responded
favorably to medication and dietary modifications. In my case, I learned
to eat more slowly and chew each bite more thoroughly, thereby preventing
more frequent attacks. Certain spices seem to cause occasional flare-ups,
but thus far no medication or surgery has been necessary.
A progressively worsening condition experienced by Richard Pennington, resulted
in an emergency room visit on a recent trip to his see his family in Alabama.
Richard subsequently underwent a surgical procedure in which a balloon device
was inserted into the esophagus to stretch and expand the restricted area.
Upon seeing him the following week, he was almost fully recovered, eating
practically anything he desired, and experiencing no significant discomfort
in swallowing. This week Richard said that his problem had recurred over
the weekend, but his doctor prescribed Prilosec, a medication that greatly
helped. The doctor also stated that it would be necessary to perform the
surgical procedure again. The doctor did not use as large a balloon as necessary
to more permanently stretch the restricted area of the esophagus. As might
be expected, Richard is disappointed that the procedure will need to be redone
so soon.
The day may come in which I too must undergo a similar procedure, but I hope
it will not be soon. In fact, it is my hope never to have a restriction that
necessitates surgery to correct.
Chicken
McGehee
During the time that I have worked in the Retail Systems area for SUPERVALU,
I have averaged a boss a year. It is not that I can’t keep a boss, it
is that our reporting structure keeps changing. It is also true that promotions
and turnovers have contributed to the high ratio of bosses to years of service.
My newest and youngest boss (I think) is Bob McGehee. In getting to know
Bob during this year, I noticed that he often ordered a chicken entree when
we ate out together. Once I asked him if he only ate chicken, and he replied
that was not the case, but there were a number of ways that he enjoyed chicken.
Having been married to my spouse forever, I have learned there are more ways
that I do not like chicken prepared than I can count. Alright! I will tell
the truth; more ways than I can recall.
One particular way that Bob stated he enjoyed chicken was in a pot pie, prepared
at home by his wife. He said the chicken pot pie was a quick meal for his
family and everyone enjoyed it. Chicken pot pie is one of the few ways that
I truly enjoy eating chicken. My favorite, crispy Southern Fried with the
skin left on, is a rare entree at my house, principally because my wife prefers
to maintain a low fat diet.
Bob had memorized the simple recipe, so I wrote it down and determined to
try it. Since then I have shared the recipe with several individuals. If
you find the recipe too bland, feel free to experiment. Barbara’s boss,
Billy Haney, enjoys cooking and has made quite a few chicken pot pies. He
is an experimenter and likes to add leftover vegetables to the original recipe.
Billy has become a big fan of this quick and easy recipe. He said he really
likes the flavor provided by a can of Cream of Celery soup added to the recipe.
Sara prefers Cream of Chicken soup instead of the Cream of Potato soup. In
our house, we use boneless, skinless, fryer breast instead of the whole fryer.
I do not know where the recipe originated, so I named it Chicken McGehee
(you may add hee haw haw haw, if you like).
Chicken McGehee
Ingredients:
1 whole fryer
1 can Mixed Vegetables
1 can Cream of Potato Soup
1 box Pillsbury Ready Pie Crust (from dairy case)
Instructions:
Boil the bird until tender, pull the meat off the bones, separate into 2
portions. Only 1/2 the fryer is needed per pie. Line a baking dish with 1
pie crust. Combine the chicken meat, mixed vegetables, and the cream of potato
soup. Use tap water to thin the mixture or use broth from the boiled chicken.
Salt or pepper to taste. Pour onto the crust in the baking dish. Cover the
dish with the second pie crust and bake at 400 until crust is brown.
Serves 4, maybe more.
Try it, you will like it.
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