u/DoohickeyDi

It's been 3 years since my dysphagia first started and it got really, really bad the first year, slowly improved in year two and now, due to an autoimmune flare, it's really bad again. I can't eat anything fibrous-- for the most part, no veggies, fruits or meat (except bananas, thin crunchy bacon, fish sticks). I can eat liquids and anything I can pulvertize in my mouth (nuts, chips, crackers).

I recently saw someone asking what they can eat and I wanted to share some suggestions. You do not have to live on those horrible canned "nutrition" drinks!

1. Buy the best blender you can afford. A Vitamix is worth every penny if you can swing it. The basic model is perfect.

2. My go-to smoothie recipe:

Fresh spinach, one small avocado, blueberries, banana, sunflower butter, cinnamon, milk of choice or water, stevia (optional), dash of cardamom (optional). (You can also add protein powder/collagen peptides, coconut oil, fiber powder...) This tastes like cereal. You don't taste the spinach at all when it's fresh/uncooked.

3. Amy's brand frozen vegetarian meals can be heated and tossed in the blender with some broth. Makes a tasty thick soup. My new fave: Amy's Mole enchilada + one can of rinsed kidney beans + beef broth. It's actually really good and I'm able to eat some tortilla chips with it.

4. Another easy, tasty soup: One can of chili beans (in sauce, no meat) + a tub of cheese from the fridge section (pub cheese, or a nacho type cheese- the healthiest, most real cheese you can find) + chicken broth + a few florets of cauliflower + a handful of diced butternut squash. Blend, heat. Very tasty. You could also add caramelized onions, diced green chilis, olives... I have it with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream.

5. I can't really do melted cheese (too fibrous), but I found I can eat cheddar cheese slices. It basically turns to liquid in your mouth.

6. Foods that make me salivate are easier so I salty snacks work for me. I can do crackers and creamy cheeses, or hummus.

7. Personally, I don't think the texture of meat in the blender is very good but there are a lot of vegetarian soups with pieces that can be blended.

8. The Keto brand ice cream is amazing and sugar free. Idk if it's very healthy, but again, you gotta get something down.

I hope this helps someone... You gotta find some enjoyment in what you can eat while you're figuring out what's wrong. And don't let them gaslight you!!! Of course your body reacts anxiously when you can't swallow! Fear is a normal reaction to choking or feeling like you might choke. Good luck to you all.

We're downsizing and buying outside the area we currently live. We did a scouting trip to check out a number of cities and condos and since then, have been doing virtual showings.

Our last experience (2021) buying via a virtual showing was great. Our realtor knew us pretty well and knew what we liked, which helped. For that house, we first saw it in person on the inspection day and it all worked out well.

A week ago, we put an offer on a condo that our current realtor did a virtual showing for and yesterday, I made a special trip to see it in person and attend the inspection. And now I'm freaking out-- I'm not sure if this is the totally normal "freak out" that always happens or if it's more than that.

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There are two things that are not changeable:

1. Steep stairs, not changeable: The unit is a split level, which I am fine with. You enter at one level (has 2 closets), then go up about 7 steps to the main living area (kitchen, dining, living). There are another 8-9 stairs up to the bedrooms. The stairs are very steep. Our old house had steep stairs (somewhat noticeable, one buyer mentioned them as an issue) but these are steeper, to the point of being a bit unnerving. They looked a bit steep in the photos, but it was hard to tell if they were the same as we had in our old house, or just photography weirdness.

I'm worried that when we go to sell, it will be an issue. I knew this wouldn't be a unit that older folks would buy, but now I think even younger people with small kids might not want it.

We're in our 50s. We can still do stairs just fine, but what if... I don't know how long we can count on our knees and ankles. Stairs with a gentler slope are easier to manage, even with an injury.

2. Street is busier than expected. The complex is set back from the street, which helps. There's maybe 25 feet of grass, plants, trees. The street is not a big busy street, but it is a main throughway for the neighborhood that becomes busier a few blocks down.

It was a Saturday afternoon on a nice, dry Spring day, so people were out and about, but not in a concentrated way like during commute times. I would say, 1-3 cars passing per minute.

I was really hoping for a very peaceful, quiet living space. This isn't deal killer level of busy, but it does bug me a bit. I really value my outdoor balcony time in the summer and I worry it will "harsh my mellow".

3. The negatives we knew about and accepted:

Only one bathroom, parking is assigned, but in an open lot (not covered).

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This unit does have some strong pluses going for it:

1. The price point for the square footage is excellent. It's under our budget so we can afford to put in all new flooring, a new kitchen, and a new bathroom.

2. It has a water view, which is what I loved about it. It's about 3 blocks from a beach and set on a bluff area, so from the living room we can see a strip of the water, and the mountains across the water. It's a 7 minute walk to the beach.

3. The complex also has a shared rooftop deck area, accessible from the unit where we can having a 2nd outdoor living area.

4. There's a very large landing area upstairs, big enough for an office set up. Rooms are a good size, good storage space.

5. It's a top floor, which I really wanted. (I hate upstairs neighbor noises.)

6. Neighborhood is nice and safe, lots of single family homes. Middle class or upper middle class. Complex is in good condition-- not an upscale feel, but nice enough. Could use some love in a few areas, but it seems like the complex mostly keeps up with maintenance.

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I know people say to rent first, but I did that before and I don't want to do it again. It extends the transition period, 6-12 months more of living out of boxes, and means you have to move twice. We've been in transition already for a long time and I want to be done, unpack, and settle in somewhere.

Long term plans? Who knows... Could be a 5 year place, could be the last place before assisted living.

Places with comparable square footage (or 200 less) that are one level, either townhouse or top floor condos are going for about $100,000 more (without a view). Most of the time, they still need painting and some updating. Its doable, but his would push out retirement by another year.

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I guess my biggest questions are:

1. How bad is the stair situation? How big of a deterrent will this be for future buyers? Just having this many stairs will, I know, be a deterrent already, but the fact that they are quite steep-- will we be screwed if/when we sell?

2. For people sensitive to noise and who enjoy reading time in your yard or balcony, how much do passing cars bug you?

3. As a buyer, would this level of road usage dissuade you from buying a place?

Thank you in advance for thoughts/suggestions.