This was my second week of using RSO full-time. As I mentioned in last week’s article, it’s a much more effective option; both financially and in terms of pain management. However, as I also mentioned last week, I ran out of my delicious brownies and had to figure out what other foods I could use to disguise the nasty taste of RSO. I tried a few different things this week. They did not all go well. The worst food vehicle I tried was a 7-layer burrito from Taco Bell.
The 7-layer burrito has been one of my favorite menu items since I was a little kid. I don’t get it all the time, but it’s a good staple. And aside from an issue with foods that have a snot-like texture, gross food rarely trigger my gag reflex. Apparently, a delicious 7-layer burrito topped with a droplet of dog-crap … erm … I mean, RSO is an exception to that rule. I found that out the hard way earlier this week on Monday. I found that out the hard way multiple times in the span of a few horrifying minutes.
The first time the food tried coming back up was the worst. In an attempt to mask the taste of RSO, I had filled my mouth with food. I assumed that a large volume of food was the trick. I was wrong. As soon as the bite with RSO touched the back of my tongue, my mouth became filled with fully chewed and unchewed bits of the burrito. Then, in addition to gagging on the foul taste of RSO and burrito, my texture-sensitive brain decided it didn’t like the mouthfeel of what the first gag brought up, and subsequently triggered my gag reflex for a second time. It didn’t help that, in general, eating has been an ordeal of its own lately, so I gagged a third time. Meanwhile, in an attempt to just push through my own personal Hell, I kept chewing. Although I was able to choke most of it down, the bite with RSO seemed to linger somehow.
At that moment, my empathy for my animals amplified. How many times had I forced medication into my dog’s mouth only to have her spit it out? Or all those times my husband and I had had to squirt antibiotics into our oldest cat’s mouth? It makes me shiver just thinking about it.
Eventually, I finished swallowing the initial bites. And then, to remove any possible remaining taste of RSO, I practically inhaled the remainder of the burrito. I hated every minute of it.
After the almost-vomit situation, I took a moment to reflect on what exactly had made me feel sick. I quickly realized that all of the layers — which normally blend so well — had actually betrayed me with RSO. It was 7-opportunities for bad flavor. As a result, the next time I dosed with RSO, I tried something with a much simpler flavor palate. Specifically a plain, mini corn tortilla. It was a much better experience. I folded the tortilla in such a way that the RSO was trapped between multiple layers of tortilla, almost like a sandwich. It was great tasting, but “great” was never the goal. It was, however, bearable. The next day, I used plain, mini marshmallows. I didn’t intend to start a mini-food theme; that was just a happy accident.
In my opinion, the marshmallows were the better of the 3-methods I tried. Considering the success I had with the brownies last week, I think that sweet foods might be the best option for me. However, anyone who prefers savory to sweet might have better luck with non-sweet foods. In reality, anything with its own heavy flavor will probably do the trick. Whether you choose a sweet or savory option, the most important thing is to keep it simple. If you have too many flavors, I doubt you’ll have a very good time.
Another option is to put the RSO directly onto the tip of one of your fingers, and then rub the RSO on the side of the entrance to your throat. Do not put it directly onto the back of your tongue. Avoid your taste buds0 at all costs (especially if you’re sensitive to the flavor). Once you get all of the RSO off of your finger, eat or drink something warm to wash it down. Personally, I prefer to drink hot cocoa when I use this method of consumption.
