Chaos Strikes Again
I thought today would be a completely fine day until I called my doctor. He's been having me call him each week so I can tell him how I've been doing. Well, this past week has been kind of rough. I guess I'm going to have to stay away from red meat all together because it is always painful going down.
My doctor thinks that I need to go ahead and have the dilation done. I feel like the Operation game guy. He's always having different things done all the time--never gets any rest.
Dilation is basically when they send a small tube down your esophagus with a diflated balloon on the end and inflate it once they get to the stricted part to stretch it out--and to think balloons used to be fun. I don't have very high expectations for this procedure. It sounds pointless for my condition because it has gotten so severe.
My doctor makes it sound like he's ready to do the procedure as soon as I give him the okay. Basically, the ball's in my court.
posted by Lauren @ 2:14 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I am 58 and was diagnosed with achalasia 12 years ago. Had a dilation that lasted about 6 years, then slowly diminished in effectiveness. Ultimately had a myotomy of the LES with a partial Nissen fundoplication at Mass. General Hosptial in Boston, 2002, and only very rarely have symptoms now, though I do get some level of GERD. Nexium seems to control that just fine. I basically live a totally normal life at this point and wish I had had the myotomy earlier. However, choose a surgeon very carefully if you go that route. I used David Rattner, MD at Mass General, look him up on their web site, or go to http://www.cimit.org/bios/rattner.html. His credentials are impeccable and he uses minimally invasive technique. All the best to you in your search for relief, I do truly understand the frustration this condition causes.
I am curious as to how you are doing now. Before you had the dilation were you unable to swallow both liquids and solids? did you vomit?
If you could go back would you have skipped the dilation all together and gone straight to surgery? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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