Post Dilation Update
Well, I had the procedure on Monday and it went okay.
As far as the procedure itself is concerned, it went fine. Though, after I woke up from the sedation, I began to be in so much pain. I was also having dry heaves. I'm not sure what that was all about. They gave me Benadril before they sedated me and I think I am allergic to it, because the minute they injected it into the IV, it began to burn the back of my throat and I started coughing.
Unfortunately, I still don't feel any better. I know it's only been 3 days, but I've thrown up each day so far. I even threw up mashed potatoes, which was a first for me.
Of course, they have to start off small for your first dilation. They only dilated my esophagus 20 milimeters. The next step up would be 30 mm. My doctor told me that if the dilation doesn't seem to work, it may be possible that my Heller myotomy will need to be done again.
I had the Heller back in July of 2004. It worked for about 1 year. They think that they probably didn't cut into the muscle far enough. You know, the whole "Err on the side of caution" thing. If having the surgery over again well help for at least 1 year, I think it is worth it!
I've been really depressed lately. This month has been especially difficult. I have been on a liquid diet for most of it. I miss meat. I love chicken, and ground beef, and steak. Oh how I miss them so! I love food! There isn't anything that I won't try at least once! I've been feeling ashamed of myself. I've been thinking of better diseases or problems I could have rather than achalasia....and then I finally realize....Lauren, what are you thinking? There ARE things far worse than this disease. I try to be grateful for what I have but it's hard sometimes. Hunger drives me to think the craziest things.
I've posted a picture of myself and my husband from graduation last month because it makes me smile! I hope everyone has a good weekend.
posted by Lauren @ 12:35 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
07-02-06
Hey Slymouse,
I'm sorry to hear about your teeth. That's really been worrying me lately. I haven't been to the dentist in so long. I'm so worry of what he will say when I do go. Which reminds me, I need to make an appointment. I hope something can be done to help your teeth. Good luck with that.
I worry all the time that when I have children they will have this terrible condition. But they say it's supposedly not heriditary. My brother, however, sometimes complains of swallowing problems. Although, he is a paraplegic, so it is possible it has something to do with that. All you can do is hope and pray they don't. You take care of yourself too! Talk to you soon!
07-06-06
Sruka4,
I'm so sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. My thoughts and prayers are with him as well.
I completely and utterly believe that stress plays a major role in this condition!
As for the saying, "Keep on keeping on", I actually had never heard of it until I moved to Mississippi. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I'm originally from Metairie, Louisiana, which is a suburb of New Orleans, and although we are technically in the "South", I've never considered it to be all that country. We don't sound like the typical southerners. I've been told we actually sound more like we're from Boston. Even though Hattiesburg, Mississippi is only an hour and a half away, it is totally different and I learned so many new things and "southern" sayings while I was there.
Okay, I kind of went off in a totally different direction, but it's probably healthy to occasionally get our minds off of achalasia, right? :-)
Lauren, such a small world! I was just diagnosed with achalasia 3 weeks ago after going through every other protocol before finally getting a monometry done.
I say it's such a small world because I too am originally from Southern Louisiana, Chalmette. I then attended USM in Hattiesburg, 2008 graduate in exercise physiology and have been back living in Lakeview, New Orleans the last 5 years. My Dr. Nicholas Persich has referred me to Dr. Michael Brothers who is the surgeon who will be performing my esophageal myotomy for achalasia.
I know that this blog is almost 10 years old but if you could please reach out with any advice and possibly chat about any common similarities we have shared that would possibly cause this very uncommon disease to occur with such precise precision.
I truly look forward to hearing from you soon!
Keith
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