A Change of Heart

Yesterday, I had an appointment with my surgeon to discuss having the Heller Myotomy done again.

When I had the Heller back in July of 2004, I was living in Mississippi at the time, and my new surgeon asked me if I had my operative reports with me. I thought, "Crap! I totally forgot about those!" When I left Mississippi in May, I remembered to get all of my chart notes from my gastroenterologist, but totally and utterly forgot about my operative reports from the surgeon.

So, my new surgeon's office tried calling the other hospital in Mississippi and went through hell to get them. I waited and waited and finally they got a hold my charts. Then I was told that my new surgeon and gastroenterologist had both decided that the next best step would be to do another dilation, but use a much bigger balloon.

I was pretty upset, but they said that it is going to be a pretty difficult surgery to do a second time and that this is the best option for now.

Maybe it will work. Who knows?

ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT:
I got a call from my doctor's office the other day, and they told me that after receiving the pathology work from my recent dilation, they have found yeast in my esophagus! Yeast! Isn't that lovely? Now they have me on Diflucan for a few days.

As far as my eating habbits are concerned, I've been doing okay actually. Certain things stay down and certain things don't. You know the old routine, I'm sure. Let's play the game of "What can I eat?" Honestly, I have been a little better lately. I am still amazed that chicken cacciatore went down the other day, but oreo cookies don't. How wierd! I think my esophagus just has a mind of it's own. Chicken cacciatore was a major thing for me though. Lately, I've only been able to do soups and ice cream. I just decided to try the chicken cacciatore and it went down! I'm not sure how, but it did.

Achalasia Gone Prime Time!

I was watching Law and Order, Criminal Intent on Sunday night and was completely caught off guard when I suddenly heard the word "Achalasia".

A girl in her 20's was found dead in an alley-way. They suspected her of drug hoarding, but soon after the autopsy they discovered that she had achalasia and never could have swallowed a balloon filled with drugs.

They pronounced it differently than I have been saying it though. They said "Ack - alasia". I have been saying "Eh - calasia". That is how my doctor in Mississippi pronounced it, so that's how I've always said it. Lately, I've heard a few people here in New Orleans pronounce it "Ack - alasia" too. But now I can't actually recall how my new doctor in New Orleans pronounces it. So which way is the right way? How do you all pronounce it? I don't want to sound ignorant.

Anyway, I was still overly excited about our condition making it to Prime Time television! I hope you all can share in my excitement! I'm such a dork sometimes.

Not Working

Well, my dilation was officially unsuccessful.

I talked to my doctor on Friday, and he said that he may want to try the Botox injections again, and he also wants me to schedule an appointment with a surgeon about possibly having the Heller myotomy done again.

I'm all about having the surgery again. It really wasn't that bad of a recovery time and it did at least work for about a whole year.

Some people think I'm weird, but I actually enjoy staying in hospitals. They usually take pretty good care of you and you have that wonderful bed that props you up so you don't have to move an inch. After my last surgery, they wanted to send me home after one day and I didn't want to go, but I went home anyway.

Needless to say, I'm actually looking forward to it, and I will keep you all posted.