Re: Hello, I'm a New Member

[Guest guest]

Hello, ! Great to hear you're also doing well following your

surgery. THe hardest thing about making the decision to have surgery is

wanting to know what you will be like after the surgery....my before and

my after are like two different worlds...I am so thankful that there is

such a surgery to fix us. I too can feel food a bit as it passes into

my stomach, but I really only have to swallow about a glass and a half

of water during the course of even a large-ish meal. I eat until I feel

a slight pressure at the base of my esophagus and then I drink a few

swallows and it always passes easily, no matter what I've eaten.

Usually, I am drinking water after I've eaten four or five bites of

something. That's a pretty good pace, I'd say, and certainly nothing to

attract any attention. At first I was kinda neurotic about it, not

knowing how often I needed to drink, I would drink after each swallow of

food. I now know for me that is not necessary. I had fun during the

holidays watching all of my friends and family who had not eaten with me

since the surgery keeping an eye on me as we dined. They were

funny...tried to be so inconspicuous, but ALL were watching at first!

It made me laugh. I have such a new look on life since my summertime

days before diagnosis when I thought I had cancer...be greatful for all

of the blessings in your life. Never forget that this life is temporary

and that we are here for a reason. To find our gifts and share them with

the world is what makes life meaningful to me. No matter how much bad

there might be in the world, there is always more good. Who was it

recently who said " If you let it get you down, it has won. " Brilliant!

I am going to try to always remember that, no matter what challenges

life brings me. Happy New Year, all...

[Guest guest]

Dear Tracey,

Welcome to the group ..... I'm also in the UK down in Plymouth. Good to have you in the group.

Keep in touch

Hello, I'm a New Member

Hello everyone, I've been meaning to join this group for a while. I read the messages periodically & although nice to hear of people with the same problems I wish each & every one of you hadn't had to go through all this as I wish I hadn't. I found it really hard to cope with at times in the past but once I'd had the surgery things were so much improved. Its now just a bit of a nuisance rather than before the surgery where it had started to really interfere with my life. I do think its good to be able to get in touch with people who know exactly what you're going through as this sort of problem is one that people who haven't suffered it find it very hard to understand. People tend to think that you look fine, so everythings ok.

I live in Norfolk, England and am 36. My problems started in 1996. To cut a long story short, I had two dilations which worked temporarily and then had the myotomy. I was lucky enough to be able to have the operation at my local hospital (The Norfolk & Norwich). The surgeon was a brilliant man specialising in thorasic matters called Mr Vaughan who I hear has since moved to a larger hospital. I still feel food entering my stomach from the bottom of my oesophagus and also have occassional heartburn (which sometimes I can relate to something that I've eaten) but on the whole things arn't too bad. I have never suffered from spasms that some of you mention. The surgery was done by keyhole procedure and didn't really cause me much discomfort at all. I had a chest epidural put in my spine during surgery and could feel no pain at all when I came round. I was home in two days. I stayed off work for a couple of weeks, and was told to liquidise my food and be on a very sloppy diet while things healed. I can only recommend it to anyone not sure about having it done. I can now go out for a meal with others and although I eat slower than most people (although I can now eat faster than my father-in-law who has no problems!) and I drink a mouthful of water after every couple of swallows of food to help things on their way, no one would really know there is anything wrong with me. After how I was eating (or not!) when I went for the surgery, anything was an improvement. I still get a bit down sometimes that things will never be the quite the same as before and who knows what the future may bring. I'm lucky that I don't require any medication at the moment. I just take the occasional heartburn remedy (although just drinking water will sometimes clear the heartburn). I have started seeing a homeopath recently. I used to suffer panic attacks and still get occasional anxiety - the homeopath has helped with this - the achalasia is something she's working on - she hasn't come across it before - of course!

I didn't know a thing about the disease when diagnosed and I didn't have a computer at the time. I am so pleased to find this group.

I wish you all a good new year. .

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your replies, & .

, you mention you were worried you had cancer, I'd forgotten

that I also thought this at the time when things were at their

worst. I got really worried when I started to regurgitate food at

mealtimes and also I had several incidents in bed where I woke up

just as liquid was coming up. At the time my doctor had dismissed

by problems as swallowing air when I was eating due to stress. Not

his fault I suppose as he hadn't come across it before. I really

had to push for tests at first. The barium meal (could hardly

swallow the liquid without bringing it up as its so thick in

consistency) & the pressure test soon followed to diagnose

achalasia.

As you say you count your blessings after surgery - I am now so

grateful for everything I eat. And to feel full again after a meal -

wonderful! I never got to the stage of feeling full before surgery

as I was eating so slow - I once took 2 hours over a casserole - and

was losing weight slowly but surely. I'm only 8 stones normally and

to go down to under 7 made me feel weak.

REGARDS, TRACY.

> Hello, ! Great to hear you're also doing well following your

> surgery. THe hardest thing about making the decision to have

surgery is

> wanting to know what you will be like after the surgery....my

before and

> my after are like two different worlds...I am so thankful that

there is

> such a surgery to fix us. I too can feel food a bit as it passes

into

> my stomach, but I really only have to swallow about a glass and a

half

> of water during the course of even a large-ish meal. I eat until

I feel

> a slight pressure at the base of my esophagus and then I drink a

few

> swallows and it always passes easily, no matter what I've eaten.

> Usually, I am drinking water after I've eaten four or five bites of

> something. That's a pretty good pace, I'd say, and certainly

nothing to

> attract any attention. At first I was kinda neurotic about it, not

> knowing how often I needed to drink, I would drink after each

swallow of

> food. I now know for me that is not necessary. I had fun during

the

> holidays watching all of my friends and family who had not eaten

with me

> since the surgery keeping an eye on me as we dined. They were

> funny...tried to be so inconspicuous, but ALL were watching at

first!

> It made me laugh. I have such a new look on life since my

summertime

> days before diagnosis when I thought I had cancer...be greatful

for all

> of the blessings in your life. Never forget that this life is

temporary

> and that we are here for a reason. To find our gifts and share

them with

> the world is what makes life meaningful to me. No matter how much

bad

> there might be in the world, there is always more good. Who was it

> recently who said " If you let it get you down, it has won. "

Brilliant!

> I am going to try to always remember that, no matter what

challenges

> life brings me. Happy New Year, all...

>

>