Hi, I'm a new addition...

[Guest guest]

Hello. My name is and I am from a small town in New York.

I've been reading your recent and past posts for a few months now,

and have finally decided to introduce myself so that I can get some

advice from your own experiences. I am a 17 year old girl. I have

had achalasia since I was about 13 or 14 years old. Back then, my

esophagus had gradually " closed " itself off until I could not even

get (and keep) a drop of water down, literally. I was taken to the

emergency room, and during my hopsital stay of about a week, I was

treated for dehydration and diagnosed as having Achalasia. At that

point I had lost about 18 pounds, due to my constant regurgitation.

While in the hospital I was given my first dilitation and it lasted

about a week afterwards (that is the last time I ever remember of how

it feels not to struggle with eating), yet has stopped my

regurgitation for the most part. From the first dilitation, I had

about 6 or 7 more and one botox injection, none of which gave me ANY

relief. Throughout that time period, I have also been put on many

different medications, none of which have worked all that well for

swallowing or pain. At that point, I decided to have the lap. Heller

Myotomy with the fundoplication wrap in hopes that it would help give

me the relief I want so badly, and in addtion, I hoped for the

excrutiating chest pain I get to be relieved at least some. My

surgery was done February 13, 2003 and took about 5 hours due to the

scarring. My recovery was alright and I stayed in the hospital about

2 and a half days, after requesting to leave. It turns out that I

have had no relief from the surgery (it actually made my swallowing

worse afterwards-but is now back to " normal " .) At least I can keep

food down, though, even if I have to drink large amounts of water and

eat quite slowly. My chest pain, on the other hand is still quite

bad. When I went for my follow-up with my surgeon, he said that from

what he could see, my surgery went well, and he did not understand

why I still had problems. Thus, he sent me to the Cleveland Clinic.

On July 7th, I went there with too much hope. The first few days

there were good, I was seeing Dr. Richter and he seemed quite nice.

Mainly I was seeing him for my pain because my swallowing was the

best it could be for now. He ran a ton of tests, including my 4th

manometry (esophogeal motility)-which I have been awake and and aware

for all but that one- and my about 1 millionth barium swallow .

After all that, I met with him and he was nothing but a rude, cruel

person to me. He told me that I needed to " move on with my life " and

so on. He put me on anti-depressants because he said I have

an " extra-sensitive esophagus " - Has anyone else been diagnosed with

one of those? and told me that at this point in time, there was

nothing he or I could do. I was wondering if anyone else has had a

bad experience with him..? Anyways, though, I am sorry that this is

so long, but I am just glad that I have someone to tell that knows

what I'm going through, it seems as though almost everyone else I

know is sick of hearing about my Achalasia. Does anyone else feel

very full very quickly and like nauseus after they eat? I always

feel as if my stomach pouches out. Also, I get severe pains that

shoot through my neck, chest and left shoulder. Sometimes water

helps, other times not. Very often (every day, almost all day) my

chest aches very badly as well. What do you do for your pain? At

this point in my Achalasia, getting the pain under control is my main

goal. I am currently taking the prescribed anti-depressant and

dilitizen (a heart med) for my pain. I think that I am getting at

least some relief because my worst pains (the ones that shoot through

my neck and so on) were taken down once every other day, and when I

have forgotten my meds it triggers them badly into action. I have

also been told that the muscles in my esophagus don't work AT ALL and

that they never will again, so my achalasia will never improve

swallowing wise? I suffer also from almost constant headaches and

migraines, does anyone else? Well, if I have anymore questions I will

be sure to inquire. Thank you for taking your time to read this.