Re: Now I have heard of everything - Self Stretching

[Guest guest]

I have heard of things like this before, Joy, particularly in cases of scleroderma that affects the esophagus. Fortunately it's not something that we have to do, b/c our problem is farther down past the esophagus at the LES. It doesn't sound like my idea of fun at all!

You'll love hearing that in the days before pneumatic balloon dilators, they stretched the LES of an achalasia patient with a length of WHALEBONE -- I'll take a dose of Versed and a pneumatic balloon any day over that option!!! LOLDebbi in Michigan

My daughter was chatting in the car to one of her friends families about my problem yesterday (because of my upcoming trip to Cleveland) and I suddenly got a call from the Mom because her niece has a swallowing disorder too and she thought it might be the same thing. But, it turned out not to be Achalasia but a small Esophagus...and here is the kicker, the girl is 25 and she has to stretch it HERSELF EVERY DAY! She sprays some type of numbing spray at the back of her throat and then pushes a rod down her esophagus to stretch it. The same girl can't put contact lenses in because she is too squeamish.Joy - shaking head in disbelief. Have any of you ever had to do that? I can't even immagine. I know the family and it is true. Everybody has something - don't they. Joy

[Guest guest]

I owned one of these dilators and attempted to use it after my myotomy in

1976, it didn't seem to matter how numb my throat was I could never do it.

What I had, looked like a rubber hose and was tapered at the end and filled

with mercury for weight, I believe it was a bougie type. Fortunately most of

those memories have faded. If memory serves these bougie type are no longer

used for Achalasia patients.

F

Now I have heard of everything - " Self Stretching "

> My daughter was chatting in the car to one of her friends families

> about my problem yesterday (because of my upcoming trip to Cleveland)

> and I suddenly got a call from the Mom because her niece has a

> swallowing disorder too and she thought it might be the same thing.

> But, it turned out not to be Achalasia but a small Esophagus...and

> here is the kicker, the girl is 25 and she has to stretch it HERSELF

> EVERY DAY! She sprays some type of numbing spray at the back of her

> throat and then pushes a rod down her esophagus to stretch it. The

> same girl can't put contact lenses in because she is too squeamish.

> Joy - shaking head in disbelief. Have any of you ever had to do

> that? I can't even immagine. I know the family and it is true.

> Everybody has something - don't they.

> Joy

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> I owned one of these dilators and attempted to use it after my

myotomy in

> 1976, it didn't seem to matter how numb my throat was I could never

do it.

> What I had, looked like a rubber hose and was tapered at the end

and filled

> with mercury for weight, I believe it was a bougie type.

Fortunately most of

> those memories have faded. If memory serves these bougie type are

no longer

> used for Achalasia patients.

> F

, you poor soul.

OOOOoooouuu yucky, yucky. I am so glad they don't make A people do

that anymore. I don't think I could

Joy

[Guest guest]

How horrible! Wasn't there a risk of perforation? I'm so glad I was

diagnosed in the '80's and not the '70's! As squeamish as I am,

there is absolutely no way I could have done that to myself. Heck,

the numbing stuff alone is enough to make you gag! I guess once you

mastered the dilator you could always take up a career in sword

swallowing.... LOL

Sharlene

> I owned one of these dilators and attempted to use it after my

myotomy in

> 1976, it didn't seem to matter how numb my throat was I could never

do it.

> What I had, looked like a rubber hose and was tapered at the end

and filled

> with mercury for weight, I believe it was a bougie type.

Fortunately most of

> those memories have faded. If memory serves these bougie type are

no longer

> used for Achalasia patients.

> F

>

> Now I have heard of everything - " Self

Stretching "

>

>

> > My daughter was chatting in the car to one of her friends families

> > about my problem yesterday (because of my upcoming trip to

Cleveland)

> > and I suddenly got a call from the Mom because her niece has a

> > swallowing disorder too and she thought it might be the same

thing.

> > But, it turned out not to be Achalasia but a small Esophagus...and

> > here is the kicker, the girl is 25 and she has to stretch it

HERSELF

> > EVERY DAY! She sprays some type of numbing spray at the back of

her

> > throat and then pushes a rod down her esophagus to stretch it.

The

> > same girl can't put contact lenses in because she is too

squeamish.

> > Joy - shaking head in disbelief. Have any of you ever had to do

> > that? I can't even immagine. I know the family and it is true.

> > Everybody has something - don't they.

> > Joy

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >