Re: Re: Surgery scheduled for June 8

[Guest guest]

I am so glad you are having your surgery in three weeks time, Jo. I am in the same situation. On May 25th I have an appointment with my doctor and I hopefully get to hear when my surgery will take place. It can take another 5 (!!!!!) months before I might have the operation. It is just ridiculous !! I feel my health slipping......since yesterday I have the continuous feeling of fainting. Very dangerous when you have to take care of a 5 month old baby. But......over here in The Netherlands........they just dont care !!! I cry a lot these days. I just wonder when this will ever end. Right now....I dont think it ever will.

Anyway........sorry for my email. I really hope the surgery will improve your eating !!Hugs,

Biancka

Re: Surgery scheduled for June 8

---Thank you Debbi. Suffice it to say that you really have to be assertive about your care. If it hadn't been for this site, I would have probably been wandering around in the dark. I am purely mentally and physically exhausted--as I am sure WE ALL ARE. I am grateful that this forum was created and that everyone here is so supportive. I will keep everyone up to date about my experiences and what I did to get through it. I hope that it helps others, because you all have definitely helped me. I thank you all again!JoIn achalasia , "Debbi Heiser" <heiser@t...> wrote:> Jo, I'm so glad that you've been able to FINALLY get diagnosed, find a surgeon, etc! > > Hope the next few weeks fly by for you and you sail through your surgery like a champ.... great advice for dealing w/ hospitals, etc., too!> > Debbi in Michigan

[Guest guest]

You're VERY welcome, Jo -- that's what this site is all about -- knowledge and support!It's really discouraging... I've recently been reading some other health-related sites (specifically hypothyroid) and I'm seeing a ton of the same things that we've said here, such as:

**Get copies of your lab reports for yourself / don't just let someone tell you they were "normal" -- get the actual report and look up the different values for yourself to find out if they are indeed normal, etc. (I've been hypothyroid for at least two or three years now, but was always told I was "normal"!)

**Read up on this subject as much as possible, because most doctors -- even the specialists -- really aren't up-to-date on the latest techniques, symptoms, treatments, diagnostics, etc. (Remember, that one gastroenterologist SLEPT and snored through almost the entire 2-day conference at TCC!!!)

**Question everything your doctor says; ask why he wants to do certain tests, why he doesn't want to do other tests, what meds he suggests and why, how many other patients with this condition he treats, etc. Doctors all too often get into a "rut" and try to apply one treatment regimen to ALL of their patients; but each person is an individual, and everyone needs medical care that is specific to their own particulars.

**You can't count on your doctor to be thorough when it comes to following up on tests or researching treatments, etc. If you want to know what's going on with your own body, you have to educate yourself in order to make the proper decisions for your individual situation.

Isn't this just horrible that it's so tremendously commonplace that seemingly EVERY health-related support board says that even the specialists don't know much about these diseases????

Here in the US we seem to have deified doctors for some stupid reason, thinking and acting like doctors are omniscient and omnipotent.... we all need to remember that doctors are HUMAN BEINGS -- some of them *just barely* passed their medical boards, and yet we put our lives in their hands! (doesn't it make you uneasy that someone who went through Medical School making C- grades has the same exact medical license as the person who earned straight A's in Med School?)

And while your doc may be the nicest person in the world, the fact remains that he/she has their own life to be truly concerned about, and for the most part their patients are their "job" and nothing else. (Yes, there are exceptions, but I'm talking in general.) The fact remains that WE are the only ones that REALLY have a vested interest in our health, so it's up to US to do what it takes to stay as healthy as possible!Deb

---Thank you Debbi. Suffice it to say that you really have to be assertive about your care. If it hadn't been for this site, I would have probably been wandering around in the dark. I am purely mentally and physically exhausted--as I am sure WE ALL ARE. I am grateful that this forum was created and that everyone here is so supportive. I will keep everyone up to date about my experiences and what I did to get through it. I hope that it helps others, because you all have definitely helped me. I thank you all again!Jo

[Guest guest]

Bianka - DON'T APOLOGIZE!!!!! We all understand. Most people with chronic illness suffer all kinds of bouts of depression from mild & infrequent to acute & chronic. And I'm sure your post-partum hormones don't help!!!!!

When you talk to your doctor, insist on the earliest date possible for your surgery. Tell him all of your symptoms. Often their focus is simply on the inability to swallow. Tell him you are feeling faint & you have a baby to care for. I look forward to hearing of your great results!!!!! Cindi

____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here

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I think my thyroid/adrenal deficiencies were caused at least in part by the beating my body took during my "two years of malnutrition" -- my thyroid/adrenal gland symptoms started shortly after then.

Especially since you are postpartum you are at risk of having thyroid problems, a side effect of which can be low blood pressure (which causes fainting). Particularly if you are nursing your baby, you should be getting PRIORITY treatment, but even if you are formula-feeding your baby, your postpartum status means that your body is depleted to begin with (it takes about a year or more for the body to rebuild after giving birth.)

Good luck!Debbi in Michigan

--- Biancka, I--we--feel for you. Please, please call your doctor and tell him your symptoms. Fainting is not a normal sign and can be a side effect of, to name a few, dehydration, low blood sugar, or a side effect of a medication/treatment that you may be on. The most probable (rule-out) cause would be dehydration or low blood sugar. Is your mouth dry and sticky? Are you urinating? Can you take in any liquids? May 25 is an awful long time away to wait. Can you see a physician any sooner? I hesitated in pursuing a more assertive route initially because I was just learning about this disorder. I am really concerned for you. Please, please, call your doctor. You are in my prayers. Don't despair. There will be a light for your tunnel..Jo

[Guest guest]

I did read the thyroid symptons list........and I could check many of them !!! What is the treatment for thyroid problems ?? I can't swallow large pills (we can all relate to that problem). I first have to see what thyroid is in Dutch !! LOL Good thing there is www.babylon.com :-)

Oh, I am formula-feeding my baby. You have to eat/drink sooooooo much when you nurse your baby and I couldnt do that. And I know all about my body rebuilding after birth. Right now I am in the middle of the losing hair stage. OMG, I am almost bold :-( I guess having A makes the hairloss even worse.

Hugs,

Biancka

Re: Re: Surgery scheduled for June 8

I think my thyroid/adrenal deficiencies were caused at least in part by the beating my body took during my "two years of malnutrition" -- my thyroid/adrenal gland symptoms started shortly after then.

Especially since you are postpartum you are at risk of having thyroid problems, a side effect of which can be low blood pressure (which causes fainting). Particularly if you are nursing your baby, you should be getting PRIORITY treatment, but even if you are formula-feeding your baby, your postpartum status means that your body is depleted to begin with (it takes about a year or more for the body to rebuild after giving birth.)

Good luck!Debbi in Michigan

--- Biancka, I--we--feel for you. Please, please call your doctor and tell him your symptoms. Fainting is not a normal sign and can be a side effect of, to name a few, dehydration, low blood sugar, or a side effect of a medication/treatment that you may be on. The most probable (rule-out) cause would be dehydration or low blood sugar. Is your mouth dry and sticky? Are you urinating? Can you take in any liquids? May 25 is an awful long time away to wait. Can you see a physician any sooner? I hesitated in pursuing a more assertive route initially because I was just learning about this disorder. I am really concerned for you. Please, please, call your doctor. You are in my prayers. Don't despair. There will be a light for your tunnel..Jo