Re: 22 year old with Achalasia

[Guest guest]

>

> So I am actually gaining weight because of this

> unhealthy diet and stress.

Hi!

I'm new to this group as well, and don't really know a lot of

our fellow members' post-op stories but...

I also have put on a few(ok, more than a few) pounds since

surgery. My dr made it sound like I was definitely in the

minority. I do not take any meds for stress, but I think my blood

pressure med helps in that area. I'm guessing my weight gain is due

to eating too much 'unhealthy' food as well.

I agree with the posts about the water. Sometimes it's really

difficult to force liquid down, but if at all possible, it really

does seem to help.

Good luck!

PS. I haven't seen 22 in a while, but my 9 month old son sure makes

me feel that young again!

[Guest guest]

Kier - welcome to the group ! You will find that there are quite a few young ones here so you will have company !

Sorry you are having problems. I also could not have water with my food after my Heller. Most doctors know little about Achalasia so you have to educate yourself and find someone who is knowledgeable to treat you. The experience oft he surgeon and gastroenterologist with dilatations is critical to success. Keep reading and you will soon be able to decide what you could ask for for stress.

Good wishes

Joan

22 year old with Achalasia

Hello all,I just discovered this group, so I am a newbie. First off with my story I guess. I am a 22 year old, college senior and I have had Achalasia for about three years now. Two years ago it got so bad that I couldn't even eat applesauce down. I then had laparoscopic heller myotomy with a partial wrap (I believe it is called that) -- after that my symptoms got better - I could actually keep food down and I had SOME energy but I still wasn't even at 75%. Since then I've had it stretched or whatever a few months ago - things are still the same. I get spasms about 2-3 times a week (depends what I eat - and I am usually pretty careful and avoid things that bother me). My doctor is pretty much like if it doesn't happen daily then we'll just wait and see. One of the earlier posts said something about drinking water with meals. I can't drink anything while eating at all. I have to wait probably 10 minutes until after I am eating to even have a few sips of anything so I make sure my food is all down. Also, right now I have the worst diet ever. I am eating pretty much everything that is so unhealthy. I am a very picky eater and it seems like everything that is a LITTLE healthy that I actually like -won't go down. So I am actually gaining weight because of this unhealthy diet and stress. I have never gotten any medicine for my stress - and I am a very stressed person with school and job searching. As some of the posts have said, stress does agrivate the spams I have clear evidence of that. But my doctor has never suggested anything and I have asked about it a few times. As it seems, you all are sooo educated about this. I guess I am just learning more about it and reseraching it online. I am really bad at all the names of the stuff because until now I kind of ignored it and my doctor didn't really educate me much on things. So I apologize if I don't use the correct terminology :)I think it is great that everyone has such good attitudes on here. Is there any young ones like me out there?I look forward to reading all of your posts in the future. Stay strong Kier from Iowa

[Guest guest]

Hi Kier!

Welcome to the family! This group is

awesome. You will learn SOOO much if you read even a few posts. In

the file section of the site there is even more information, and stories –

take the time to check it out. It will be worth it!

I just had my heller myotomy with partial

wrap 3 weeks ago today, and I feel GREAT! I am having close to no

difficulties, as long as I drink water with my meals. Before my surgery,

any amount of water was sure to push the food back UP, not down, so it is a

totally different mind frame for me to think that drinking it will HELP when I

have that ‘stuck’ feeling. I do not have to drink a litre per

meal or anything like that, but some water when I get that feeling, and I am

alright. I am so greatful! I hope my swallowing continues at this

rate. I can handle it, no prob. I think I am close to 95% right

now, so far, with what I have tried to eat.

I get the spasms as well. A few

times a week, for sure. Sometimes more. Since surgery, they have

definitely increased, but I am hoping it is just part of the healing process,

and maybe they will go away soon…. J Cold water, crackers, nitroglycerin, and now extra strength

Gaviscon is what has been working for me, for the most part.

I totally understand where you are coming

from with the diet thing. I was eating a lot of crappy food before, like

chocolate, puddings, chips, and things like that. I was not losing

weight, or gaining. My doc told me that since I hadn’t lost any

more weight at one point, so there was no need to push me closer to the top of

the list. It is frusterating.

I am not on any of the stress/depressions

meds, but I am sure someone else will write soon about that department.

As you learn more and more about this disease, you may need to teach your doc a

few things about it. Or find another who you do like, and who you think is

doing things in your best interest. Those docs are out there, you may

just have to dig around for them.

Good luck with your situation, Kier.

Keep reading, and you will learn tonnes!!

Take care,

21

Chilliwack, BC

[Guest guest]

Hey, I'm 22 as well!!! They generally consider it even more rare for

those as young as you and I to get achalasia. Being on this board it

doesn't seem that way to me.

Anyway, I'm have symptoms man, i've been saying for but now that I

really count it must be for over 5 years. I think I was 17 when I

started noticing symptoms. I have only had a dilation, no surgery, and

that was very recently so I can't speak to it's effectiveness long

term just yet.

At any rate, the terminology won't take you long to learn, I think the

most complicated for me was laproscopic verses thoroscopic, and what

the hell all of that meant.

You really shouldn't be having so much trouble eating with a surguery

and a dilation in the last year. Does your GI have experience with

Achalasia or are you his first?

For you spasms, it is a VERY common topic around here and some back

post reading, as well as seeing the files section to the left, may go

very far to helping you with that. I would also suggest re-trying the

food with the water, you may find a way to use it to get the food down

faster, small bites big sip of water, something like that. Also there

are various drugs that people use, depending on their nature.... no

not like that, but I wonder if maybe... ~taps chin~ hmmm

Welcome btw, nice to be in some more young company, heh

-Jess

>

> Hello all,

>

> I just discovered this group, so I am a newbie. First off with my

> story I guess. I am a 22 year old, college senior and I have had

> Achalasia for about three years now. Two years ago it got so bad

> that I couldn't even eat applesauce down. I then had laparoscopic

> heller myotomy with a partial wrap (I believe it is called that) --

> after that my symptoms got better - I could actually keep food down

> and I had SOME energy but I still wasn't even at 75%. Since then

> I've had it stretched or whatever a few months ago - things are

> still the same. I get spasms about 2-3 times a week (depends what I

> eat - and I am usually pretty careful and avoid things that bother

> me). My doctor is pretty much like if it doesn't happen daily then

> we'll just wait and see.

>

> One of the earlier posts said something about drinking water with

> meals. I can't drink anything while eating at all. I have to wait

> probably 10 minutes until after I am eating to even have a few sips

> of anything so I make sure my food is all down.

>

> Also, right now I have the worst diet ever. I am eating pretty much

> everything that is so unhealthy. I am a very picky eater and it

> seems like everything that is a LITTLE healthy that I actually like

-

> won't go down. So I am actually gaining weight because of this

> unhealthy diet and stress. I have never gotten any medicine for my

> stress - and I am a very stressed person with school and job

> searching. As some of the posts have said, stress does agrivate the

> spams I have clear evidence of that. But my doctor has never

> suggested anything and I have asked about it a few times.

>

> As it seems, you all are sooo educated about this. I guess I am

> just learning more about it and reseraching it online. I am really

> bad at all the names of the stuff because until now I kind of

> ignored it and my doctor didn't really educate me much on things.

> So I apologize if I don't use the correct terminology

>

> I think it is great that everyone has such good attitudes on here.

>

> Is there any young ones like me out there?

>

> I look forward to reading all of your posts in the future. Stay

> strong

>

> Kier from Iowa

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Kier,

Welcome to the group.I've had " A " for 15 yrs.No surgery just

dilations.I have always had some problems with foods even on good

days and drinking water then didn't help me either. Hardly ever did a

day go by that I didn't throw up.I started having a lot more problems

with foods about 3 months ago.I couldn't swallow anything solid and

had problems with liquids at times.I started grinding all my solid

foods in a food processor.They go down pretty good with lots of

water.Some stuff doesn't look very good but your not stuck with all

the junk food.I have had lots of problems with my wt in the past and

try to stick to a low carb diet even since my last episode.Candy bars

were my main food most days.Now I eat sugarfree candy and it is

really good.

Sherry from Ohio