Re: 7wk Post Op - reporting in

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi All,

> Just wanted to let you all know that I just came back from

> Cleveland Clinic with GREAT news!!

>

Hi Joy and too-

Yea for you both!! I'm so happy to hear it's going so well.

Happy Swallowing!!

-michelle

[Guest guest]

Hi Joy!

I am happy to hear that you are doing so

well as well! And so brave! I was one of those people that did nothing while

I had that tube in my nose. I went home, watched a movie and went to bed.

Then I didn’t have to think about it. I did not want to hgo out in

public with that thing. Yuck. I hope your healing continuesas well as it has

been!

Take care Joy!

[Guest guest]

Glad you are doing well. I just had my Heller myotomy done at Duke. I consdiered Cleveland Medical Center as a choice. The airfare and logistics deter me and Duke was only 40 minutes away. Was the pH test a followup to your myotomy?

7wk Post Op - reporting in

Hi All, Just wanted to let you all know that I just came back from Cleveland Clinic with GREAT news!! They did another manometry (yuck) and then put in the wire for the 24 hour PH Test. There is a Mcs right in the hospital and I stopped in for a Big Mac meal...since I was hungry from the fasting and wanted to treat myself to something I don't normally eat at home. YUM! and...no problems swallowing. Yipee!We checked into our hotel and took a little rest...then went to "Famous Daves" for the best barbeque ribs I have ever had!! Decided then to find a movie ...another thing we rarely treat ourselves to at home with 3 kids....and lucky us it was really cheap and came with free popcorn! Well, it had been a while for me and popcorn too...and so I couldn't refuse free popcorn. (I had not read the full instructions on the PH test that said "no snacking"....but all was o.k. I will say that at first the end of the probe felt like a shoelace tip scratching in there...but the following morning when it was time to have it removed it felt more like a thumb tack!! Glad to have it removed but even happier with the results - NO ACID reflux and will require NO medications!!! A quick timed barium swallow later revealed that unlike prior to my Heller where nearly ALL of the barium remained in my esophagus after 5 min....now 90% had cleared after 5 min.!!! AND...Dr. Rice was pleased to point out that my esophagus had sprung back to a closer to normal size. I just felt like I won the Lottery!! So, today I am telling my friends I am 90% of normal...and they are quick to reply that they always knew I was a bit "off" anyway. (hehe) End nut is....for anyone needing the PH test....don't mope about in your hotel room - I think it makes you focus on the discomfort and annoyance of the probe more. Treat yourself to something fun instead that will get your mind off of it. Another thing I did was check the phone book and visit a fabric store that was having a big sale. I want instill a "Pavlovian" effect on my Achalasia...so that my treatment visits are more enjoyable and will be more anticipated than dreaded. I go back next year.Joy (in Michigan)

[Guest guest]

Joy,

Glad to hear about your re-visit in Cleveland and that you had such very good news. That is fantastic. I don't know about going out with the PH test probe on my face, I would feel awfully self concious about how I would look, but I get your ideas about making it more of a fun type of outing than scarey.

Hugs,

Jan from Northern KY

[Guest guest]

Hi ...

Well, after reading people's comments here about their PH test

experiences I was prepared to return to my hotel room and " hold-up. "

But, then my husband reasoned with me that nobody in Cleveland knows

me anyway...so I didn't need to " impress " anyone. So...with the

offer of a meal I wasn't willing to refuse. He has a great attitude

about so many things. My sweet husband actually said to me the other

day as I was inspecting some wrinkels an flaws.... " When we got

married we agreed to grow old together - let's get on with it. "

Well....not much I can say to refute his " make the best of a bad

situation attitude " !

Joy

> Hi Joy!

>

>

>

> I am happy to hear that you are doing so well as well! And so

brave! I

> was one of those people that did nothing while I had that tube in my

> nose. I went home, watched a movie and went to bed. Then I didn't

have

> to think about it. I did not want to hgo out in public with that

thing.

> Yuck. I hope your healing continuesas well as it has been!

>

>

>

> Take care Joy!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug,

We are lucky to be only a little over 3 hours drive from CC...and

my parents live very close and are able to come watch the 3 kids

while we make the trek. With the good deals we have been lucky to

get on Priceline...it has been a nice little time away from home.

Yes, the PH test was done as a routine post-op to determine if

there was any residual acid reflux. I guess that if the " wrap " is

too tight - then swallowing is difficult and if it is too loose, then

you get acid that would cause you to be on a prescription antacid

(little purple pill). I was so happy mine was well within the normal

range!

Joy

>

>

>

> Hi All,

> Just wanted to let you all know that I just came back from

> Cleveland Clinic with GREAT news!!

> They did another manometry (yuck) and then put in the wire for

the

> 24 hour PH Test. There is a Mcs right in the hospital and

I

> stopped in for a Big Mac meal...since I was hungry from the

fasting

> and wanted to treat myself to something I don't normally eat at

> home. YUM! and...no problems swallowing. Yipee!

> We checked into our hotel and took a little rest...then went

> to " Famous Daves " for the best barbeque ribs I have ever had!!

> Decided then to find a movie ...another thing we rarely treat

> ourselves to at home with 3 kids....and lucky us it was really

cheap

> and came with free popcorn! Well, it had been a while for me and

> popcorn too...and so I couldn't refuse free popcorn. (I had not

read

> the full instructions on the PH test that said " no

snacking " ....but

> all was o.k.

> I will say that at first the end of the probe felt like a

shoelace

> tip scratching in there...but the following morning when it was

time

> to have it removed it felt more like a thumb tack!! Glad to have

it

> removed but even happier with the results - NO ACID reflux and

will

> require NO medications!!!

> A quick timed barium swallow later revealed that unlike prior

to

> my Heller where nearly ALL of the barium remained in my esophagus

> after 5 min....now 90% had cleared after 5 min.!!! AND...Dr. Rice

was

> pleased to point out that my esophagus had sprung back to a

closer to

> normal size. I just felt like I won the Lottery!!

> So, today I am telling my friends I am 90% of normal...and they

are

> quick to reply that they always knew I was a bit " off " anyway.

(hehe)

>

> End nut is....for anyone needing the PH test....don't mope

about

> in your hotel room - I think it makes you focus on the discomfort

and

> annoyance of the probe more. Treat yourself to something fun

instead

> that will get your mind off of it. Another thing I did was check

the

> phone book and visit a fabric store that was having a big sale.

I

> want instill a " Pavlovian " effect on my Achalasia...so that my

> treatment visits are more enjoyable and will be more anticipated

than

> dreaded. I go back next year.

> Joy (in Michigan)

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan,

I know what you mean about being inclined to be self

consious...but my husband and I were actually quite giddy the whole

time as we saw the numbers on the PH monitor in a good range. So I

was rather smiling ear to ear looking people directly in the face

with this weird thought running through my head... " yes, I know I have

tubes coming out my nose and taped to my face and neck. " It was

kinda funny that everyone would just smile back and pretend not to

notice (hehe).

Joy

> Joy,

> Glad to hear about your re-visit in Cleveland and that you had such

very

> good news. That is fantastic. I don't know about going out with

the PH test

> probe on my face, I would feel awfully self concious about how I

would look, but

> I get your ideas about making it more of a fun type of outing than

scarey.

> Hugs,

> Jan from Northern KY