Re: my surgery consult today

[Guest guest]

Dear Liz,

Peggy will chime in as soon as she reads this maybe. Her doctor

suggested she wait to see how much the myotomy helps her other

digestive issues before she starts tests for her other problems. He

pointed out she is not eating a normal diet and that can change the

rest of things in your digestive system. However her symptoms aren't

the same as yours. I see the logic in doing both at the same time.

Doesn't seem fair that you can't get food into your stomach and also

can't get it out. My only suggestion is that whoever studied the

stomach emptying test is well informed about that problem and there

isn't any chance the achalasia is somehow causing that issue also.

That also sounds like a rare disease. Heck, as long as you are under,

have them fix everything else and do some nip tucking if you are so

inclined. I asked for that, but they didn't see the humor.

Yes it is nice to hear from . She was always a logical, calming

and fun member.

OT, regarding comfort at a time of loss. I find this song

comforting, by ny Nash.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies

Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

(copied w/o permission, please forgive me legislators of the world, I

found it on an mp3 site even though I don't have a clue how to

download it and please don't send me to jail.

> I went back to see my surgeon today following 3 tests that she

wanted

> done before making final recommendations on what to do. We are

> agreed on proceeding with a myotomy with a partial fundoplication

but

> in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter

> loosened as well. Basically the same idea as the myotomy but done

at

> both ends of the stomach. I had a gastric emptying study which

> indicated that normal stomach emptying is 90 minutes and for me it

is

> estimated to be 800 minutes. So, food is very slow entering my

> stomach and once it gets there just backs up there as well. So,

this

> means a longer surgical procedure but not longer recovery. The

main

> concern is a possible risk of bile reflux which is apparently

> horrible and not treatable by medication. Thus, she wants the

> fundoplication. There is not a big likelihood this will happen but

> of course she has to let me know it is a possibility. I was kind of

> thrown by this as I have never heard anyone mention it here. Has

> anyone had this done along with their myotomy? I am proceeding to

> scheduling everything for September so have the summer to do more

> research on this but I would appreciate the advice of any others

that

> have been there.

> thanks

> Liz

> P.S, Hi , I joined aroung the time you had your surgery and I

> vividly remember your very informative and entertaining posts as

you

> went through recovery. It has taken me over 3 years to get to the

> same point but I am finally here. It is nice to hear from you

> again.

[Guest guest]

> > I went back to see my surgeon today following 3 tests that she

> wanted

> > done before making final recommendations on what to do. We are

> > agreed on proceeding with a myotomy with a partial fundoplication

> but

> > in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter

> > loosened as well. Basically the same idea as the myotomy but done

> at

> > both ends of the stomach. I had a gastric emptying study which

> > indicated that normal stomach emptying is 90 minutes and for me it

> is

> > estimated to be 800 minutes. So, food is very slow entering my

> > stomach and once it gets there just backs up there as well. So,

> this

> > means a longer surgical procedure but not longer recovery. The

> main

> > concern is a possible risk of bile reflux which is apparently

> > horrible and not treatable by medication. Thus, she wants the

> > fundoplication. There is not a big likelihood this will happen but

> > of course she has to let me know it is a possibility. I was kind of

> > thrown by this as I have never heard anyone mention it here. Has

> > anyone had this done along with their myotomy? I am proceeding to

> > scheduling everything for September so have the summer to do more

> > research on this but I would appreciate the advice of any others

> that

> > have been there.

> > thanks

> > Liz

> > P.S, Hi , I joined aroung the time you had your surgery and I

> > vividly remember your very informative and entertaining posts as

> you

> > went through recovery. It has taken me over 3 years to get to the

> > same point but I am finally here. It is nice to hear from you

> > again.

[Guest guest]

Chiming in -- my doctor said, in response to my comment that my irritable

bowel syndrome seemed to be much more flared up and connected to my

achalasia, that I have had to change my diet (eliminating fiber, fruits, etc) so

much that it is no wonder my IBS has flared.

Peg

-- In achalasia , " toomuchclutter " <sandycarroll@c...>

wrote:

> Dear Liz,

>

> Peggy will chime in as soon as she reads this maybe. Her doctor

> suggested she wait to see how much the myotomy helps her other

> digestive issues before she starts tests for her other problems. He

> pointed out she is not eating a normal diet and that can change the

> rest of things in your digestive system. However her symptoms aren't

> the same as yours. I see the logic in doing both at the same time.

> Doesn't seem fair that you can't get food into your stomach and also

> can't get it out. My only suggestion is that whoever studied the

> stomach emptying test is well informed about that problem and there

> isn't any chance the achalasia is somehow causing that issue also.

> That also sounds like a rare disease. Heck, as long as you are under,

> have them fix everything else and do some nip tucking if you are so

> inclined. I asked for that, but they didn't see the humor.

>

> Yes it is nice to hear from . She was always a logical, calming

> and fun member.

>

> OT, regarding comfort at a time of loss. I find this song

> comforting, by ny Nash.

>

>

> I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

> I can see all obstacles in my way

> Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

> It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

> Sun-Shiny day.

> I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

> All of the bad feelings have disappeared

> Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for

> It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

> Sun-Shiny day.

> Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies

> Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies

> I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

> I can see all obstacles in my way

> Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

> It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

> Sun-Shiny day.

>

> (copied w/o permission, please forgive me legislators of the world, I

> found it on an mp3 site even though I don't have a clue how to

> download it and please don't send me to jail.

>

>

>

>

> > I went back to see my surgeon today following 3 tests that she

> wanted

> > done before making final recommendations on what to do. We are

> > agreed on proceeding with a myotomy with a partial fundoplication

> but

> > in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter

> > loosened as well. Basically the same idea as the myotomy but done

> at

> > both ends of the stomach. I had a gastric emptying study which

> > indicated that normal stomach emptying is 90 minutes and for me it

> is

> > estimated to be 800 minutes. So, food is very slow entering my

> > stomach and once it gets there just backs up there as well. So,

> this

> > means a longer surgical procedure but not longer recovery. The

> main

> > concern is a possible risk of bile reflux which is apparently

> > horrible and not treatable by medication. Thus, she wants the

> > fundoplication. There is not a big likelihood this will happen but

> > of course she has to let me know it is a possibility. I was kind of

> > thrown by this as I have never heard anyone mention it here. Has

> > anyone had this done along with their myotomy? I am proceeding to

> > scheduling everything for September so have the summer to do more

> > research on this but I would appreciate the advice of any others

> that

> > have been there.

> > thanks

> > Liz

> > P.S, Hi , I joined aroung the time you had your surgery and I

> > vividly remember your very informative and entertaining posts as

> you

> > went through recovery. It has taken me over 3 years to get to the

> > same point but I am finally here. It is nice to hear from you

> > again.

[Guest guest]

> > I went back to see my surgeon today following 3 tests that she

> wanted

> > done before making final recommendations on what to do. We are

> > agreed on proceeding with a myotomy with a partial fundoplication

> but

> > in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter

> > loosened as well. Basically the same idea as the myotomy but done

> at

> > both ends of the stomach. I had a gastric emptying study which

> > indicated that normal stomach emptying is 90 minutes and for me it

> is

> > estimated to be 800 minutes. So, food is very slow entering my

> > stomach and once it gets there just backs up there as well. So,

> this

> > means a longer surgical procedure but not longer recovery. The

> main

> > concern is a possible risk of bile reflux which is apparently

> > horrible and not treatable by medication. Thus, she wants the

> > fundoplication. There is not a big likelihood this will happen but

> > of course she has to let me know it is a possibility. I was kind of

> > thrown by this as I have never heard anyone mention it here. Has

> > anyone had this done along with their myotomy? I am proceeding to

> > scheduling everything for September so have the summer to do more

> > research on this but I would appreciate the advice of any others

> that

> > have been there.

> > thanks

> > Liz

> > P.S, Hi , I joined aroung the time you had your surgery and I

> > vividly remember your very informative and entertaining posts as

> you

> > went through recovery. It has taken me over 3 years to get to the

> > same point but I am finally here. It is nice to hear from you

> > again.

[Guest guest]

lizzie2542 wrote:

in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter loosened as well.

Pyloric stenosis, which is common in babies, is treated by myotomy of

the pylorus sphincter and has some other similarities to

achalasia of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Basically the same idea as the myotomy but done at both ends of the stomach.

For the pylorus sphincter it is called a pyloromyotomy. What we

refer to as just a myotomy is also known as a cardiomyotomy. In both

cases it is a cut in a sphincter muscle.

Has anyone had this done along with their myotomy?

Long ago the topic of the pylorus sphincter being a problem for

someone in the group did come up, and others have discussed delayed

gastric emptying, but I don't remember anyone getting both myotomies.

You can get more information by doing searches for "pyloromyotomy"

or "pyloric stenosis". I am not saying you have pyloric

stenosis, but you can get information about that myotomy from looking

at information about pyloric stenosis.

notan

[Guest guest]

thanks Sandi,

You will laugh when I tell you that I had a major tummy tuck 2 years

ago (my post weight loss courtesy of achalasia reward) and yesterday

on the way home I was telling my friend I am drawing a big circle

around my belly button and and writing a note on my stomach saying

this cost me $10,000, don't lose it!! I do trust the doctor but I do

want to hear a bit more about other's experiences with it.

Liz

[Guest guest]

Thanks Notan,

that is helpful. Yes, that is the term, I couldn't remember it for

describing the procedure. She commented on how the vagus nerve was

affected likely there as well. I don't have IBS (which Peggy

mentioned) but I have had surgery on my actual stomach twice

previously so have a lot of scarring. She felt that simply doing the

myotomy without doing something with the pylorus was going to reduce

the liklihood of it's success and increase reflux a lot.

thanks again

Liz

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Peggy,

I don't have IBS but I can see how the diet would have made it flare

up. I always picture my body as this separate little person inside

of me and this whole issue has me seeing the little guy inside

saying once the food finally gets into my stomach saying, ok we are

not letting this go, it took too long to get it in here and the poor

little fella is going to get washed away once the other end is

loosened up. If you don't laugh about it you will just end up

crying!

Liz

> > > I went back to see my surgeon today following 3 tests that she

> > wanted

> > > done before making final recommendations on what to do. We

are

> > > agreed on proceeding with a myotomy with a partial

fundoplication

> > but

> > > in addition she says I also need to have the pylorus sphincter

> > > loosened as well. Basically the same idea as the myotomy but

done

> > at

> > > both ends of the stomach. I had a gastric emptying study

which

> > > indicated that normal stomach emptying is 90 minutes and for

me it

> > is

> > > estimated to be 800 minutes. So, food is very slow entering

my

> > > stomach and once it gets there just backs up there as well.

So,

> > this

> > > means a longer surgical procedure but not longer recovery.

The

> > main

> > > concern is a possible risk of bile reflux which is apparently

> > > horrible and not treatable by medication. Thus, she wants the

> > > fundoplication. There is not a big likelihood this will

happen but

> > > of course she has to let me know it is a possibility. I was

kind of

> > > thrown by this as I have never heard anyone mention it here.

Has

> > > anyone had this done along with their myotomy? I am

proceeding to

> > > scheduling everything for September so have the summer to do

more

> > > research on this but I would appreciate the advice of any

others

> > that

> > > have been there.

> > > thanks

> > > Liz

> > > P.S, Hi , I joined aroung the time you had your surgery

and I

> > > vividly remember your very informative and entertaining posts

as

> > you

> > > went through recovery. It has taken me over 3 years to get to

the

> > > same point but I am finally here. It is nice to hear from

you

> > > again.