Re: TORTUOUS ESOPHAGUS

[Guest guest]

Good to hear Kathie. I hope it lasts for a while for you. I have been told I have a touruous "E" also. I have been doing fairly well sense my last surger and I hope that stays that way for a long time.

in Suffolk

[Guest guest]

Thant is great news Kathie. Hope it gives you releif for a while.

>

> Hello All,

> Just FYI ... The dilation of the entire tortuous esophagus seems to

> have helped temporarily. I am swallowing better and have noticed

> minimum stickage. I am going to enjoy this for as long as it

lasts!

> I might even try a sandwich ... REUBEN ... I dream about them.

>

> My hubby said he now remembers that the doctor did say something

> about the E curving, and then said something about possible

> additional surgery, but says it did not sound like it was

> inevitable. He is sorta obsessing about forgetting what the doctor

> said. I tried to tell him it is really not a big deal, but I think

> he feels bad. When I had my Hellers, my oldest daughter was there

> too. I remember my hubby said the doctor must have felt he was at

> the grand jury she asked so many questions. Think I might have to

> enlist her next time.

>

> Just thought I would post where I am now ... enjoying a few days of

> swallows! P. S. ... although still there, the chest pain has

> DEFINATELY lessened!

>

> Kathie in Pittsburgh

>

[Guest guest]

Kathie, so glad your dilatation is giving you some relief. You

deserve a break. I hope those horrible spasms never return.

Love ya,

Maggie

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathie,

It is soooo WONDERFUL that you are experiencing relief from your dilatation.

So they did the bougie all up and down the entire length of your esophagus,

huh?

I wonder what makes them decide to do a bougie vs. a balloon post

myotomy...or to do a dilatation the entire length vs. just in one place.

I'm wondering if a bougie would have been the better choice for me. I was

also told that I have a torturous esophagus last time I went in, but I think

mine is a bit past the middle stages, but not quite end stage yet. Our

stages sound very similar except my spasms are not so severe as yours. I'm

happy your painful spasms have lessened. Procardia helps mine. My primary

has me take it as one of my blood pressure meds and I really do think it

helps with the spasming.

A REUBEN sandwich sounds really yummy! Let me know if you decide to try one

and I'll celebrate and have one with you!

I'm really hoping the dilatation keeps giving you continued relief for years

and years to come!

With hugs and warm wishes....Sandi in No CA...a bit sad today because a

certain Daddy gave a haircut...He shaved it all off and now all the

scars are showing...Why oh why???

TORTUOUS ESOPHAGUS

Hello All,

Just FYI ... The dilation of the entire tortuous esophagus seems to

have helped temporarily. I am swallowing better and have noticed

minimum stickage. I am going to enjoy this for as long as it lasts!

I might even try a sandwich ... REUBEN ... I dream about them.

My hubby said he now remembers that the doctor did say something

about the E curving, and then said something about possible

additional surgery, but says it did not sound like it was

inevitable. He is sorta obsessing about forgetting what the doctor

said. I tried to tell him it is really not a big deal, but I think

he feels bad. When I had my Hellers, my oldest daughter was there

too. I remember my hubby said the doctor must have felt he was at

the grand jury she asked so many questions. Think I might have to

enlist her next time.

Just thought I would post where I am now ... enjoying a few days of

swallows! P. S. ... although still there, the chest pain has

DEFINATELY lessened!

Kathie in Pittsburgh

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandi:

Thank you for your kind words. I must admit, I am a bit excited to

be able to swallow somewhat better. Larry and I decided, if it is

still good on Sunday, He will buy me 1/2 of a Reuben from our

favorite place, and I will try it at home. We decided that would be

a bit too ambitious to do in a restaurant.

I am still afraid to not take it easy. This afternoon, I did take a

larger bite and that WAS a mistake. I am teachable! It just takes

LOTS of time and patience.

I am not sure if they did the balloon or the bougie. I know he

thought it would be the bougie when he thought it was scar tissue.

He also told me it would take 15 - 20 minutes.

They had to do a guide wire first since it was curved or twisted,

then do the dilation. The procedure wound up taking an hour. The

doctor said he did the entire esophagus to try to straighten it.

Don't know if that is exactly what happened, but it sounds good to

me, and it seems to have worked. He also told me several time that I

need to understand this is a very temporary fix with a tortuous

esophagus.

The doctor (or fellow) I spoke with, told me Dr L dialated it as much

as he " dared " because it was thinning in parts, but that it was quite

a bit. It will be interesting to actually talk with the surgeon and

get his take. I have an entire month to put together a list of

questions.

It does sound like we are winding down the same path. If I am

understanding the research ... after the tortuous comes Mega ... then

Sigmoid. Are you at one of those? He tells me My E has not expanded

too much yet. He is just concerned of food sitting in a curve,

fermenting and ulcerating the esophagus.

I think of little so often. Wonder why Daddy made that

decision? Perhaps he needed to see that. Hopefully his hair will

grow back quickly. What a little gift he is for you. He is in

the " prayer vase " twice, so he gets lots of prayers.

I appreciate your post. Kathie

******************

> Hi Kathie,

> It is soooo WONDERFUL that you are experiencing relief from your

dilatation. So they did the bougie all up and down the entire length

of your esophagus, huh?I wonder what makes them decide to bougie vs.

a balloon post myotomy ... or to do a dilatation the entire length

vs. just in one place.

> I'm wondering if a bougie would have been the better choice for me.

I was also told that I have a torturous esophagus last time I went

in, but I think mine is a bit past the middle stages, but not quite

end stage yet. Our stages sound very similar except my spasms are not

so severe as yours. I'm happy your painful spasms have lessened.

Procardia helps mine. My primary has me take it as one of my blood

pressure meds and I really do think it helps with the spasming.

> A REUBEN sandwich sounds really yummy! Let me know if you decide to

try one and I'll celebrate and have one with you!

> I'm really hoping the dilatation keeps giving you continued relief

for years and years to come!

> With hugs and warm wishes....Sandi in No CA...a bit sad today

because a certain Daddy gave a haircut...He shaved it all

off and now all thescars are showing...Why oh why???

>

[Guest guest]

Mmmmm... I am looking forward to Sunday and hoping to share the other

half of the Reuben with you. I like mine hot on dark rye with lots of

yummy sauerkraut and melted swiss cheese! I do hope you are doing

better so I can have one too! LOL

Well Kathie, It sounds to me like you have a more difficult time

getting food down than I do. I can still manage to force it through,

although I don't know if using force is a good idea...I'm afraid the

force of the food going through could cause a perforation in my

already ulcerated LES...something I need to ask my doctor about I guess.

And regarding stages....I may be wrong, but I think sigmoid comes

first. Sigmoid means snakelike. It's when the esophagus is twisted and

has the drainpipe appearance. What mine has more of a corkscrew

appearance right now. I believe I am at the beginning stages of

sigmoid and it will just keep becoming more twisted as it continues to

stretch...my esophagus isn't mega yet. It has started to dilate or

stretch out at the bottom but isn't too bad yet. I wonder if we can

keep it from becoming more sigmoid by eating a softer diet. We all

have our little anologies and the way I think of the esophagus

becoming more sigmoid is thinking of it like curling a ribbon with a

pair of scissors. When you apply the pressure down the length of the

ribbon it causes it to curl. I wonder if this could apply to certain

types of heavier foods we eat making the esophagus twist as the food

is going down. I suspect that eating a diet of softer foods would be

better. Just one of the thoughts that make sense to me in trying to

figure out what causes the twisting.

It sounds to me like they did a balloon dilatation on you. I know they

use the guide wire with the balloon but I'm not sure if they use a

guide wire for a bougie. I'm still new to the whole dilatation

thing...I never had one until after my myotomy.

While making your list of questions, you might ask your Dr about

reflux...and also, if he is concerned about food fermenting in your E

causing ulcerations, maybe you should be taking medication for it. I

NEVER would have suspected I had an ulcer in my LES. Well, I don't

want to start ranting about that....I have regrets.....

I am just REALLY happy you are enjoying being able to eat better and

hope to hear how wonderful that Reuben is!

Please take care,

Hugs,

Sandi

> > Hi Kathie,

> > It is soooo WONDERFUL that you are experiencing relief from your

> dilatation. So they did the bougie all up and down the entire length

> of your esophagus, huh?I wonder what makes them decide to bougie vs.

> a balloon post myotomy ... or to do a dilatation the entire length

> vs. just in one place.

> > I'm wondering if a bougie would have been the better choice for me.

> I was also told that I have a torturous esophagus last time I went

> in, but I think mine is a bit past the middle stages, but not quite

> end stage yet. Our stages sound very similar except my spasms are not

> so severe as yours. I'm happy your painful spasms have lessened.

> Procardia helps mine. My primary has me take it as one of my blood

> pressure meds and I really do think it helps with the spasming.

> > A REUBEN sandwich sounds really yummy! Let me know if you decide to

> try one and I'll celebrate and have one with you!

> > I'm really hoping the dilatation keeps giving you continued relief

> for years and years to come!

> > With hugs and warm wishes....Sandi in No CA...a bit sad today

> because a certain Daddy gave a haircut...He shaved it all

> off and now all thescars are showing...Why oh why???

>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Sandi wrote:

....I may be wrong, but I think sigmoid comes

first. Sigmoid means snakelike. It's when the esophagus is twisted and

has the drainpipe appearance.

In Greek the equivalent of the letter S is Sigma. Sigmoid means S

shaped. (Not the capital sigma most often seen). So, yes, it is snake

like. Commonly, tortuous means full of twists, turns, curves, or

windings; winding; crooked. Sigmoid would be a type of tortuous.

Consider the following statement from Dr. Achkar:

"In later stages, the esophagus is dilated and food residue may be

present. Large diverticula develop over time and the esophagus becomes

tortuous assuming a sigmoid shape."

See:

TCC

MOTOR DISORDERS OF THE ESOPHAGUS

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/gastro/motor/motor.htm

notan

[Guest guest]

On 2/17/2006 at 11:13:42 P.M. Central Standard Time Sandi wrote:

And regarding stages....I may be wrong, but I think sigmoid comes first. Sigmoid means snakelike. It's when the esophagus is twisted andhas the drainpipe appearance

Go to google, click on images, then type in tortuous esophagus,

sigmoid esophagus etc. You'll find some pictures there. By

clicking on the pictures you can go to web pages. I didn't

have time this morning to read those sites, but they may be

helpful.

Maggie,

who has a 4 year old for the weekend and is playing soooo

hard.

[Guest guest]

Sandi,

I had also wondered if we can longer preserve the helath of our E by

what we eat. I have no idea but it has crssed my mind. That is what

this disease questions questions questions. Too much to learn or try.

> > > Hi Kathie,

> > > It is soooo WONDERFUL that you are experiencing relief from

your

> > dilatation. So they did the bougie all up and down the entire

length

> > of your esophagus, huh?I wonder what makes them decide to bougie

vs.

> > a balloon post myotomy ... or to do a dilatation the entire

length

> > vs. just in one place.

> > > I'm wondering if a bougie would have been the better choice for

me.

> > I was also told that I have a torturous esophagus last time I

went

> > in, but I think mine is a bit past the middle stages, but not

quite

> > end stage yet. Our stages sound very similar except my spasms are

not

> > so severe as yours. I'm happy your painful spasms have lessened.

> > Procardia helps mine. My primary has me take it as one of my

blood

> > pressure meds and I really do think it helps with the spasming.

> > > A REUBEN sandwich sounds really yummy! Let me know if you

decide to

> > try one and I'll celebrate and have one with you!

> > > I'm really hoping the dilatation keeps giving you continued

relief

> > for years and years to come!

> > > With hugs and warm wishes....Sandi in No CA...a bit sad today

> > because a certain Daddy gave a haircut...He shaved it

all

> > off and now all thescars are showing...Why oh why???

> >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

,

I have said for years, and there have been many discussions here

about how diet affects the " E " . I have some things I use now like

Aloe Vera and liquid minerals and I can tell you that I am better

when I take it!!

There are lots of posts on stuff like L-arginine which has helped

some people. Look in the files.

JC

> > > > Hi Kathie,

> > > > It is soooo WONDERFUL that you are experiencing relief from

> your

> > > dilatation. So they did the bougie all up and down the entire

> length

> > > of your esophagus, huh?I wonder what makes them decide to

bougie

> vs.

> > > a balloon post myotomy ... or to do a dilatation the entire

> length

> > > vs. just in one place.

> > > > I'm wondering if a bougie would have been the better choice

for

> me.

> > > I was also told that I have a torturous esophagus last time I

> went

> > > in, but I think mine is a bit past the middle stages, but not

> quite

> > > end stage yet. Our stages sound very similar except my spasms

are

> not

> > > so severe as yours. I'm happy your painful spasms have

lessened.

> > > Procardia helps mine. My primary has me take it as one of my

> blood

> > > pressure meds and I really do think it helps with the spasming.

> > > > A REUBEN sandwich sounds really yummy! Let me know if you

> decide to

> > > try one and I'll celebrate and have one with you!

> > > > I'm really hoping the dilatation keeps giving you continued

> relief

> > > for years and years to come!

> > > > With hugs and warm wishes....Sandi in No CA...a bit sad

today

> > > because a certain Daddy gave a haircut...He shaved it

> all

> > > off and now all thescars are showing...Why oh why???

> > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>