Kathie

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathie!

The reason I didn't attempt to answer your question about dilation

is that I am one of the group that elected to go straight to myotomy

without having Botox or dilation. As for the ache, that sounds the

way I felt after the barium swallow before surgery, and at that time

I really struggled to eat and keep from choking, and to keep any

food down. I do think you should call tomorrow. They may want to see

you sooner. It won't hurt. Hope that helps!

Jo

>

> Hello All,

> I posted a question in no. 32170 and just wondered if anyone could

> answer it AND another problem.

> I wondered if the dilation I am having on Tuesday to break up Scar

> Tissue is different than the dilation used to break thru the LES?

I

> would be VERY grateful if someone could answer that. I have been

> searching for info, but cannot really find the answer on my own.

>

> Second .....

> I have been having a problem of quite a bit of chest pain this

week.

> It is different than the spasms and just wondered if I describe

it,

> if someone can help me.

> I saw the surgeon last Tuesday and he has scheduled me for a

dilation

> on Tuesday. Beginning on Wednesday, I noticed a dull but constant

> pain on the entire esophagus. It did not prevent eating, I had no

> reflux, it just ached!

> On Thursday morning I awoke with the the esophagus and my entire

> chest cavity very painful ... again, not like the spasms. It was

> just like everything contained between my ribs hurt, with most of

it

> in my esophagus all the way up my chest and thru the back.

> This pain has stayed with me. It is very bad in the morning when

I

> wake up, but lessens as the day wears on. I am constantly aware

of

> having a chest and an esophagus. During the day it is not as

> painful, just achy!

> I did have a barium swallow and a barium pill on Tuesday. I

washed

> it down with a ton of water. Could that have anything to do with

it?

>

> Just wondered if I should call the surgeons office tomorrow

morning

> and inquire? or just wait until I am at the hospital on Tuesday?

I

> hate to be a whiner, but I must admit, I am wondering what is

going

> on. While at the hospital I had the cardiogram and all the blood

> work, so I am positive it is NOT heart related.

>

> Please let me know what you think. I know this is very minor

> compared to what some of you have going on, but I would very much

> appreciate the input. Thanks,

> Kathie in Pittsburgh

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jo:

Thanks for your reply.

The dilations that I had before were before they knew I had

Achalasia. They WERE NOT dilations of the LES. They just dilated

the top of the esophagus. I remember the GI issuing MAJOR concerns

about dilating the LES and the chance of perforation of the

esophagus. He had NO concerns about that with the kind of dilation

that he did to my E.

I had my myotomy with the toupet wrap on March 16, 2005 ... almost a

year. I have been doing pretty well, with only severe spasms as my

problem. About 3 months ago, I noticed that things were beginning to

stick. It was not alot, but noticible. I did regurge a few times,

but most of the time water did the trick.

I was making my appt for the 1 year check up. One of the questions,

have you noticed any change in the last 3 months. I told the nurse,

next thing I knew, I had an earlier appt.

I just saw the surgeon last Tuesday and my procedure is the day after

tomorrow. I sorta doubt that they would have be come in tomorrow. I

am thinking I just might mention it before the procedure. It sounds

like I am not alone with this from the answering posts. It was just

so new to me, and I never read about it before.

As long as we know SOMEONE else has walked the road, it really does

make you feel better.

I just wish someone ... NOTAN ARE YOU OUT THERE? ... would be able to

tell me if it is different to break up scar tissue than it is to open

the LES. I can't find it anywhere in my research. Although I did

NOT have a dilation to open the LES, I have read about it. I can't

find anything about dilation to break open scar tissue. I just am

concerned that Scar Tissue would be more difficult, but I do not know

for sure.

Thank you . You have such a nice way in your posts. I really

appreciate your answer.

Kathie in Pittsburgh.

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

> > Hello All,

I posted a question in no. 31270 and just wondered if anyone could

answer it AND another problem. I wondered if the dilation I am having

on Tuesday to break up Scar Tissue is different than the dilation

used to break thru the LES? I would be VERY grateful if someone

could answer that. I have been searching for info, but cannot really

find the answer on my own.

Second .....

I have been having a problem of quite a bit of chest pain this week.

It is different than the spasms and just wondered if I describe it,

if someone can help me. I saw the surgeon last Tuesday and he has

scheduled me for a dilation on Tuesday. Beginning on Wednesday, I

noticed a dull but constant pain on the entire esophagus. It did

not prevent eating, I had no reflux, it just ached!

On Thursday morning I awoke with the the esophagus and my entire

chest cavity very painful ... again, not like the spasms. It was

just like everything contained between my ribs hurt, with most of it

in my esophagus all the way up my chest and thru the back. This pain

has stayed with me. It is very bad in the morning when I wake up,

but lessens as the day wears on. I am constantly aware of having a

chest and an esophagus. During the day it is not as painful, just

achy! I did have a barium swallow and a barium pill on Tuesday. I

washed it down with a ton of water. Could that have anything to do

with it?

While at the hospital I had the cardiogram and all the blood work, so

I am positive it is NOT heart related.

Please let me know what you think. I know this is very minor

compared to what some of you have going on, but I would very much

appreciate the input. Thanks, Kathie in Pittsburgh

[Guest guest]

I am thrilled if I can be of any assistance, and I will be thinking

of you and on Tuesday. I do hope someone with the voice of

experience will reply, giving you peace of mind. I will be watching

for you to post after the procedure.

Jo

> > > Hello All,

> I posted a question in no. 31270 and just wondered if anyone could

> answer it AND another problem. I wondered if the dilation I am

having

> on Tuesday to break up Scar Tissue is different than the dilation

> used to break thru the LES? I would be VERY grateful if someone

> could answer that. I have been searching for info, but cannot

really

> find the answer on my own.

> Second .....

> I have been having a problem of quite a bit of chest pain this

week.

> It is different than the spasms and just wondered if I describe

it,

> if someone can help me. I saw the surgeon last Tuesday and he has

> scheduled me for a dilation on Tuesday. Beginning on Wednesday,

I

> noticed a dull but constant pain on the entire esophagus. It did

> not prevent eating, I had no reflux, it just ached!

> On Thursday morning I awoke with the the esophagus and my entire

> chest cavity very painful ... again, not like the spasms. It was

> just like everything contained between my ribs hurt, with most of

it

> in my esophagus all the way up my chest and thru the back. This

pain

> has stayed with me. It is very bad in the morning when I wake up,

> but lessens as the day wears on. I am constantly aware of having

a

> chest and an esophagus. During the day it is not as painful,

just

> achy! I did have a barium swallow and a barium pill on Tuesday. I

> washed it down with a ton of water. Could that have anything to

do

> with it?

> While at the hospital I had the cardiogram and all the blood work,

so

> I am positive it is NOT heart related.

> Please let me know what you think. I know this is very minor

> compared to what some of you have going on, but I would very much

> appreciate the input. Thanks, Kathie in Pittsburgh

>

[Guest guest]

I Jo:

I went into chat but no one else was there. I will go ahead over again

if you want to try to see if we can connect.

Anyone else what to try to Chat?

If so, see you there ... it is 9:41 PM in Pittsburgh so 6:41 in Calif

Kathie

>

> Just posted in chat where you were listed, but had no response. My

> heart just broke when I read your post.Are you sure that you are OK

> after hearing the findings? I just want to hug you. I hadn't realized

> things could change so quickly with A, but I have learned so much

here.

>

> Jo

>

[Guest guest]

I must have missed you. I had to catch up on all the posts while I

was at work. I read yours out of order because I wanted to see how

you were.

Jo

> >

> > Just posted in chat where you were listed, but had no response.

My

> > heart just broke when I read your post.Are you sure that you are

OK

> > after hearing the findings? I just want to hug you. I hadn't

realized

> > things could change so quickly with A, but I have learned so

much

> here.

> >

> > Jo

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Kathie, your faith keeps you strong.

You know this, but just a reminder, many of us have the chest

pains after a procedure and maybe, just maybe, yours will

now go away.

Maggie

[Guest guest]

Exactly!

He said it is not all that stretched out, but it is beginning to

twist. That is not the exact words he used, but that is what I

understood. I typed tortuous esophagus into , and I got some

pretty good info.

The food is getting stuck because it has nothing to help it thru the

new curves it is finding ... except gravity ... and water.

When I had the barium swallow, the radiologist said he could see the

E was somewhat stretched and a bit odd, but did not say anything

about it being twisted. I do not know what I am looking at, but it

did not look particularly twisted to me.

It was just an odd day ... very enlightening. My husband was pretty

upset last night. I guess the gravity of the situation began to hit

him. He could not get over that I was pretty calm, and said, it is

probably that I still had anethesia in my body. He was sure I would

be pretty freaked today. ... I am not. ... Nothing has

really changed except my knowledge ... Sounds like that is my mantra

since I keep repeating it.

Unfortunately, when I woke up this morning, the chest pain is back.

Not overwhelming, but I guess I just have to live with it.

Cindi, thanks, as always, for your support!

Kathie, the whiner in Pittsburgh

Wow. Yesterday was " matzo-ball day " ....my friends keep dropping

matzo-balls " on me (in Seinfeld language....). Yours was the biggest

matzo-ball, Kathie. I'm glad your attitude is good, though!!!

The reasons he can't give you stages for your A could be two-fold.

One, he doesn't know enough & Dr. L might. But my suspicion is this

(again, I'm no medical expert!)...the stages of A are related to the

size of your E.. sigmoid is stage 4, end-stage, time to get that E

completely fixed.

> If your E is tortuous, it isn't necessarily all stretched out....it

is twisted and/or deformed, am I right? So I don't know if the

stages apply the same. Your E could be just a couple cm's wide, but

somehow getting twisted.

> Wish I had more time to research. I would also try to find that

stages of achalasia info again and put it in files. If anyone is

bored....LOL!

> Please keep us posted Kathie! You know we are all behind you

100%!!! Love ya! Cindi

>

[Guest guest]

Hi again sweet Kathie,

The serious bit : I wonder if the chest pains are food stretching the sides of the twists and turns. It's not just a tube, is it? it's live muscle. Just a thought. It's funny how it went away when you had been on your fast.

The silly bit : I reckon you have got all twisted up by the hectic dancing you did in your youth. I know we are about the same age and I certainly did a lot of strange dancing in the past. We just have to figure out a way to devise some dance movements that will twist you in the opposite direction. I will have to work on that one.

More love from Ann xxxx> Wow. Yesterday was "matzo-ball day"....my friends keep dropping > matzo-balls" on me (in Seinfeld language....). Yours was the biggest> matzo-ball, Kathie. I'm glad your attitude is good, though!!!> The reasons he can't give you stages for your A could be two-fold. > One, he doesn't know enough & Dr. L might. But my suspicion is this > (again, I'm no medical expert!)...the stages of A are related to the > size of your E.. sigmoid is stage 4, end-stage, time to get that E > completely fixed. > > If your E is tortuous, it isn't necessarily all stretched out....it > is twisted and/or deformed, am I right? So I don't know if the > stages apply the same. Your E could be just a couple cm's wide, but > somehow getting twisted. > > Wish I had more time to research. I would also try to find that > stages of achalasia info again and put it in files. If anyone is > bored....LOL! > > Please keep us posted Kathie! You know we are all behind you > 100%!!! Love ya! Cindi> >>

[Guest guest]

Kathie...did you ask about the lingering chest pain??? Should it be

lasting for so long????

Dawn In OHIO>>>>isn't it warm today????

> Wow. Yesterday was " matzo-ball day " ....my friends keep dropping

> matzo-balls " on me (in Seinfeld language....). Yours was the

biggest

> matzo-ball, Kathie. I'm glad your attitude is good, though!!!

> The reasons he can't give you stages for your A could be two-

fold.

> One, he doesn't know enough & Dr. L might. But my suspicion is

this

> (again, I'm no medical expert!)...the stages of A are related to

the

> size of your E.. sigmoid is stage 4, end-stage, time to get that E

> completely fixed.

> > If your E is tortuous, it isn't necessarily all stretched

out....it

> is twisted and/or deformed, am I right? So I don't know if the

> stages apply the same. Your E could be just a couple cm's wide,

but

> somehow getting twisted.

> > Wish I had more time to research. I would also try to find that

> stages of achalasia info again and put it in files. If anyone is

> bored....LOL!

> > Please keep us posted Kathie! You know we are all behind you

> 100%!!! Love ya! Cindi

> >

>

[Guest guest]

You are not a whiner. You have always been upbeat and very helpful.

Wishing you the best.

Anita

[Guest guest]

Anita, Thank you for your kind words ... Maggie too.

I am SSSSOOOOO excited that I was able to say something about the

Fellows that someone did not know. That felt good!

I appreciate your posts. Kathie

>

> You are not a whiner. You have always been upbeat and very helpful.

> Wishing you the best.

> Anita

>

[Guest guest]

Jo,

Want to go into the chat room? I will wait about 5 minutes for your

answer. It is 12:09 according to my computer.

Kathie

>

> I see you are still awake. I keep missing you. I hope you know my

> thoughts and prayers are with you. I never expected that your

> situation would change so quickly.

>

> Jo

>

[Guest guest]

It's 12:16 in Thunder Bay, I'll try the chat as well.

Re: Kathie

Jo,Want to go into the chat room? I will wait about 5 minutes for your answer. It is 12:09 according to my computer.Kathie>> I see you are still awake. I keep missing you. I hope you know my > thoughts and prayers are with you. I never expected that your > situation would change so quickly. > > Jo>