's story

[Guest guest]

(the computer lost my first attempt so lets try again.

I am a 34 yo male living near Bournemouth on the south coast of England.

I was diagnosed last month with A but wonder how long I have had this condition.

Today I learn that the chronic acid indigestion I have suffered for the past 14

years may

actually be spasms. In the past I have had really bad chest pain that the doctor

gave me

antacids for but they did not touch the sides. The pain used to cause pains down

my left

arm during the day but more recently caused me to wake with aching throat and

teeth

(both with severe chest pain).

3 or 4 years ago I began having problems getting food down and eating a

lunchtime buffet

would cause a tear and some panic trying to fight/keep the food down.

18 months ago I had an gastroscopy but they found nothing ( I think this was due

to the

weight loss diet I was on - cambridge diet - i.e. no solids). The reason for the

test was

that I was finding it hard to swallow food.

By Christmas 2005 I was having real difficulty eating, and on many occasions

would not be

able to east a meal. I had a barium test early 2006, the lady that performed

the test was

most surprised by the lack of any barium movement saying 'well that shouldn't be

like that

- not at your age'.

A few weeks later I had another gastroscopy by the same doctor, this time he

explained

that he was now sure that I had A - but to be 100% he sent me for an manometry

where

the doctor commented that the doctor who sent me was not always correct in his

assessment, but this time he was, there was no doubt I had A.

I am now waiting to see a specialist/surgeon at the end of May.

Reading these board there are many degrees of what A is and how it effects us.

I currently have evenings that I find hard to get much food down. But other

nights I can eat

a whole meal with no problems.

Breakfast (a small bowl of muesli) causes slight chest pain but goes down.

I have a real bad problem with liquids (hot and cold).

Having liquid with a meal just does not help, and just makes the fight worse.

When fighting the swallowed food, most times I find it easier to regurgitate

than

continuing the fight (that can go on for 2 - 3 hours).

So my questions are:

1. Is this about as bad as it gets? although I do see reports on here of people

who can not

eat or drink at-all - can I expect this?

2. Are these spasms? or indigestion? how to tell?

3. in UK under NHS can we choose surgeon or just have to take what we are

offered? ( If

we can choose anybody have any suggestions (South UK)?

4. I have tried to keep a perspective of this whole thing, A is not in itself

life threatening/

terminal, and I hope to lead a normal life after surgery. I suppose this

question is, long

term is it always on your mind/ in your head or can you just live life?

5. With the problem of regurgitating food in your sleep (only done this a couple

of times)

would one of the adjustamatic beds help that can keep your top end raised? (for

those in

UK no VAT on adjustamatic for health)

Thanks for any replies in advance.

:oD