Re: Dr recommendation in Washington, DC

March 15, 2011

Terry, could you enter that info on the group site?

Dr. database

achalasia/database?method=reportRows & tbl=1

Thanks

Carolyn

mom to Cameron

Â California Collegiate Shooting Sports 4-H All-Star Advisor to the most

awesome Â kids of Amador County!

From: Terry <Terry@...>

Subject: Dr recommendation in Washington, DC

achalasia

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 3:37 PM

Â

Greetings,

I am new to the group, but wanted to share with you the name of my surgeon â€“

she is fabulous and specializes in achalasia. She was my surgeon in December

and has really helped me.

Dr. Blair Marshall

Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery

http://www.georgetownuniversityhospital.org/body_fw.cfm?id=8

<http://www.georgetownuniversityhospital.org/body_fw.cfm?id=8 & action=detail & ref=\

3197> & action=detail & ref=3197

Her colleague, Dr. Stanley , is head of Gastroenterology at town,

and he is also a specialist in achalasia.

http://www.georgetownuniversityhospital.org/body_fw.cfm?id=8

<http://www.georgetownuniversityhospital.org/body_fw.cfm?id=8 & action=detail & ref=\

3055> & action=detail & ref=3055

Good luck to all,

Terry

Falls Church, VA

From: achalasia [mailto:achalasia ] On Behalf Of

Ottenheimer

Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 10:23 AM

achalasia

Subject: Re: Re: New to Group--Scared about Costs...need advice!

,

When I was doing my search for a surgeon, I interviewed Reginald Bell at

Presbyterian in Denver. He came highly recommended. I went to the Cleveland

Clinic with Dr. Rice to be closer to my daughter, but Bell seemed competent and

has the experience.

Santa Fe

________________________________

From: Montoya <medhelpinfo@... <mailto:medhelpinfo%40> >

achalasia <mailto:achalasia%40>

Sent: Mon, March 14, 2011 10:18:13 PM

Subject: Re: Re: New to Group--Scared about Costs...need advice!

,

I know it's frustrating to get started finding a good qualified surgeon. I'm

not sure what is in Colorado, I did notice the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis and it

has achalasia listed and their is also Dr. Rice at the Cleveland Clinic, who

many have gone to for this surgery. I can also recommend my surgeon Dr.

Maish of UCLA in Calif., many travel to see her. I also think that once you can

" get to " a top doctor, you will know it, and that will end the quest!!! I have

email for my doctors assistant, if you need it let me know!

Julee, So Calif.

________________________________

From: pestanac3 <pestanac3@... <mailto:pestanac3%40> >

achalasia <mailto:achalasia%40>

Sent: Mon, March 14, 2011 8:55:18 PM

Subject: Re: New to Group--Scared about Costs...need advice!

Thank you Sandy and . I appreciate your insight and advice.

How do I go about finding the best doctors? I live in Denver. I have no clue how

to even start locating a doctor who is experienced with Achalasia here. And how

do I rate what makes a doctor the " best " ? What criteria do I use and what

process do I go through to find these doctors to rate them? Do I just start

calling hospitals and ask for the GI department? And then who should I speak

with--I can't imagine the doctor him/herself would be available to speak with on

the phone, would they? I cannot imagine it would make sense to have appointments

with each doctor I find in the directory to interview them... I don't even know

how to begin!!

If there are better doctors outside of the Denver area, would you recommend

going to them instead of staying local? That sounds like what you are inferring

in the emails below. And how do I find those doctors?

Any help that anyone can shed on this topic of starting at ground zero on this

process would be helpful!

Thank you all SO much---this forum has been a Godsend!

> > >

> > > Hi Everyone,

> > > I'm new to this group and I'm so glad I found it. I am a 39 year old

female

>

>and live in Denver, CO.

>

> > >

> > > I started noticing some difficulty swallowing in Nov 2006. Got a diagnosis

>of " Achalasia " in April 2008 and a Botox treatment, which is what the doc

>advised. I was basically told nothing about Achalasia except that it gets

worse.

>

>The botox worked very well, so that combined with lack of understanding of

truly

>

>what the implications were and being in denial left me pretty much untreated

>except that one Botox injection. I thought maybe it was going away!

> > >

> > > Well, the swallowing problems started getting bad again a little over a

>year ago and the choking started in about May of 2010. It hit me with a

>vengence. I lost my job the prior year and was without health insurance, so I

>just sort of dealt with it. Ended up in the public hospital urgent care in June

>2010 because I couldn't get but a tiny bit of food or water down for nearly 3

>days.

>

> > >

> > > They did another Botox injection and sent me on my way. It seemed to take

>for about 2 weeks and then I was back to nighttime and day time choking, not

>being able to swallow foods, etc. The doctor who did the treatment himself said

>that he would NOT get surgery for it at that hospital, so that ended that deal.

>Well,I found a temp position a month later and was finally offered full time

>with benefits which kicked in this January.

>

> > >

> > > Unfortunately I had accumulated debt during the year of being unemployed

>(plus before the A started I was very ill with some mysterious immune-related

>illness, thought it was Lyme--put me in a major hole financially). Anyway, when

>I was signing up for health insurance, I have been so backed up on bills that I

>felt I could not afford to pay the monthly cost for the better-coverage health

>care option--which would have prevented me from paying other monthly bills. I

am

>

>KICKING myself now over this decision. But at the time it was just so much

>pressure and no one to process this with. Anyway, I'm in a situation now where

I

>

>realize that I cannot ignore this A issue any longer. I'm getting educated in

>this forum and now I need to move forward with getting some expert help.

> > >

> > > My question is this: How have you all dealt with the financial burden of

>having A and all of its treatments? I'm single and do not have a 2nd income to

>fall back on.

>

> > >

> > > Sorry for the long story, but I want to share where I'm coming from. I

feel

>

>terribly stuck between a rock and a hard place and am fearful of the financial

>hole that this will continue to put me in. I feel like I have no future because

>of the financial burdens and now I just see more of that coming my way...

> > >

> > > Any thoughts or stories you can share that may help me here?

> > >

> > > Thank you!

> > >

> >

>

March 16, 2011

I am also from the Washington, DC area but live overseas. I was finally

diagnosed at town University Hospital and had a dilation in 2007. But

my symptoms came back within one month and through this group I found Dr.

Rice at Cleveland Clinic. He was vastly more experienced than the surgeons

at town and so I went out there for my myotomy in 2008. I have been

very pleased with the quality of the care and follow up at CCF. I was not

at town - when I asked about followup for the dilation I was told " I

hope I never have to see you again " - wrong answer!. So I would highly

recommend travelling to the best surgeon you can find!

Pam

March 16, 2011

That's interesting, Pam. You don't say who you were dealing with at

town, but I found everyone to be extremely responsive and interested

to help me in every way. Dr. Stanley , head of GI, worked as my

personal advocate through the process, helping me to understand my options,

and personally introduced me to Dr. Blair Marshall, the chief of thoracic

surgery. She was amazing, and did a fabulous job with the laporoscopic

surgery, working me into her schedule the following week. Dr. Marshall has

done hundreds of achalasia surgeries and has an extremely high success rate.

She spent almost an hour with me in her office showing me actual videos of

prior surgeries that she had done and explaining how my case compared to

others that she had worked on. She also gave me references of achalasia

surgery patients that I could call and talk to, after her office obtained

their permission. I found the whole experience of working with Dr. Marshall

and her colleagues to be extraordinary with the level of care and compassion

that she showed.

Best regards,

Terry

From: achalasia [mailto:achalasia ] On Behalf

Of Pamela Hedstrom

Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 11:11 AM

achalasia

Subject: Re: Dr recommendation in Washington, DC