Isabella

[Guest guest]

Hey Isabella - sorry that it all seems to be piling up on you at

once. I completely understand! When it got to be about 6 weeks out to

my -ectomy, I started just freaking out about everything. I yelled at

my kids, picked fights with my husband, couldn't sleep, I was getting

distracted at work, everything! I think it's all part of the

psychological process of accepting and preparing for major surgery. I

have not been up to date on the posts, do you have a date yet? Even

a 'best guess' date? That has to be maddening - I wouldn't deal with

the not knowing part very well at all.

All I can really offer you is hope. Every day I feel a little better,

I eat a little better and I know I still have a long road ahead of me

but I'm very optimistic that given another 2-3 months, I'll be in the

ranks of , Deb and everyone else who is moving on - 'achalasia

free!!'

Hang in there, after all, what's another 4-6 months of hell after so

many years of dealing with this? A small price to pay to not have A

anymore.

I'm going to try to get online more regularly now but if you (or

anyone) need to vent, ask questions, whatever - you can always get

with me at mcnairmichelle at aol.com.

Love and best wishes to you all.

This group has been and will continue to be a Godsend!

- in NC

achalasia free since 1/11/08

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Oh boy, oh boy, I need to redefine my goals (in my head that is), when I read the recent stories of you, etc. where it comes to getting back to work etc. But needing your rest just is part of the game. All in all I really knew that already, but hey, we all have the right to hope, eh? I guess you hoped things would move a bit faster too... Hopefully you'll get back to being able to go full speed again soon! I'll keep my fingers crossed for that, but you know that already.

Indeed recently I didn't post a lot here on the board and maybe it's time for me to let you all know what has been going on... To be honest I don't even remember when I wrote my last "update" to you all, so maybe things will be repeated a bit here. If that's the case I apologise, I just don't have the energy to look it all up now.

Lately I have been very low on energy. This is for several reasons:

1. I've been overdoing it untill about one month ago

2. I get far too little nutricion down

3. It's been a difficult road mentally lately

I've come to the conclusion that I should stop doing things that eat up my energy. So I stopped all my voluntary work (which hurts so badly deep down), I called sick for 25% (I do work a whole working day, but am taking extra breaks during this 25% sick). By the way: in my whole achalasia "carreer" this has been the first time I needed to call sick for anything other than surgery for my achalasia, so it was a huge step (but a wise one). I take a nap every afternoon (for as far as possible when you have kids, but I manage to do so pretty well). I take at least 2 bottles of fluid nutricions every day and I have taken some other steps back as well. Small steps, but steps.

Still I am so tired and I lack energy.

Furthermore my body really has a problem coping with infections etc. now. I have been coughing over 3 to 4 weeks now and I have had fever for 2 weeks now. Sometimes there's a day without fever and a day with less coughing, the next it's back. I went to see a collegue of my family doc last Thursdag (which unfortunately for the examination was a good day). She didn't think it would be wise to give me antibiotics now, as it wouldn't do my body good now so shortly before surgery. As the problems returned as of Saturday and still are here today I have made a new appointment with my own family doc for coming Thursday. He knows all about my situation and knows how important the surgery is for me and how important it is that I am absolutely "healthy" when going in for it.

My own family doctor is very worried about me, about my lack of energy, about my severe weight loss and the loss of mental strength I now sometimes have to cope with as well. He doesn't think it's wise to wait very much longer now with surgery and therefore he contacted my surgeon, Prof. Gooszen, last Thursday. My surgeon was very understanding and worried as well and promised my family doctor to immediately take action, as to make sure I would be on his surgery table as soon as possible. According to my family doctor I can expect a phone call from hospital any day now, as I indeed am on the emergency list now.

So first fingers crossed my coughing and fever leave me soon, and... fingers crossed I'll finally get that phonecall soon.

Mentally I am doing a lot better, now that I know it won't take much longer, it really helps a great deal knowing I'll have it all behind me pretty soon. Moving on again in a few weeks, eh?

Oh by the way, concerning the Merendino. I just mentioned Dr. Schulz' and Prof. Lerut's opinion. Indeed my own surgeon prefers the gastric pull-up as well (and so do I!!!). So I'll have the gastric pull up (whole esophagus removed untill a few cm's in the neck, half stomach removed, other half of the stomach pulled up).

Take it easy, !!!

Love,

Isabella

Isabella

You're now on the emergency list? What happened. I've been trying to keep up with posts but like and Kristy, I'm on my 3rd week of back to work - only part time thankfully but it's wiping me out. I'm usually home by one in the afternoon and then I just lay on the couch for a few hours until the kids get home.Of course, Like Notan said, there's all kinds of opinions but what both Dr.'s Rice and Luketich told me is that using the colon instead of the gastric pull up causes more problems earlier as the colon does not hold up as well over time. Just the opinions here, as always - you need to do what your surgeon and you are comfortable with.Please keep us posted when you get your date. I'll be thinking ofyou.Your -ectomy sister- in NC

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[Guest guest]

I was wondering if anyone gets fevers at least once or twice a month,and if so,what do any of your drs say it.s from?

[Guest guest]

Hi Wes,

I jumped in late, so I don't know where you are with surgery.

I personally still have some trouble with beer if it's very carbonated (like Bud)or if there is a lot of hops (Sam ) Too bad, I loved Sam. I do better with the less carbonated ales like Bass. Before my Heller, beer was out!

Post surgery, I am not able to handle red wine anymore either. It seems to bind up my LES, and almost always leads me to purge my dinner. Loved red wine too.

Before my Heller, when swallowing was bad, I made mixed drinks, Jack & Coke or similar.

Isabella

Hey Isabella - just to let you know - for your vacation plansI've had my first few glasses of wine already and I'm only about 10 weeks out! I started small, 1 glass with my dinner for my birthday and I only drank about 1/2 of it. Whew! when alcohol goes straight to the intestines - it also goes straight to your head. The good thing is that I'll be a cheap date!So you should be fine by that time to enjoy some of that fabulous Italian wine also!Vacation in July is a good goal. I'm also going on vacation in July - a week long cruise and that's been my goal all along - to be in the position to eat all of that great food and drink what I want without issues (I've been on 2 cruises in the last 5 years and spent hours with spasms on both of them!I have so far found that there's not really anything that I can't eat as long as I watch my quantity. I still only eat about 1/2 meal at a time and go back

about 2 hours later for the other 1/2. I even ate raw celery the other day and it went down great!Soon it will all be over and you'll be moving on...- in NC

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