Today at the hospital

[Guest guest]

Hi guys,

Well, here I am again. Completely relieved.

I saw soooo may doctors today, it dazzled me.

I got to see the report of my dilatation earlier this morning. It said that

indeed food was found in my stomach, BUT they great news is that they checked

and the pylorus was well open. So not doing a pyloromyotomy (or pyloroplasty)

indeed was the right decision in my case; a pyloromyotomy wouldn't have changed

the slow gastric emptying in me. It's just a matter of malfunctioning of the

stomach, which I had before going in for my surgery as well. My surgeon doesn't

think this is part of the reason why I have my swallowing problems, as he has

read all the dilatation reports and it is obvious that my scar tissue is the

real problem here.

Nevertheless I should give the antibiotics a try. I understand that it's a

little bit weird to think antibiotics can help speed up the gastric emptying,

but the side effect of this particular antibiotic simply is that it speeds up

gastric emptying (which can be a problem for those that use the medicin for the

infection that it is meant to fight). Therefore it is used in rare cases of

gastric emptying problems, just like mine.

A pyloromyotomy is done about standard in the States with an -ectomy from what I

understood from my phone call with Prof. Luketich (Pittsburgh). Nevertheless my

surgeons were against it, as they feared severe permanent dumping issues,

whereas pylorus issues are not all that common after an -ectomy and whereas

dilatation of the pylorus in those rare cases often gives enough relief. I am

glad they made that decision, as I don't need permanent dumping issues added to

my list of what I need to deal with.

The dumping issues I sometimes do have will disappear probably within a year

post -ectomy. My whole digestive system has been turned upside down and needs to

adjust. In most cases the body adjusts within a year and in most cases the

dumping disappears. In my case they expect it to disappear as well (of course no

promiss could be made), as I don't have it all the time, only at times when I am

back on " eating terms " again, when my intestines have to adjust to real food

instead of tube feed only again.

Furthermore I am to take my Nexiums daily for a while, as to see whether reflux

could play part in the scar tissue build up in me. They don't think it will be

part of the problem, but they want to make sure (and without Ph-testing at the

moment, thank you doctors!!!).

We discussed several other ways to fight scar tissue, but the most effective

treatment simply is dilatation. Many of the other treatments simply cause scar

tissue build up at different places in the " new " esophagus, especially in people

like me (excessive growth of scar tissue and very rough scar tissue). We

discussed Botox, incisions etc. etc. My surgeon has got many many -ectomy

patients and he hasn't once had a case where dilatations didn't help get rid of

the anastomosis and he told me he was sure I wasn't going to be his first one.

He understood that it is hard for me, especially regarding the fact that I've

been fighting the achalasia for so long now and regarding the fact that I've

been told for over 15 years now that things will work out just fine for me. But

he says not to worry, he simply is sure it's going to be fine.

I spoke to my Duch -ectomy friend today as well. He told me the same. I

thought he had had less dilatations than I had, but his story is similar to

mine, even including the gastric emptying problems!

I am relieved now and able to move on again and hang in there and stay positive

and strong again.

Lots of love to you all,

Isabella