Six weeks post Heller\Dor -- follow up post op appointment

[Guest guest]

Told him where I was -- how much regurging, when, etc. Regular food still

getting " stuck " -- He asked me to understand that it was *never* going to be

like before the disease. I said I understood. He said good -- you're being

realistic. That said, that in his experience of the operation, improvement is

slow, but steady. I.e., won't see much change from day to day, but will see

some from week to week. For a year or two. Said I could try regular food as I

" felt called " to do so. Liked the x-rays, said everything looked to be in the

right place. I asked could he tell HOW wide the LES opening was (no question

mark till new keyboard arrives). Said no. I asked could he tell on a barium

swallow (ditto). Said, even then it was only a general guess. Next appt: one

year, for barium swallow and follow up.

So this is where I stand, right now: can eat soft foods with no problem. Regular

food tends to get stuck. Mornings are good, and early afternoons. Late

afternoons into evenings regurging becomes a small problem. Remember the

difference is about four ounces a day now verses a gallon or two before. . .

Most good, as far as I'm concerned, is that I still have a virtually full bottle

of nexium. Heartburn -- acid reflux has been less than occasional. Maybe once

every two weeks or so. Noticeably more gas, but not a real problem. Using

digestive enzymes. Told him that had I been this good before, he'd never have

seen me. . . . It is especially wonderful to be able to DRINK again. And just

feel it slide ALL THE WAY DOWN. Haven't tried soda pop much -- seems to produce

more burps than I like, but will keep trying every month or so just to see how

it's going. Never been much of a carbonated beverage girl, so not something

I'll ever miss, even if it doesn't resolve.

I could have wished for more, and do, but on the whole, it's been more than

worth it. Gained another five pounds (15 in all), and almost didn't fit in my

" new " jeans, so back onto Atkins it is. I also need to break the habit of eating

all the time -- obviously my fear of starvation is no longer warranted, lol!

Also, he hasn't a clue as to the leg swelling and doesn't think it's related to

the operation. I do, but we agree that my primary care physician is the place

to solve it.

Hair loss seems virtually stopped, but 80% of my hair is about three inches

long. My bun is no more (hair style of the past twenty years -- Gibson Girl. .

.. . ): been replaced by a small pin curl, lol! I saved all that fell out the

past six weeks and made a medium sized faux bun, and pinned it on. With the

help of full body shampoo, and a killer hairspray, doesn't look too awful. In

the event, I'm going to have to live with it for quite a while, so best get used

to it. Going to be *at least* a couple of years to get back to anything like

before, and likely five to get wholly back -- if ever.

Conclusion: despite that fact that this is in no way perfect, nor ever will be,

it is such a HUGE improvement that I'd do it again in a New York minute. No

doubt at all. If I could go back and change the timing, I'd start looking

seriously for a solution after I lost the first thirty pounds. . . . Maybe I'd

have been able to keep my hair if I had. *Waiting* was nearly a disaster, and I

could easily have died. I'm very lucky that I didn't. This is NOT a disease

that is amenable to alternative medicine and home remedies.

I would honestly recommend Dr. at the University of Virgina Medical

Center.

, in the Wonderful Wilds of West Virginia

[Guest guest]

The good thing is you are better than what you were. You gained 15 pounds back

and that is good, especially from a doctors perspective as my doctor told me

yesterday. After my last dilation I went in for a two week checkup and he asked

how I was feeling and I said Great and he said he wanted to make sure my

expectations were realistic. I said I was and that anything was better than

where I was at. While I still have some really bad days, I have good days as

well. This is something I can learn to live with after almost starving to death.

While not perfect this is the hand God dealt me so my choices are limited. With

A we learn to deal with what we have to and these doctors will never know, if

they are lucky, what we go through day to day.

Good luck !

Kim A

________________________________

From: puddleriver13 <puddleriver13@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 9:15 AM

Subject: Six weeks post Heller\Dor -- follow up post op appointment

 

Told him where I was -- how much regurging, when, etc. Regular food still

getting " stuck " -- He asked me to understand that it was *never* going to be

like before the disease. I said I understood. He said good -- you're being

realistic. That said, that in his experience of the operation, improvement is

slow, but steady. I.e., won't see much change from day to day, but will see

some from week to week. For a year or two. Said I could try regular food as I

" felt called " to do so. Liked the x-rays, said everything looked to be in the

right place. I asked could he tell HOW wide the LES opening was (no question

mark till new keyboard arrives). Said no. I asked could he tell on a barium

swallow (ditto). Said, even then it was only a general guess. Next appt: one

year, for barium swallow and follow up.

So this is where I stand, right now: can eat soft foods with no problem. Regular

food tends to get stuck. Mornings are good, and early afternoons. Late

afternoons into evenings regurging becomes a small problem. Remember the

difference is about four ounces a day now verses a gallon or two before. . .

Most good, as far as I'm concerned, is that I still have a virtually full bottle

of nexium. Heartburn -- acid reflux has been less than occasional. Maybe once

every two weeks or so. Noticeably more gas, but not a real problem. Using

digestive enzymes. Told him that had I been this good before, he'd never have

seen me. . . . It is especially wonderful to be able to DRINK again. And just

feel it slide ALL THE WAY DOWN. Haven't tried soda pop much -- seems to produce

more burps than I like, but will keep trying every month or so just to see how

it's going. Never been much of a carbonated beverage girl, so not something

I'll ever miss, even if it

doesn't resolve.

I could have wished for more, and do, but on the whole, it's been more than

worth it. Gained another five pounds (15 in all), and almost didn't fit in my

" new " jeans, so back onto Atkins it is. I also need to break the habit of eating

all the time -- obviously my fear of starvation is no longer warranted, lol!

Also, he hasn't a clue as to the leg swelling and doesn't think it's related to

the operation. I do, but we agree that my primary care physician is the place

to solve it.

Hair loss seems virtually stopped, but 80% of my hair is about three inches

long. My bun is no more (hair style of the past twenty years -- Gibson Girl. .

.. . ): been replaced by a small pin curl, lol! I saved all that fell out the

past six weeks and made a medium sized faux bun, and pinned it on. With the

help of full body shampoo, and a killer hairspray, doesn't look too awful. In

the event, I'm going to have to live with it for quite a while, so best get used

to it. Going to be *at least* a couple of years to get back to anything like

before, and likely five to get wholly back -- if ever.

Conclusion: despite that fact that this is in no way perfect, nor ever will be,

it is such a HUGE improvement that I'd do it again in a New York minute. No

doubt at all. If I could go back and change the timing, I'd start looking

seriously for a solution after I lost the first thirty pounds. . . . Maybe I'd

have been able to keep my hair if I had. *Waiting* was nearly a disaster, and I

could easily have died. I'm very lucky that I didn't. This is NOT a disease

that is amenable to alternative medicine and home remedies.

I would honestly recommend Dr. at the University of Virgina Medical

Center.

, in the Wonderful Wilds of West Virginia

[Guest guest]

Kim, absolutely! Was just reading about the woman, a young artist/teacher who

starved herself to death, six years after breaking her neck and becoming a

quadriplegic. Her web site was referenced, and I read her whole reasoning. And

then got to thinking about Jill Kinmont. Oh, Lord. Just checked -- she just

died, at the age of 75. She would have been 76 today Amazing woman. Same

injury, worse rehab, her finance was killed in a plane crash. She did finally

marry, and it lasted. Two of the things I remember most from her books were the

time (a year?) she spent during rehab with her skull screwed to a metal bar

designed to keep her from moving it. Some type of cage/bed, that flipped her

over every few hours to keep from bedsores. And her assertion that one of the

things she actually missed was sitting on the cold toilet seat in an outhouse.

Funny what you miss, eh? I guess what I'm saying is that we are offered all

kinds of opportunity to learn and grow. Some of us manage, by hook and crook to

do that. Others opt out. Tis a puzzlement.

I consider myself *very* lucky -- I came very close to dying from this disease.

I didn't. Not a whole lot more I'm going to ask for.

>

> The good thing is you are better than what you were. You gained 15 pounds back

and that is good, especially from a doctors perspective as my doctor told me

yesterday. After my last dilation I went in for a two week checkup and he asked

how I was feeling and I said Great and he said he wanted to make sure my

expectations were realistic. I said I was and that anything was better than

where I was at. While I still have some really bad days, I have good days as

well. This is something I can learn to live with after almost starving to death.

While not perfect this is the hand God dealt me so my choices are limited. With

A we learn to deal with what we have to and these doctors will never know, if

they are lucky, what we go through day to day.

> Good luck !

> Kim A

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: puddleriver13 <puddleriver13@...>

> achalasia

> Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 9:15 AM

> Subject: Six weeks post Heller\Dor -- follow up post op

appointment

>

>

>

>  

>

> Told him where I was -- how much regurging, when, etc. Regular food still

getting " stuck " -- He asked me to understand that it was *never* going to be

like before the disease. I said I understood. He said good -- you're being

realistic. That said, that in his experience of the operation, improvement is

slow, but steady. I.e., won't see much change from day to day, but will see

some from week to week. For a year or two. Said I could try regular food as I

" felt called " to do so. Liked the x-rays, said everything looked to be in the

right place. I asked could he tell HOW wide the LES opening was (no question

mark till new keyboard arrives). Said no. I asked could he tell on a barium

swallow (ditto). Said, even then it was only a general guess. Next appt: one

year, for barium swallow and follow up.

>

> So this is where I stand, right now: can eat soft foods with no problem.

Regular food tends to get stuck. Mornings are good, and early afternoons. Late

afternoons into evenings regurging becomes a small problem. Remember the

difference is about four ounces a day now verses a gallon or two before. . .

Most good, as far as I'm concerned, is that I still have a virtually full bottle

of nexium. Heartburn -- acid reflux has been less than occasional. Maybe once

every two weeks or so. Noticeably more gas, but not a real problem. Using

digestive enzymes. Told him that had I been this good before, he'd never have

seen me. . . . It is especially wonderful to be able to DRINK again. And just

feel it slide ALL THE WAY DOWN. Haven't tried soda pop much -- seems to produce

more burps than I like, but will keep trying every month or so just to see how

it's going. Never been much of a carbonated beverage girl, so not something

I'll ever miss, even if it

> doesn't resolve.

>

> I could have wished for more, and do, but on the whole, it's been more than

worth it. Gained another five pounds (15 in all), and almost didn't fit in my

" new " jeans, so back onto Atkins it is. I also need to break the habit of eating

all the time -- obviously my fear of starvation is no longer warranted, lol!

>

> Also, he hasn't a clue as to the leg swelling and doesn't think it's related

to the operation. I do, but we agree that my primary care physician is the

place to solve it.

>

> Hair loss seems virtually stopped, but 80% of my hair is about three inches

long. My bun is no more (hair style of the past twenty years -- Gibson Girl. .

.. . ): been replaced by a small pin curl, lol! I saved all that fell out the

past six weeks and made a medium sized faux bun, and pinned it on. With the

help of full body shampoo, and a killer hairspray, doesn't look too awful. In

the event, I'm going to have to live with it for quite a while, so best get used

to it. Going to be *at least* a couple of years to get back to anything like

before, and likely five to get wholly back -- if ever.

>

> Conclusion: despite that fact that this is in no way perfect, nor ever will

be, it is such a HUGE improvement that I'd do it again in a New York minute. No

doubt at all. If I could go back and change the timing, I'd start looking

seriously for a solution after I lost the first thirty pounds. . . . Maybe I'd

have been able to keep my hair if I had. *Waiting* was nearly a disaster, and I

could easily have died. I'm very lucky that I didn't. This is NOT a disease

that is amenable to alternative medicine and home remedies.

>

> I would honestly recommend Dr. at the University of Virgina

Medical Center.

>

> , in the Wonderful Wilds of West Virginia

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

And when I go back to my pity pot every now and then I remind myself of how bad

it can really be. Most of us are living with something that can harm us in one

way or another could be starvation, illness, abuse or factors of nature. As I

always say-  it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't!!! Just got to try and

stay positive!

________________________________

From: puddleriver13 <puddleriver13@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 6:20 PM

Subject: Re: Six weeks post Heller\Dor -- follow up post op

appointment

 

Kim, absolutely! Was just reading about the woman, a young artist/teacher who

starved herself to death, six years after breaking her neck and becoming a

quadriplegic. Her web site was referenced, and I read her whole reasoning. And

then got to thinking about Jill Kinmont. Oh, Lord. Just checked -- she just

died, at the age of 75. She would have been 76 today Amazing woman. Same

injury, worse rehab, her finance was killed in a plane crash. She did finally

marry, and it lasted. Two of the things I remember most from her books were the

time (a year?) she spent during rehab with her skull screwed to a metal bar

designed to keep her from moving it. Some type of cage/bed, that flipped her

over every few hours to keep from bedsores. And her assertion that one of the

things she actually missed was sitting on the cold toilet seat in an outhouse.

Funny what you miss, eh? I guess what I'm saying is that we are offered all

kinds of opportunity to

learn and grow. Some of us manage, by hook and crook to do that. Others opt

out. Tis a puzzlement.

I consider myself *very* lucky -- I came very close to dying from this disease.

I didn't. Not a whole lot more I'm going to ask for.

>

> The good thing is you are better than what you were. You gained 15 pounds back

and that is good, especially from a doctors perspective as my doctor told me

yesterday. After my last dilation I went in for a two week checkup and he asked

how I was feeling and I said Great and he said he wanted to make sure my

expectations were realistic. I said I was and that anything was better than

where I was at. While I still have some really bad days, I have good days as

well. This is something I can learn to live with after almost starving to death.

While not perfect this is the hand God dealt me so my choices are limited. With

A we learn to deal with what we have to and these doctors will never know, if

they are lucky, what we go through day to day.

> Good luck !

> Kim A

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: puddleriver13 <puddleriver13@...>

> achalasia

> Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 9:15 AM

> Subject: Six weeks post Heller\Dor -- follow up post op

appointment

>

>

>

>  

>

> Told him where I was -- how much regurging, when, etc. Regular food still

getting " stuck " -- He asked me to understand that it was *never* going to be

like before the disease. I said I understood. He said good -- you're being

realistic. That said, that in his experience of the operation, improvement is

slow, but steady. I.e., won't see much change from day to day, but will see

some from week to week. For a year or two. Said I could try regular food as I

" felt called " to do so. Liked the x-rays, said everything looked to be in the

right place. I asked could he tell HOW wide the LES opening was (no question

mark till new keyboard arrives). Said no. I asked could he tell on a barium

swallow (ditto). Said, even then it was only a general guess. Next appt: one

year, for barium swallow and follow up.

>

> So this is where I stand, right now: can eat soft foods with no problem.

Regular food tends to get stuck. Mornings are good, and early afternoons. Late

afternoons into evenings regurging becomes a small problem. Remember the

difference is about four ounces a day now verses a gallon or two before. . .

Most good, as far as I'm concerned, is that I still have a virtually full bottle

of nexium. Heartburn -- acid reflux has been less than occasional. Maybe once

every two weeks or so. Noticeably more gas, but not a real problem. Using

digestive enzymes. Told him that had I been this good before, he'd never have

seen me. . . . It is especially wonderful to be able to DRINK again. And just

feel it slide ALL THE WAY DOWN. Haven't tried soda pop much -- seems to produce

more burps than I like, but will keep trying every month or so just to see how

it's going. Never been much of a carbonated beverage girl, so not something

I'll ever miss, even if it

> doesn't resolve.

>

> I could have wished for more, and do, but on the whole, it's been more than

worth it. Gained another five pounds (15 in all), and almost didn't fit in my

" new " jeans, so back onto Atkins it is. I also need to break the habit of eating

all the time -- obviously my fear of starvation is no longer warranted, lol!

>

> Also, he hasn't a clue as to the leg swelling and doesn't think it's related

to the operation. I do, but we agree that my primary care physician is the

place to solve it.

>

> Hair loss seems virtually stopped, but 80% of my hair is about three inches

long. My bun is no more (hair style of the past twenty years -- Gibson Girl. .

.. . ): been replaced by a small pin curl, lol! I saved all that fell out the

past six weeks and made a medium sized faux bun, and pinned it on. With the

help of full body shampoo, and a killer hairspray, doesn't look too awful. In

the event, I'm going to have to live with it for quite a while, so best get used

to it. Going to be *at least* a couple of years to get back to anything like

before, and likely five to get wholly back -- if ever.

>

> Conclusion: despite that fact that this is in no way perfect, nor ever will

be, it is such a HUGE improvement that I'd do it again in a New York minute. No

doubt at all. If I could go back and change the timing, I'd start looking

seriously for a solution after I lost the first thirty pounds. . . . Maybe I'd

have been able to keep my hair if I had. *Waiting* was nearly a disaster, and I

could easily have died. I'm very lucky that I didn't. This is NOT a disease

that is amenable to alternative medicine and home remedies.

>

> I would honestly recommend Dr. at the University of Virgina

Medical Center.

>

> , in the Wonderful Wilds of West Virginia

>

>

>

>

>