Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

[Guest guest]

Dear Andre,

 

Please, please let your despair and depression turn into positive hopefulness. I

am older than you (61) and therefore I do not expect you to relate to me in all

aspects, but having a myotomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I

started with Achalsia in 1990 and had no treatment whatsoever for 16 miserable

years. I just coped the best I could. By 2006, when the surgery was performed,

my oesophagus was an expanded mess! 

 

Nowadays I eat very well, with a lot of water and tea to flush the food down. I

have no night-time aspiration whatsoever and I am very healthy and have a busy

social life, regularly eating out with friends.

 

There are many success stories. Do not be put off by some of the things that you

hear in these messages. Many, many happy Achalasians are out there, living their

lives to the full.

 

I wish you the very best of luck. Dry the tears, hug your little children and

believe in a better future.

 

Sent with love from Ann in England.

________________________________

From: aandre7373 <aandre7373@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 2:41

Subject: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very dilated

esophagus for at least a decade or two?

I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

Thank you.

Andre

[Guest guest]

What a beautiful and inspiring post from Ann!

 

This Board has been missing your " heart " for a long time!

 

________________________________

From: Ann Higgs <lilac_blossom_lady@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 2:33 PM

Subject: Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Dear Andre,

 

Please, please let your despair and depression turn into positive hopefulness. I

am older than you (61) and therefore I do not expect you to relate to me in all

aspects, but having a myotomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I

started with Achalsia in 1990 and had no treatment whatsoever for 16 miserable

years. I just coped the best I could. By 2006, when the surgery was performed,

my oesophagus was an expanded mess! 

 

Nowadays I eat very well, with a lot of water and tea to flush the food down. I

have no night-time aspiration whatsoever and I am very healthy and have a busy

social life, regularly eating out with friends.

 

There are many success stories. Do not be put off by some of the things that you

hear in these messages. Many, many happy Achalasians are out there, living their

lives to the full.

 

I wish you the very best of luck. Dry the tears, hug your little children and

believe in a better future.

 

Sent with love from Ann in England.

________________________________

From: aandre7373 <aandre7373@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 2:41

Subject: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very dilated

esophagus for at least a decade or two?

I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

Thank you.

Andre

[Guest guest]

wrote:

>

> What a beautiful and inspiring post from Ann!

>

> This Board has been missing your " heart " for a long time!

>

Yes, more lilac blossom please.

notan

[Guest guest]

Hello. I must agree, you can still live a happy life. My son is 16 and like most

teenage boys he eats everything he can using water and other drinks to get his

food down. He went from weighing 137 pounds to 98 pounds. Since his myotomy in

2007 things are good, now he weighs 210 pounds (WOW)!!!!! Next month he has

another myotomy scheduled so he can enjoy his senior year without going to the

doctor  every 3 months  to be dilated ( 21 times in 6 years). Best wishes and

prayers, Monicqua, Sullivan's mom

________________________________

From: Ann Higgs <lilac_blossom_lady@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 1:33 PM

Subject: Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Dear Andre,

 

Please, please let your despair and depression turn into positive hopefulness. I

am older than you (61) and therefore I do not expect you to relate to me in all

aspects, but having a myotomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I

started with Achalsia in 1990 and had no treatment whatsoever for 16 miserable

years. I just coped the best I could. By 2006, when the surgery was performed,

my oesophagus was an expanded mess! 

 

Nowadays I eat very well, with a lot of water and tea to flush the food down. I

have no night-time aspiration whatsoever and I am very healthy and have a busy

social life, regularly eating out with friends.

 

There are many success stories. Do not be put off by some of the things that you

hear in these messages. Many, many happy Achalasians are out there, living their

lives to the full.

 

I wish you the very best of luck. Dry the tears, hug your little children and

believe in a better future.

 

Sent with love from Ann in England.

________________________________

From: aandre7373 <aandre7373@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 2:41

Subject: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very dilated

esophagus for at least a decade or two?

I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

Thank you.

Andre

[Guest guest]

Pleased to hear that you are doing so well Ann. Keep it up. I am booked in for a

dilatation in Liverpool on July 4th otherwise ok.

from the UK

________________________________

From: Ann Higgs <lilac_blossom_lady@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:33 PM

Subject: Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Dear Andre,

 

Please, please let your despair and depression turn into positive hopefulness. I

am older than you (61) and therefore I do not expect you to relate to me in all

aspects, but having a myotomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I

started with Achalsia in 1990 and had no treatment whatsoever for 16 miserable

years. I just coped the best I could. By 2006, when the surgery was performed,

my oesophagus was an expanded mess! 

 

Nowadays I eat very well, with a lot of water and tea to flush the food down. I

have no night-time aspiration whatsoever and I am very healthy and have a busy

social life, regularly eating out with friends.

 

There are many success stories. Do not be put off by some of the things that you

hear in these messages. Many, many happy Achalasians are out there, living their

lives to the full.

 

I wish you the very best of luck. Dry the tears, hug your little children and

believe in a better future.

 

Sent with love from Ann in England.

________________________________

From: aandre7373 <aandre7373@...>

achalasia

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 2:41

Subject: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very dilated

esophagus for at least a decade or two?

I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

Thank you.

Andre

[Guest guest]

My dear friends, and Notan,

 

As you know, my heart has been otherwise engaged for the last 17 months with the

love of my life, my little Amy.

 

However I read the posts here regularly. The plea from Andre was one that I

could not pass over.

 

We have all here, almost down to the last person, known moments of despair, when

we needed some warm understanding arms wrapped around us. I was always well

supported in my needful times. This group is totally wonderful!!!!

 

Always around, Lilac Ann.

________________________________

From: RICHARD FRIEDMAN <cynmark24@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 20:29

Subject: Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

What a beautiful and inspiring post from Ann!

 

This Board has been missing your " heart " for a long time!

 

________________________________

From: Ann Higgs <mailto:lilac_blossom_lady%40.co.uk>

" mailto:achalasia%40 " <mailto:achalasia%40>

Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 2:33 PM

Subject: Re: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Dear Andre,

 

Please, please let your despair and depression turn into positive hopefulness. I

am older than you (61) and therefore I do not expect you to relate to me in all

aspects, but having a myotomy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I

started with Achalsia in 1990 and had no treatment whatsoever for 16 miserable

years. I just coped the best I could. By 2006, when the surgery was performed,

my oesophagus was an expanded mess! 

 

Nowadays I eat very well, with a lot of water and tea to flush the food down. I

have no night-time aspiration whatsoever and I am very healthy and have a busy

social life, regularly eating out with friends.

 

There are many success stories. Do not be put off by some of the things that you

hear in these messages. Many, many happy Achalasians are out there, living their

lives to the full.

 

I wish you the very best of luck. Dry the tears, hug your little children and

believe in a better future.

 

Sent with love from Ann in England.

________________________________

From: aandre7373 <mailto:aandre7373%40.au>

mailto:achalasia%40

Sent: Thursday, 14 June 2012, 2:41

Subject: Living with a very dilated esophagus?

 

Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very dilated

esophagus for at least a decade or two?

I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

Thank you.

Andre

[Guest guest]

Hello Andre,

I had my surgeries 6 years ago. My E has become very large and stretched and

now has a crook at the bottom. I like you struggle daily to keep positive and

stay strong for my young children. I have decided to live life to the fullest

and stop worrying about all of the " what if's " . I have started drinking coke

with my meals and I haven't had anything stuck in months(knock on wood).

Everyone copes differently but this has worked for me. The fizziness still

bothers me but somehow it magically moves the food through and I can feel it

once it does. I truly believe that technology will catch up with us if we can

hold out a few more years. People who do not know about my achalasia would

never know because I can eat and appear to be normal in most situations. Right

now I am thankful for the past 6 years that I have had and am hopeful for all

the years still left to come. I feel almost normal on most days. And as my

surgeon told me, " you will never be 'normal' we are just looking to

improve your normal, which I believe they have. Good luck on your surgery, you

will feel better once it's done. I wish you luck on finding your 'normal' and

appreciating life's little blessings.

[Guest guest]

It all depends if you have developed the " J " pouch where the esophagus slumps

below the level of where it enters the stomach. I was almost there but was

diagnosed in time. I can't speak for people who have that problem.

If a greatly dilated esophagus secondary to achalasia is your only problem, I do

know about that. You should have a fairly normal life after surgery. I have a

number of health challenges and this is the one I just forget about which is why

I'm not usually here. With some small changes I have made in my life, I forget I

have achalasia. It is not the size of the esophagus that causes problems but

lack of proper muscle functioning in it. So I wash down every bite (well chewed)

of food with a sip of liquid and wait until I pass a small burp that lets me

know the food has entered my stomach. This is second nature now. I never lie

down until I'm sure my esophagus is empty and I sleep on my side with my head on

a foam wedge so I don't choke on saliva at night. We have to depend on gravity

to get food and drink down but malfunctioning muscles can sometimes make things

go backwards so saliva comes back up again and then goes down the wrong way

causing you to choke. Hence the foam wedge (available at most bed-bath stores).

I'm almost 4 years out from surgery and that's about all I need to do right now.

After surgery my spasms were worse but then they almost went away. My swallowing

problems almost disappeared too which really surprised me. Off course I can eat

whatever I want now. Give yourself time to heal from surgery. Understand that

although you only have small cuts on the outside you did have major surgery on

the inside and that needs to heal. Once your esophagus heals it will calm down.

I know my insides must look pretty strange right now but they have never felt or

functioned more normal. Let us know what is going on-we are all pulling for you.

>

> Is there anyone who has managed to live relatively normally with a very

dilated esophagus for at least a decade or two?

>

> I'm having a myotomy done in the next couple of weeks, but my level of

depression is starting to reach extreme levels. I have two young children and

I'm finding it very, very difficult to cope.

>

> If yours was a positive outcome in similar circumstances, with a lot of

esophagus expansion prior to the operation and at least some good years

afterwards, I really need to hear about it.

>

> Thank you.

>

> Andre

>