My surgery consult results...

[Guest guest]

So, I met with Dr. Kothari at Gundersen Lutheran on Monday, and we went

over my case. Basically my esophagus is closed completely at the very

bottom, and nothing goes through without being forced through. No barium

made it through to the stomach during my flouroscopy, and when I eat,

food sits in the esophagus until it piles up high enough in there to

reach the top 1/3-1/2 that still " swallows. " Then I can force it through

the muscle into the stomach at that point.

He gave me the option of trying botox, but warned that botox would be a

temporary fix (few months) and would have to continue to be repeated.

His concern with botox was that the more injections you receive, the

more chance of perforation when a myotomy would be done in the future,

and because my esophagus was stretched almost as large as my stomach, he

did not want to increase the chances of perforation anymore than need

be.

My other option, and the one we are taking, is to have a second myotomy

done. Because my first was in 1993, and done through the chest (before

laparoscopic was even available), he felt that he would be fine in doing

this one laparoscopically because the first myotomy would have been done

on the side of the esophagus where this would be on the front of it, so

less scar tissue to deal with.

Because I am able to force softer foods through without causing more

damage to the esophagus right now, we are able to wait until May 31 to

do the surgery since I am trying to finish my degree at this advanced

age of 37, and school ends before Memorial Day! So that makes me feel

better knowing I can finish the semester without trying to work and

study from a hospital bed or at home. Now, if anyone is bored and wants

to mow my lawn after I have surgery, I will let you!

Thanks, everyone for thoughts and prayers, and I hope you all are doing

well!