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| Michelle's Personal Journey with Achalasia |
I first had swallowing problems at the age of 12. I was taking anti-biotics for an ear infection and I remember (very distinctly) thinking that I
had swallowed the capsule sideways.
It got worse very quickly and included a LOT of regurgitation (yuck!)
The first doctor I went to told my parents I was a nervous teenager, puberty – that kind of thing. Actually told us I had a ‘rat’s tail
esophagus’ – what a quack.
By the time I was 15, the symptoms had gotten worse – I sat near bathrooms a lot at restaurants and regurgitated regularly. We had also
moved so my mom took me to a new doctor who immediately sent me to the local hospital for my first barium swallow. They showed us the
X-rays of my dilated E and gave it a name ‘Achalasia’. I had to wait a month for the manometry so they put me on a liquid diet until I could
have it done. Luckily it was summer time – a liquid diet at high school (they already thought I was anorexic) would have been awful!
Had the manometry and an endoscopy and was finally diagnosed. I had my first dilation in Oct. of 1983, I was in 10th grade. I had one or
two more then in 1988 I started talking with my doctor about surgery as a more permanent option. I had the open surgery in January of
1989. 6 days in the hospital, 3 weeks out of work – beauty of a scar from my sternum to my belly button.
Had one or two more dilation since but otherwise – I manage pretty well. I sleep elevated and I take protonix daily, there are probably
about a dozen foods I can’t eat. I’m 38 now, married, sell advertising for a living and have 2 girls, ages 3 ½ and 1.
You can contact Michelle at: Mmcnair.downhome@pilotonline.com
had swallowed the capsule sideways.
It got worse very quickly and included a LOT of regurgitation (yuck!)
The first doctor I went to told my parents I was a nervous teenager, puberty – that kind of thing. Actually told us I had a ‘rat’s tail
esophagus’ – what a quack.
By the time I was 15, the symptoms had gotten worse – I sat near bathrooms a lot at restaurants and regurgitated regularly. We had also
moved so my mom took me to a new doctor who immediately sent me to the local hospital for my first barium swallow. They showed us the
X-rays of my dilated E and gave it a name ‘Achalasia’. I had to wait a month for the manometry so they put me on a liquid diet until I could
have it done. Luckily it was summer time – a liquid diet at high school (they already thought I was anorexic) would have been awful!
Had the manometry and an endoscopy and was finally diagnosed. I had my first dilation in Oct. of 1983, I was in 10th grade. I had one or
two more then in 1988 I started talking with my doctor about surgery as a more permanent option. I had the open surgery in January of
1989. 6 days in the hospital, 3 weeks out of work – beauty of a scar from my sternum to my belly button.
Had one or two more dilation since but otherwise – I manage pretty well. I sleep elevated and I take protonix daily, there are probably
about a dozen foods I can’t eat. I’m 38 now, married, sell advertising for a living and have 2 girls, ages 3 ½ and 1.
You can contact Michelle at: Mmcnair.downhome@pilotonline.com