Surgery Coming Soon

In December, I wrote a post about my diagnosis of Achalasia, which is a motility disorder of the esophagus. You can read about it by clicking on December 2006 on the left and click on the post titled "Finally a Diagnosis". That date was when I was finally diagnosed with a condition I've apparently had for many years and didn't know I had. For 10 years or more I have been doctoring for "acid reflux". I found out that the reflux was food, not acid, and the pain wasn't from acid, it was from my esophagus muscles spasming. This mis-diagnosis is not uncommon, according to what doctors now tell me and my research. This condition is usually not pin pointed until the symptoms progressively worsen to the symptoms I had these last 8 months.

There are two treatments that are tried before surgery. During the emergency endoscopy I had the end of October, they did both of those procedures, without any success. So, surgery was recommended. The surgery is done by a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. I saw him on January 3. I didn’t write anything about that appointment, because I was waiting to write when I knew my surgery date.

Previous to the early 90’s this surgery was done by opening up the chest, very major, very long recovery. In the early 90’s a doctor came up with a way to do it through a laparoscope. The surgery is called Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy. The recovery time is about 3 week’s total, and it has become the treatment of choice, and offers long-term relief. Up until 7 months ago, I would have had to go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to have this surgery. 7 months ago, a new Cardiothoracic Surgeon came to Duluth's St. Luke’s Clinics and Hospital. This surgeon trained in the large medical center in Seattle, WA. He has done over a dozen of these surgeries in his young career (he appears to be a young doctor) in Seattle, AND he trained under the surgeon that came up with the laparoscopic myotomy! I firmly believe that the reason it has taken years for the doctors to diagnose my disorder was because there was not a surgeon in Duluth that could do this procedure.

When I saw him on January 3, I was impressed with his knowledge of achalasia, his manner of explaining it to me, and explaining exactly what the surgery would do to treat it. I was very disappointed, after he told me all of this, that his schedule was so full he would not be able to schedule me until the end of February, beginning of March. But, after consulting with him, I knew I would wait, I had to wait. (hey, I lost more weight during my “wait”) The time passed fairly quickly in some ways, not quick enough, in other ways. Now, Feb. 27, is only a week away. I saw him again this afternoon for pre-op exam and last minute questions, etc. I’ve had blood work, an EKG, all the necessary stuff. I came away feeling that I completely trust him, I’ve heard that going into surgery, the important thing is to believe and trust in your surgeon. I started getting nervous the last few days, and must say I had a hard time focusing at work today. But, after meeting with him today, I think I can stay calm, quit being nervous and not worry now. I only have a week to go toward feeling better and being able to eat healthier and normally! (NO more SOUP!) I am going to focus on remaining CALM!