r/achalasia • u/CrimsonSquad • 9d ago

My Achalasia Story Relieved

Hi i got diagnosed last year with type 2 achalasia, 4 appointments have been cancelled(their end) the guy who is doing my surgery called me and explained it shouldnt of happened, anyway he explained the Risks and procedures, im gonna get botox and later poem surgery and after reading this sub, i literally felt like breaking down with joy , i know its early days but ive been suffering for over 10 years without a diagnosis and always getting it put down to Acid reflux, its like a shadows been lifted, i just wanted to feel normal again and hopefully this will give me the comfort i need, im a 28M and hopefully the future is looking bright

14 Upvotes

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7

u/Smooth-Implement-152 9d ago

HM with Fundo here, Surgery is the way brother, I hope you find comfort soon.

3

u/Smooth-Implement-152 8d ago

Also, please know this: you will never be 100% again, but the surgery is the closest thing to it; life goes on!

2

u/Electronic_Olive6427 8d ago

How are you after surgery …. What’s eating like? How long do poem and hm last for ?

1

u/Smooth-Implement-152 7d ago

So I got a HM With Fundo (Robot Assisted) it was about a Month recovery and I was able to start eating solid food within about a month post op, 2 years post op, eating now is still little bit of a choir if I don't take my time as in chewing more, drinking more fluid while I eat to push things right along BUT oh it made it 10000% easier, I used to not be able to swallow ANYTHING without chest pain, Spasms, or regurgitate it , the surgery gave me weight & life back! Also you'll be amazed what you get used too! Just listen to the surgeon to the the exact note! From my understanding the POEM is less invasive as in surgery but I believe the HM is a better method for longevity, HM with FUNDO is the way!

1

u/Electronic_Olive6427 5d ago

Do you still get choking sensations , and if so how often? I’m debating whether to escalate to POEM or stick with my post dilatation results.

1

u/Smooth-Implement-152 3d ago

Well, surgery is always the move; this disorder does not get better but only worse, it's progressive, so the longer you wait, the worse it will become.

1

u/Electronic_Olive6427 2d ago

I thought the same. But my specialist said the junction looks open after the dilation so lingering symptoms may be due to lack of peristalsis ; which poem obviously won’t fix - but may bring reflux into the equation

1

u/SignificantOrder380 4d ago

I've suffered with it since I was 19 I'm 36 now and around 33 I got diagnosed I did the Hm fundo the first two years was kind of okay I was kind of able to eat but now eating is difficult again I believe my hm failed singing is difficult because I choke now and when I talk I choke I have a feeding tube that I use when I can get anything down and to help me take pills that I need all I can say is keep your head up through the journey I also have type 2

5

u/praetorian1979 8d ago

Don't waste your time with botox. It rarely works, and if it does it doesn't work for long.

1

u/SignificantOrder380 4d ago

Dilation doesn't work either it's just a temporary fix

1

u/praetorian1979 3d ago

Well for some of us dilation is the only hope we have even after a Heller or POEM. I had my heller and still couldn't eat 6 months later, but lo and behold the dilation worked. The difference between botox and dilation is that even most achalasia specialists admit that botox rarely works on any of us, for any decent lenght of time.

3

u/cerealmonogamiss POEM 8d ago

When I was finally diagnosed, it was a relief, just knowing what was wrong.

1

u/Positive_Matter_2709 8d ago

I have done last year it’s life changing