Intro

Introduction

"Sir Thomas Willis described achalasia in 1672. In 1881, von Mikulicz described the disease as a cardiospasm to indicate that the symptoms were due to a functional problem rather than a mechanical one. In 1929, Hurt and Rake realized that the disease was caused by a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to relax. They coined the term achalasia, meaning failure to relax." Source: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/169974-overview

Failure to relax? That sure sounds like me.....

Hi, My name is Janice, and I have a very rare esophageal motility disorder.
Isn’t that a mouthful! Still seems weird to say to myself, I am one of those who never wants to admit when they are sick. But I am sick, how annoying. I guess no one is perfect, and I am far from it, but I still find it hard to cope. I started this blog in an effort to help educate family and friends, as well as others who may be dealing with this disorder. I was diagnosed officially in January 2013.

Now for the mushy stuff: I want to thank my husband for his unwavering support and encouragement as I continue to deal with this disorder.

What is Achalasia?
“Achalasia is an acquired neurodegenerative disease of the esophagus in which there is a selective loss of inhibitory neurons in the ganglia of the enteric nervous system within the gastrointestinal tract.”

Source: DiMarino, Anthony J., and Stanley B. Benjamin. Gastrointestinal Disease: An Endoscopic Approach. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, 2002. Print.

In plain English? The lower muscles of the esophagus fail to push/propel food downward towards the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter), also the LES fails to open in order to allow food into the stomach. Meaning, when I eat, food continues to sit in my esophagus for long periods of time.

Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, regurgitation, sometimes chest pain, and over time weight loss.

Useful Medical Article: http://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article?id=123990