Reader's Digest Article

It always excites me when there is recent information out there about Achalasia. So much of what I find is outdated. Here is a link to a recent article that was in Reader's Digest.

http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/amazing-medical-mysteries-solved/2/

Always nice to know I am not alone in my journey, and that what I went through was/is "normal" for my condition.

Petition

One of my motives behind creating this blog was to create more awareness about Achalasia. It is an embarassing and difficult disease to have to deal with. Running to the bathroom multiple times during a meal, having difficultly eating (which is a public activity), and looking like you ate almost nothing at all, can be humiliating. One of the reasons I was heasitant to talk about it was because I assumed most people would think I just had a eating disorder, rather than a physical ailment.
Please help by signing this petition: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/the-dr-oz-show-please-broadcast-a-segment-on-achalasia-and-other-motility-disorders#share

One of the reasons so little is known about Achalasia is due to lack of research. By creating more awareness, hopefully more will want to help fund research so that one day a cure can be found.

Thanks!

Post Surgery Shoulder Pain

I mentioned this in an earlier post, but as it is bugging me again, I decided it deserved an article of its own.

Shoulder pain is actually very common post laparoscopic surgery. Reason being the CO2 gas used to inflate the abdomen during surgery. By lifting the abdomen away from the internal organs, the surgeon is able to get a better view. This same CO2 gas becomes trapped post surgery. So why shoulder pain? The diaphragm of the shoulder is connected to the abdomen and other organs of the body via the phrenic nerve. The CO2 exerts pressure on this nerve which translates to a sharp pain felt in the shoulder. For me, that means sharp pains in my left shoulder. I had pain the first 2 weeks after surgery and it seemed to dissipate after a nice massage, but now (7 weeks post surgery) the pain has returned. Tylenol does not see to help a lot. Other tips I have found online include: using heating pads, and drinking peppermint tea, ginger ale, or carrot juice to help dissipate the gas. So far the best thing I have found is a nice soak in a hot tub. I will be sure to update this post though if I find another solution! 

source: http://endometriosis.org/resources/articles/post-surgery-ailments/

The Little Things

If this disease has taught me one thing, that is to be thankful for the little things in life.I found a good place to get my lunch at. I tried a "Stawberry Hulk" today, which has a whopping 964 calories in it; just what I need to gain back the 20 lbs I lost!! Also, the slogan is perfect, chewing is over-rated. For those who suffer from Achalasia, we all know blended things are easier to swallow.
http://www.smoothieking.com/smoothies/smoothie-detail.php?id=62

Recovery - Week 4

It is now 4 weeks post surgery, and 3.5 weeks past when I was released from the hospital. I have gained back much of my energy, which is great. Still not gained back any weight, but that is due to my restricted diet more than anything else. Right now I am on soft foods, and what I find is that while I do not have trouble swallowing, my capacity for how much I can consume has greatly diminished. With liquids, I could eat a lot more, with more solid/soft foods, I find I can eat about a half cup; pressing myself beyond that leads to feeling uncomfortably full. But the recommendation is about 6 small meals a day, so that makes sense. I moved up my check-up appointment with the doctor. It was supposed to be at 6 weeks, but as I am feeling pretty good, and getting stir crazy at home, I decided to go in earlier and see what she says.

For those out there going through the same thing, recovery is a slower process than I thought it would be. I am not yet eating normally, but I am eating much better than before. Prior to the surgery, I was unable to even consume most liquids, and could eat only small meals before feeling the need to regurgitate. I have not thrown up at all since the surgery, which is excellent. 
Physically, I feel almost at 100%. However, I still find that I get tired much quicker after doing small things like cleaning the house, or going out shopping. So overall, I still need to take it easy.

The suggested recovery time is 6 weeks. At 6-8 weeks I can start to resume a normal diet, and after 8 weeks I can return to working out/lifting/stretching/ etc. I will check in at that time to let you all know how I am doing. 

Last comment/side note: I find it interesting how much the weather effects me. Michigan is mostly overcast during the winter, and on those days I find I just want to say in bed doing nothing. Today was sunny, and I was motivated to get out of bed earlier, and even grab coffee at a local coffee shop. Just think, if I had decided to recover in a sunnier state, I could have recovered more quickly!

Day 1 at Home

First day full day at home on the liquid diet. I have to admit, it is torture watching my husband nom down some Doritos and nachos from Taco Bell. Still a few weeks out before I can eat food like that.  I am very happy to be drinking liquids normally though, so I should not complain too much. Some may wonder, what is on the liquid diet? Here is an ongoing list of what I have come up with:

• Coffee
• Tea
• V8 Juice (the one that is 100% veggies and fruits)
• Protein Shake (I use ice cream as the base, add protein powder, honey, and almond milk)
• Carnation Instant Breakfast Powder (with Almond Milk)
• Cream of Chicken Soup (instead of adding 1 can water as instructed, try adding milk, much tastier!)
• Cream of Celery Soup (same as above, try adding milk!)
• Really any cream based soups without any chunks of meat or veggies, beef broth and chicken broth are also good, just very bland. 
• Cream of Wheat
• Coco Wheats
• Jello Vanilla and Chocolate Pudding Cups
• Greek Yogurt w/Honey
• Frozen and refrigerated Yogurt (Go-Gurt by Yoplait) 

I am supposed to avoid carbonated beverages for a while. So those are not on the list. Also, I will work on expanding the list over the next 2 weeks, since I am sure I will get bored of some items. Overall it is fabulous to be eating more normal.  I feel like I could take on a steak, but will refrain while my esophagus continues to heal.  

Home at last...

     After checking in at the hospital at 11 am Wednesday  I have now returned home at 10:45 am, Saturday. In total I was in the hospital 3 nights and 4 days. 
     Overall feeling much better. Abs are still very sore. And there is some slight pain and discomfort in my shoulders. This is apparently typical with laparoscopic surgeries.  For those curious, the shoulder pain is because during the surgery C0₂ is used to inflate the abdomen. This gas affects the Phrenic Nerve. When the C0₂ gas irritates the diaphragmatic nerves, that pain is directed upwards through the nerve connections, which leads to aggravating the shoulders. I was sent home with medicine for pain, nausea, and heartburn (as a precaution).
     While in the hospital I progressed from clear liquids (broth, tea, juice, etc) to full liquids. Breakfast today was cream of wheat, vanilla custard, coffee with cream and sugar, and orange juice. The vanilla custard was surprisingly yummy. So for now, I have 2 more weeks  to go of liquids only and then I can move on to soft foods.
     So why so many days in the hospital? My electrolytes and overall nutrition needed a lot of work. I went into the hospital weighing 96 lbs, and came out at 102. Yay for IV's and diligent nurses for helping restore my overall health. I think it will be a slow recovery, but for now I am just happy to be at home. :)