by snowplow3840 » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:56 pm
I feel a little like the person who has to one up everybody when it comes to a problem but I have had the restricted swallowing issue for about fifteen years. Again it is one you don't talk about because of the embarrassment of saying you cannot swallow your food. But I learned my lesson the hard way. After a bleeding ulcer problem, the doctor prescribed a fiber medication which was called Perdiem and not to insult the manufacturer it looked like brown mouse turds and had to be taken with water and in a certain manner. Welll one day even thought I did it exactly the way I had numerous times before, the medication stuck in my throat and suddenly I could not swallow (not even my own saliva). Because we were traveling in the motorhome we drove to a town nearby where there was a hospital. I was walking, talking and breathing so was not considered an emergency. After about three hours and a bunch of tests the doctors in this small town hospital decided to send me to one about 35 miles away. So now we are back to square one and there the people in emergency couldn't see that I was an emergency so I went to the bottom of the triage list. Finally at about 5:00 p.m. (the problem began about 6:00 a.m.) I finally got into an examining room in the second hospital. By this time, I had been without anything to eat or drink and not even swallowing my own saliva for 11 hours the doctors decided it was safe to do an endoscopy without further preparation. I have had that test often enough now that I know it is not painful or anything awful - I usually sleep right through it.
This time the dr. did a balloon expansion of my esophagus and then about two months later did it another time. It was like a miracle. I was able to eat items such as steak for the first time in years without the fear that it might stick. That procedure lasted me for almost five years and I needed to have it done again. this time I went gladly knowing that a few more years of relief were ahead. I am now nine years since the first procedure and am beginning to get symptoms so know that a third round of dilation is probably in the cards soon. But I know that it will give me relief and so it is worth it.
So for those of you who have the intermittent swallowing, choking problem, RUN DON'T WALK TO YOUR GASTROENTEROLIGIST AND ASK IF THE BALLOON DILATION IS IN ORDER AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DESCRIBE YOUR SWALLOWING PROBLEMS TO HIM OR HER IN FULL DETAIL. DON'T MIMIMIZE THIS TIME. IT IS WORTH IT TO GET THE PROCEDURE AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO IT UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM.
If you read my earlier post, I didn't even mention the swallowing issue in my list of problems. That is because I forget about it most of the time now. I am that much improved even though it may be time to have it done again. Good luck to each of you who have this and don't wait until you have a day like mine. Get it done sooner rather than later.
Ann who understands the joy of swallowing with ease.
