On Thursday, 23rd February 2017 I finally had my Hellers Cardiomyotomy and Nissen Fundoplication operation. It was performed laparoscopically by Mr T John, Consultant Surgeon, and his team at the Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital. Now that I’m starting the recovery I’m feeling more able to write about the lead up to the operation and the operation itself. Continue reading “Achalasia – The Hellers Myotomy Operation”
Was Achalasia the reason for my Stroke?
I’m starting to think that my Achalasia is somehow linked to all my health issues over the last few years. Starting with the persistent chest infections I had when I was training for the London Marathon in 2010, the minor Stroke I had in August 2015 and the Atrial Fibrillation I was diagnosed with last week! It all seems like a bit of a coincidence!. Continue reading “Was Achalasia the reason for my Stroke?”
Achalasia Diagnosis Part 1: the Gastroscopy
In my recent post “Achalasia – How I got here” I described the symptoms that lead up to me being diagnosed with Achalasia. In this post I would like to share my experience of the Gastroscopy, the first step towards diagnosing Achalasia. Continue reading “Achalasia Diagnosis Part 1: the Gastroscopy”
Coping with Achalasia
Before my Achalasia diagnosis was confirmed in mid-October 2016, I was struggling to cope with a lack of sleep and began to feel quite desperate. I had started to wake up choking on clear mucus or regurgitated food. This became more and more frequent and eventually it occurred multiple times per night. Continue reading “Coping with Achalasia”
Achalasia – How I got here?
My first recollection of having problems swallowing food was in the autumn of 2010. Since my mid-thirties I had been an IT salesman who regularly travelled all over the UK, and occasionally abroad, to visit customers. Food was something that just got fitted in during a busy day, frequently on the move. Continue reading “Achalasia – How I got here?”
What is Achalasia?
The NHS Choices website describes Achalasia as follows:
Achalasia is a disorder of the gullet (oesophagus) where it loses the ability to move food along. The valve at the end of the gullet also fails to open and allow food to pass into your stomach. Continue reading “What is Achalasia?”