Posted 8/29/2016 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
If so, I'd love to hear your story, why you had it, how the procedure went, how you're doing now?
I'm 27 and after 9 years of painful swallowing, constant pain around my lower esophagus, and trying many different meds from PPIs, peppermint oil, magnesium, manuka honey, cannabis (got a card in CA for it), famotidin, diltiazem, aloe vera, digestive enzymes, I've pretty much have given up. Only things I haven't tried are nitro glycerin (that thing used in explosives, ha!) and botox injections, doubt they would help though, since I've struck out with everything.
PPIs work the best, but seeing links to heart disease, kidney disease, and most recently dementia, have left me wondering if it's better to just cut my lower esophagus off. In addition, I'm scared of cancer, and my uncle died of esophageal cancer this year, he was around 52, probably started developing cancer mid 40s, although I don't know the specifics of his situation because I don't have a relationship with my dad, he just informed us of his death.
Doctor has told me he is hesitant to consider any type of surgery on me since my diagnosis isn't 100% clear, my manometries, barium swallows, and endoscopies have all come back mostly normal, he says nowhere near nutcracker/achalasia levels. Basically he isn't certain that cutting my lower esophagus would 100% relieve me of my symptoms, which would be disastrous of course, given how intense the procedure is.
I saw a study for minimally invasive esophagectomy from 1996-2002 that shows only 1.4% mortality rate, and most patients are way older than me (avg. age 66) and may be less healthy possibly given their age. Now it's 20 years later, so I assume it's even safer, I'm very slim also, which should help, and anesthesia from endoscopies hasn't bothered me, although that probably wasn't general anesthesia, which I presume is more risky. If I were to have the surgery, I'd be aiming for around a 2018 date at the earliest.
Any thoughts/comments are appreciated, thanks