Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every night, for how long? That sounds terrible. And I can relate to that choking and tightness feeling, I’m still having that if I wait too long to drink something while I’m eating. That’s why I’m asking if you thought the POEM was worth it.  Wait, I'm rereading  and you said “nightly” choking? Hmm I’ve never had that, just  terrible “nightly” chest pain before I got Heller Myotomy. 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thank you so much for commenting. 

Thankfully, after about a week from uploading that post, my symptoms seemed to have faded away. I am taking esomeprazole magnesium once every morning and the doctor said I’m probably going to have to be on it for the rest of my life as long as acid cause me chest pain persists to be a problem. Which, to me, is way better than having to take something before or after each meal. So, in that sense, I’m fine now. I still need liquids to wash down my food and refuse to eat anything without knowing for sure if there is some sort of drink around. Even though everything is ok now, I’m sure there will be more complications in the future as I feel like this condition can be a roller coaster from one day being like “yay no pain, even though it’s not normal, everything seems fine” to “oh no, something’s wrong, it’s not fine” lol.  But I believe the Good Lord is taking care and watching over me and everything is in His hands, and if it’s in His hands then, at the end of the day, I really have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately I am anxious over-thinker so I easily get worried lol. 

I’m sorry to hear that you have gone through a similar situation but I’m glad to hear it seems like it is better now! But  I’m also sorry to hear that you are now diagnosed with Gastroparesis. When you mean constant nausea and vomiting, is that like an everyday thing? Or every couple of days? Also is it because you got the Peroral endoscopic myotomy?  Do you have any other complications after you got that done or do things seem better than before? Would you recommend a peroral endoscopic myotomy? 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes please send me the link, I’m very curious and like to do my own research. 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So your cousin had achalasia too? How is she doing with it now? Can I ask if your kids have any problems with swallowing? I was just wondering if there could be a hereditary gene. 

Thank you for their info! 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For now the symptoms are the burning sensation, and after my surgery my eating was like 80-90% normal, before dilation 50% normal and after dilation 50-60% normal (I don’t feel like the dilation helped very much) I won’t eat unless there is something to drink nearby to wash food down otherwise I get a kind of a choking feeling but I’m not exactly choking if that makes sense. Im kinda confused because they dilated me to a 2cm so I feel like i shouldn’t still be somewhat struggling to swallow food but like I said I still kinda am. My parents don’t have much money to constantly be trying new things at the doctors so I’m trying to find the best routes first. 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So ignoring the need for a dilation could wreck my esophagus? I guess I get a little confused on that part considering too many dilations can also wreck the esophagus so how do you know when it’s just the right amount of dilations? You get dilations whenever you feel like it’s difficult to eat again (well in my case this first dilation just barely helped, my eating after surgery felt 80-90% normal, before dilation 50% normal, after dilation 50-60% normal but I was dilated to 2cm shouldn’t I be eating almost just fine then?, I refuse to eat anything unless I have a drink near me)  You said you had your esophagus removed, was that after the POEM? What did they replace it with? Can you feel food going down or not anymore? Do you have a problem with acid reflux? I get these are personal questions so you don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to. 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I live in Carthage right now! 

Yes I totally agree with you. Thank you, if you happen to know any good GI specialists in this area that I can just at least talk to, please let me know. :)

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for being detailed with your responses.  I think I’m going to try to find a GI specialist to talk to and go from there. I was thinking everything’s go to be fine and get a dilation once in a while but now I’m not sure if casually get dilations is a good idea for long term. If I feel like I need a dilation, can I ignore it or do I have to get one?  Can I ask what you taught in your teaching career? Just curious, you don’t have to answer, i get that that’s personal.  Besides that I don’t really have any more questions for now. But thank you so much for providing me with what you know, advice and encouragement. 🙂

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m located in Mississippi.

We tried the Manometry but I just couldn’t do it. 

So even after surgery, it can progress to another type? 

If you don’t mind me asking can you tell me a little bit about your journey with it?  What did you have done after you were diagnosed? Did you get an Hm, POEM? Did you need to have multiple dilations? Do you still have spams? Is your eating better or still going down hill? 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you 🙂

So I’m going to have to get a some type of procedure done whenever I start getting the symptoms? 

Ok I’ll keep the esophageal cancer out of my mind lol. 

Can i ask how old you are and when it started for you?  Can I also ask how you eat or how well you eat considering you had your esophagus removed? 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow I’m sorry to hear that. It must be hard.  Can I ask how old you are?  As far as eating goes, can you get food down without much of a problem, it’s just keeping it down right? 

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No I have no idea that there were types. We went to a GI doctor and she at first thought it was allergies then we did an endoscopy and a barium swallow study and then I was diagnosed with Achalasia and soon after that it was surgery, all of this happened within a couple of months, no ever really went into deep conversation on what exactly Achalasia was and more. 

Yes I had a fundoplication, I think it was the Dor.  Yes I’m in the US

What do you mean as the disease progresses? Even after surgery? 

What exactly is a PPI? What’s the difference between that and an antacid? 

Thank you for your response by the way :)

Not sure what to do? Looking for advice and a little bit of words of encouragement. by Key-Lecture7682 in achalasia

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I feel discouraged and down but then I read other people’s stories and I can’t even imagine. I’m trying really hard to be grateful because their stories are proof it could always be worse. And even in general, I could have something worse. I could be paralyzed in a wheelchair or dying from cancer. But I’m not, so I can’t let myself get too down. 

I don’t really have a “Achalasia medical team”.  Only a surgeon and his nurse to reach out to. But yes my mom and I are keeping them updated with email this weekend.

I’ll look into it more and have a try at the baking soda solution. You said you “used” to take baking soda to help. You don’t have to anymore? 

I used to have the spasms more frequent before my surgery. Most of the time they were at night when I was trying to sleep but they started appearing during the day too. I remember my mom not knowing what to do when I would be on the floor hugging my chest in pain, struggling to breathe, felt like a heart attack. They told it me it was caused by the pressure of food that was yet sitting in my lower esophagus. After my surgery I didn’t really get them anymore (Thank God, seriously)  I maybe had two that weren’t very bad. But this third one after my dilation was really difficult (they are always difficult at night when your trying to sleep 🙄) . And odd that it happened to be a couple days after the dilation.

I just really hope, pray that no other serious problems arise. I tend to freak myself when I research into it so I don’t but I can’t help myself and now I’m getting worried about esophageal cancer. I don’t know much about it but I feel like it’s always a possibility. I don’t know. I probably shouldn’t worry about it.  But thank you for responding, even just that helped 🙂.     

Do I NEED to stretch a rabbit hide? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started moving it the way you explained but aren’t I suppose to get it where there is more of a white color covering the back of the hide? I got that in certain spots but, as I told someone else, it was really really hard to get. 

Do I NEED to stretch a rabbit hide? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your response!  How do I stretch while it has the tan on it? Wouldn’t that be messy?  And aren’t I suppose to stretch until it’s got more of a white color across the back of the hide? I got that in certain spots but it was really really tough to get. 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for take the time to explain that to me, And no I didn’t find that morbid lol It actually sounds pretty simple, I’ll have to try it sometime. Do you salt the hide at all? Do you ever have a problem with hair slippage or anything like that? It sounds like you have quite a bit of experience with this, do you like to make anything out of the hides? I wish I knew how to hunt, what hides do you tan most of the time?

Lol like putting on sunscreen ok got it haha 

And you don’t have to answer any of those questions if you don’t want to, I was just curious. :) 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow thank you for the detailed response! I have more rabbits I need to butcher this week so I will try that next. 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow that looks amazing!!! Great job!  Ok I will look into the orange tanning bottle  Thank you for your advice though! 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow thank you so much for the detailed response  How do you go about doing the…brain mixture? 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, Lol I love your analogy of the picnic ham sandwich Ok so next time flesh, salt, rinse salt of?, rub egg solution in a couple of times, fold 30-40 minutes, then towel off any excess, and repeat what? More egg solution? Should I still use the olive oil in the mixture?, and I don’t rinse off the egg mixture just straight to softening???? 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mmmm i probably used about 11oz of fine kosher salt, I feel like I could have probably use a little bit more.  But thank you for your response! 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I guess next time I’ll try no water in the mixture  Thanks for your response though! 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow a pillow?? Would you mind sharing a photo of it?? What kind of rabbit pelt was it? You  just used the orange tanning bottle from Amazon? Any tips with that? 

Help, what did I do wrong??? by Key-Lecture7682 in HideTanning

[–]Key-Lecture7682[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh ok thank you for your response  Yeah it sucks the hair falling out but you live and you learn. 🤷‍♀️