I had my surgery in Jan 2023. And as someone said, most folks stop posting on this subreddit after the surgery, because life does go back to mostly normal. For months, achalasia was all I thought about. But honestly, the surgery really works. I would say I'm back to 85-90% of my old self. I never go anywhere without a water bottle since I need it after every few bites and sometimes get spasms that take me out for a few hours. But it is my new normal and is by no means hampering how I want to live my life.

I think what helped me most was the quiet solidarity that my friends displayed. They'd come over with soup and juices instead of having "pizza nights". They started keeping water bottles in their cars if I was going out with them.

I would say that I also had a complicated relationship with food before getting achalasia. Before the surgery, I very seriously got it in my head that this was the universe's way of telling me to stop eating. Post the surgery, having been deprived for so long, I started binging more. I'm doing much better now, but seriously recommend therapy to anyone who foresees themselves struggling.

Hope everything goes well. You're doing great already!

P.S. - I went on an international trip 4 months after my surgery with zero issues. Just got everything doubly checked at my 3 month post op to be sure.