My Endoscopy

Tom got tired of seeing me stop and catch my breath or run to the bathroom after a single bite of food and made me get an endoscopy. I had been diagnosed with GERD many years ago and have taken medication on and off but really figured "it's just heartburn". Guess what? NOT SO
The doctor's actual words were "You're a mess". The three major problems were A large hernia in my chest hence the chest pains and shortness of breath. I'll have to have this operated on but he wants to clear up my esophagus first.

This is what my esophagus looks like. He diagnosed me with Barrett's Esophagus and did a biopsy. He said he would call if it came back as cancer and it's been a week so no news is good news. He has me on a couple of medications, one (with a $50 co pay!) is a liquid that I have to take 30 minutes after every meal. What a pain since I don't eat three large meals but munch all day because of . . .

my stricture which is a closing of the esophagus which doesn't let food all the way through hence the constant reflux & nausea with most foods. Some things settle really well, mostly bakery (bread & DONUTS) right now. He suggested an "anti-reflux"diet which among other things says to stop drinking coffee and alcohol and eating chocolate. The alcohol isn't a problem and I should have known this since it burns as it goes down but the coffee and chocolate is a problem that I'm working through.

I also need to have a couple of tests done on my stomach to see why it's backing up. Those tests are somewhat invasive and I have them scheduled for June 7th and 8th and a follow up endoscopy on June 9th.

I was shocked that I was such a mess. I let my family know and they told me to be a little more serious about my diagnosis. It wasn't until I was talking to my sister that it hit me that all this seems so very familiar to me because three years ago when my father was in the hospital for routine surgery they tore his esophagus and the pictures they took looked very much like mine and the tests and the procedures they are talking about doing are the same as they did for him. I didn't want to compare the two because his was so much more serious because of the tear and the lack of the doctors to recognize the tear until his chest was full of everything he was eating and drinking and of course the fact that it killed him. I do wonder though how long he had the ulcers and if it ever gave him pain that he ignored.