This week, I gave in to my inner desire to own an #ebike and bought this beauty.
10 weeks since having my oesophagus removed for end stage #achalasia I am craving exercise and this is the best way for me to get it. I am very happy with my purchase.

@Yell0wbag G’day mate! Fellow #achalasia warrior here. I’ve had POEM and dilations, reached end stage and finally had an oesophagectomy 2 months ago (very big op, 3 months off work, up to 12 months full recovery - best thing I’ve ever done!).
I can’t find much of an Achalasia community here - just us 2 plus another you can find through the hashtags.
But… have you tried FB and Insta? There are some great people on Insta and very well researched groups on FB that can help and…

Has anyone got experience of living with the oesophageal condition #achalasia ? If you do and you have any eating/food tips I would be happy to chat. I've had a balloon dilatation and POEM (14 months ago) but still have issues swallowing food.

#Achalasia of the esophagus is "What is on your mind?" at the moment.

Was real hungry on the way home from the store, so gobbled a little bit from a baguette. Guess I forgot to chew it well enough, so now I wait and wait for it to go down.

It will go down eventually, but it hurts until my body decides to relax enough to let it drop.

Relax, relax, RELAX!!

Dilatation done. Definitely an improvement already. 2nd one next week.
#achalasia

Off to hospital again today for a quick balloon dilation / dilatation on my throat. Yesterday, my swallow stopped working and today will fix that.
Most likely scar tissue build up since my oesophagectomy / esophagectomy last month. Nothing to worry about.
#achalasia

Last dilation today 🥳
#achalasia

Someone asked me today if I was happy with my weight loss.

Sure, starving to the point that your body is using your muscles to keep you alive, you're dizzy every time you stand up, your wounds don't heal and you can't keep yourself warm, what's not to love? Did it all just to lose a few pounds. 😏

Sometimes I want to scream at people and in cases like these I think they deserve it.

#achalasia

Here we go, first real post-dilation meal. I had some teff porridge this morning, but that's soft and I ate very slowly.

It's not much, because, honestly, I'm just scared to eat and that's why I've been procrastinating. (It's 9 PM here.)

I'm anxious around food in general, because it's been making me feel so uncomfortable for the past 2,5 years. Scared that it might hurt if it passes through the esophageal sphincter. And most of all, scared that maybe the procedure didn't work.

#achalasia

It's my fifth day without solid foods. I'm still not hungry. I would like to eat something I can chew, though. It's making me a little grumpy, living on chocolate milk, nutritional drinks and vegetable stock. Really looking forward to ordering from my favourite Thai restaurant.

Only two more days: tomorrow and then another balloon dilation on Thursday. If all goes well I'll be allowed to eat again on Friday, maybe even Thursday evening but I'll probably sleep the rest of the day.

#achalasia

It took three attempts to get the needle in but I'm ready and waiting. Wish me luck!

#achalasia

Week 2 at home starts today.
3 weeks ago due to end-stage #achalasia I had my oesophagus removed and my stomach stretched up through my chest and stitched to my throat. I now have big scars on my neck, abdomen and back.
I still have over 2 months of recovery before returning to work and some days I worry if I’ll make it, while other days I wonder what I’ll do to keep busy.
I will make it, of course. And recovery will keep me busy.
Major surgery hurts, by the way. A lot.
But at least I can eat.

This was day two without solid foods, and I'm feeling perfectly fine, not hungry at all. I'm just really sad that I can't have pizza, fries, crisps or candy. For a whole week. I want pizza. 😭

(If anyone's wondering, no I can't really eat pizza. Occasionally I did it anyway and then... Well, let's put it this way, I got to taste every slice twice hehe. 😂)

#achalasia

@atlantisblauw I hope the dilation helps! #Achalasia is a beast.

@atlantisblauw good luck for the week ahead. I know how you’re feeling. I can eat again finally, but sometimes I just can’t be bothered. That’s not good - need to learn new habits that match my new ‘eating food’ superpower. #achalasia

Btw you don't have to feel sorry for me that I can't eat solid foods for a few days. I haven't been able to eat normally in years and I don't experience hunger anymore. I'll have some nutrition drinks and I'll be fine. I'm only annoyed that I can't eat crisps. 😂

I'm not going to work, just staying in bed reading and sleeping this week, and I'm kind of looking forward to that. A little nervous, but mostly I'm just happy and relieved that this whole nightmare is going to be over soon. #achalasia

I wasn't grumpy, just exhausted. I had trouble eating since spring 2020. But since April I wasn't able to eat enough calories to continue existing. I lost 10 kg. This while trying to avoid any form of exercise to reduce my caloric expenditure to ca. 1500 (my pre-covid average was 2700).

I felt my body using up its reserves. I lost a lot of muscle. I don't have other words to describe it, but by September it felt like my body and mind were both shutting down. It was frightening.

#achalasia

I stopped eating solid foods today, because I have my first balloon dilation next Monday. Then two more days of fluids only, another dilation on Thursday, and I'll be allowed to eat solid food again on Friday. And hopefully, I'll then be able to eat more or less normally.

Someone told me today she admired me for always coming to work, even though some people thought I was grumpy. I didn't know people said that about me, but they don't know how I feel so I don't really care.

#achalasia

One of my goals on mastadon is to connect with other scientists + #psychologists who are interested in brain-gut-microbiome things (I know you're out there)...

Pleased to share a special issue of Gastroenterology Clinics dedicated to the field of #gastropsych. I'm author on 2 papers, 1 on the #stigma associated with #digestiveIllness and 1 on impacts of #diet as treatment and food-related quality of life.

#IBD #IBS #EoE #Celiac #Achalasia #GERD #DGBI

https://www.gastro.theclinics.com/current

Posting this so people with similar interests can find me:

#literature #books #vegan #achalasia #scleroderma #SystemicSclerosis #France #french #SGA #Stargate #scifi #ComputerHistory #History of #ComputerScience, #Aviation & #Medicine #NaturalHistory
#NaturalDisaster #FrenchHistory #Lapérouse #colonialism #Hispaniola #slavery #enlightenment #WWII #Holocaust #Todoist #bujo #bulletjournal #journaling #arthistory #surrealism #cubism #ForgottenVegetables #drawing #Chumbawamba