 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Meet Kate Brown |
I remember when I couldn't swallow anymore. June of 2004, I was standing at the kitchen sink and it felt
like I was going to choke. Eventually it went down, but then meal after meal, it continued and slowly got
worse. It wasn't only foods, but liquid also. I had to drink lots of water to get food to go down, and many
times would have to regurgitate anyway. I would get horrible pains in the middle of my chest at would last
for about 20-30 minutes at a time. I would wake up coughing in the middle of the night (and sometimes
expel food I had eaten many hours before) which I had read could be stomach acid refluxing back into my
esophagus.
I saw my doctor about it, and the symptoms were diagnosed as GERD. I was put on an acid reducer and
thought that would take care of it. I did everything I could think of to reduce the symptoms. I lost weight, I
didn't smoke, I slept elevated, I didn't eat several hours before bedtime, and I also cut all spicy foods from
my diet. Still the symptoms persisted and I grew increasingly frustrated.
3 years after the symptoms that something was wrong with my motility onset, I went back to the doctor
and was schedule for my first endoscope in June of 2007. The endoscope revealed basically that my
esophagus was "irritated" and the initial diagnosis was acid reducers the rest of my life. Frustrated
again, I endured this diagnosis and did not take any pills. Why bother taking pills you can't swallow?
In March of 2008, I had an emergency appendectomy. Whether it's related to my other digestive troubles
is uncertain, but I was put on antibiotics I couldn't swallow and had to have chewables that made me very
ill due to they type f antibiotic it was. I final got on top of that, but my swallowing troubles continues.
Every meal was a nightmare. Swallowing at times even with water was very painful. I avoided social
situations like restaurants and events on purpose. I wanted to be normal.
In January 2010, I made a resolution I wasn't going to live my life like this anymore. There was something
obviously wrong with my upper digestive tract and made an appointment with a digestive disease center
in Des Moines. After my doctor did another endoscope, he found food in my esophagus from the night
before and I was diagnosed with a disease I had never heard of before: Achalasia.
Shortly after, I was given several more tests I needed to take as surgery would more than likely by
imminent. I did a barium swallow, and a manometry. Even before the results came back to my doctor,
when I looked at my x-rays, I was certain that it was Achalasia.
Blood tests revealed that my blood was low on iron and B-12 as a result of the Achalasia and mal
absorption by my body. I was treated with 10 IV's of iron and 10 B-12 shots over a 5 week period and
continue to be monitored once a month until my condition improves.
I now know that the pains I was having were esophageal spasms. I know that the night-time coughing was
food stuck in my esophagus. It's not the end; it's just the beginning for me. I am currently waiting to hear
from the University of Iowa Hospital as to what treatment and/or surgery will be suggested.
DON'T WAIT TO GET MEDICAL TREATMENT. Be aware of your body and what it's telling you. Don't
assume that there is not a deeper problem, no matter what your diagnosis. If the course of treatment you
are on is still not improving your health, advocate for yourself!
like I was going to choke. Eventually it went down, but then meal after meal, it continued and slowly got
worse. It wasn't only foods, but liquid also. I had to drink lots of water to get food to go down, and many
times would have to regurgitate anyway. I would get horrible pains in the middle of my chest at would last
for about 20-30 minutes at a time. I would wake up coughing in the middle of the night (and sometimes
expel food I had eaten many hours before) which I had read could be stomach acid refluxing back into my
esophagus.
I saw my doctor about it, and the symptoms were diagnosed as GERD. I was put on an acid reducer and
thought that would take care of it. I did everything I could think of to reduce the symptoms. I lost weight, I
didn't smoke, I slept elevated, I didn't eat several hours before bedtime, and I also cut all spicy foods from
my diet. Still the symptoms persisted and I grew increasingly frustrated.
3 years after the symptoms that something was wrong with my motility onset, I went back to the doctor
and was schedule for my first endoscope in June of 2007. The endoscope revealed basically that my
esophagus was "irritated" and the initial diagnosis was acid reducers the rest of my life. Frustrated
again, I endured this diagnosis and did not take any pills. Why bother taking pills you can't swallow?
In March of 2008, I had an emergency appendectomy. Whether it's related to my other digestive troubles
is uncertain, but I was put on antibiotics I couldn't swallow and had to have chewables that made me very
ill due to they type f antibiotic it was. I final got on top of that, but my swallowing troubles continues.
Every meal was a nightmare. Swallowing at times even with water was very painful. I avoided social
situations like restaurants and events on purpose. I wanted to be normal.
In January 2010, I made a resolution I wasn't going to live my life like this anymore. There was something
obviously wrong with my upper digestive tract and made an appointment with a digestive disease center
in Des Moines. After my doctor did another endoscope, he found food in my esophagus from the night
before and I was diagnosed with a disease I had never heard of before: Achalasia.
Shortly after, I was given several more tests I needed to take as surgery would more than likely by
imminent. I did a barium swallow, and a manometry. Even before the results came back to my doctor,
when I looked at my x-rays, I was certain that it was Achalasia.
Blood tests revealed that my blood was low on iron and B-12 as a result of the Achalasia and mal
absorption by my body. I was treated with 10 IV's of iron and 10 B-12 shots over a 5 week period and
continue to be monitored once a month until my condition improves.
I now know that the pains I was having were esophageal spasms. I know that the night-time coughing was
food stuck in my esophagus. It's not the end; it's just the beginning for me. I am currently waiting to hear
from the University of Iowa Hospital as to what treatment and/or surgery will be suggested.
DON'T WAIT TO GET MEDICAL TREATMENT. Be aware of your body and what it's telling you. Don't
assume that there is not a deeper problem, no matter what your diagnosis. If the course of treatment you
are on is still not improving your health, advocate for yourself!