I had the second Heller Myotomy at Mount Sinai Hospital. It was difficult and they didn't re-open the previous scar but gave me a brand new one! Great, now I look like I have been bitten by a shark twice. I was intibated and had a hose running from the inside of my nose down to Lord knows where but it felt like it was down to my toes and everytime I swallowed it was like plastic scraping against the inside of my throat.
I was in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit for a week and a half before being sent home.
When I got home I felt something wasn't right.
My breathing was hard but I thought that was just part of the recovery. I ate banana baby food because that was all I could take at the time.
My wariness that everything wasn't alright proved to be true. I had a lung infection and had to go back to the hospital and then I got Pneumonia as well and had to go back to the hospital so recovery wasn't easy. That was four years ago.
Ever since the last surgery the motility disorder returned (difficulty swallowing) and I have to get an esophagael biopsy every six months to check for cancer. I am put under anesthesia during this and recovery is about 2 days. I am under medication now but my illness is progressively debilitating.
I went to see a specialist a few months ago at NY Presbyterian and was told that I shouldn't have another myotomy it would only patch things up because as you know by now reader, there is no cure. That's what the doctor says but there is nothing impossible for God.
The specialist said instead that my esophagus should be removed entirely (an esophagectomy) The esophagus is removed and the stomach in transformed into a tube like whatever and it would act as my esophagus but the chance of my surviving the operation wasnt good . And in the Dotor's word my life would not be the same.
I have had this disease my whole life and by God's grace have survived 2 majorly difficult operations and have not died during the night.
Today my symptoms have become worsened. I have night aspirations (choking) which causes lack of sleep which causes fatigue. I have anemia because I do not eat because I do not want to choke. So I am not eating or sleeping. I become faint and dizzy and nauseas so, so often. I have a lump in my neck from all the vomitting, a growth in my esophagus the size of an egg and growing and polyps in other parts of my body.
The chest pains persist and the spasms continue. I had to go on disability and am no longer teaching because my doctors don't think I should be working anymore ( no one wants a teacher passing out during a class trip) I am being monitored but things are not looking good as the Achalasia is worsening. The biopsies continue. I take naps during the day and try to eat several small meals. I am on medication which pretty much knocks me out. I stay at home because walking is difficult and breathing is laborious. My hair is falling out. My teeth are falling out as well. I've lost 43 lbs in a matter of months and in one week lost 6 pounds without even dieting.

Getting up to leave the house as I said before is very tasking and once in my destination I can rest for a few minutes before the spasms, breathing and jitteriness continue. I try so hard not to let others see this especially when I have faith that hings will get better.

Livng through adversity as a Christian is a tremendous thing God gives strength where there is none left. Look at Hermana Francisca and cedeno who come to church having gone through chemo and knee surgery or Carlos who walks for miles aftertreatments for his kidney condition. The will to live is there because there is hope in God.

Sometimes God also says it's time to rest.

There are other symptoms to my illnesss that are private and I will not share but just as God prepares a person for their reunion with Him, just as God sustains, God can heal and to the very end I will believe He can heal me.

What is His plan?
We all have that question whether it is for health reasons, looking for a job, the decision to have children, the decision to wed, to move, to continue studying or to continue to fight disease or succomb.

Life is a mystery
God has all the answers
My faith is not swayed an iota and neither should yours be

There it is in black and white.

Why am I telling you this now and not before?
I'm telling you now because I have been requested to give the details of my illness by a few people and due to the circumstances surrounding all of us, I felt I should comply. I would not normally do this and it is only of late that I have become more vocal about my illness. I have true confidence in God and His ability to heal me and when He wills it, I will be healed.
In the meantime I ask for understanding. This is a difficult time for all of us and I was not going to even bring it up if it were not for the requests.
Pray for me as we should each other. Pray for my family. Pray for my husband as this is especially difficult for him.
There will be some more crying and some joy because God is good. He brings laughter in the middle of pain.
Pray for each other always, have compassion for each other as Christ has compassion with us.

Be Blessed
Pastora Debbie

Feel free to ask me any questions