After of course seeking out second and third opinions about my diagnosis, it was unanimous that surgery (a modified version of the Heller Myotomy) was the best treatment option for me. During the procedure, The muscles of the Lower Oesophageal Sphincter (LES) were cut to allow food and liquids to enter the stomach more easily. The LES is a ring of muscle that forms a valve at the lower end of the oesophagus where it joins the stomach. This can be seen in the picture above.
During swallowing, the LES opens to allow food to pass through and closes to prevent the backflow or reflux of stomach acid into the oesophagus which can cause heartburn. Surprisingly, I wasn’t worried or scared, just eager to get some relief and to eat all the foods that I had been missing out on. My all-time favourite Red Red (plantain and beans) was number on that list, eating and enjoying my birthday cake, pastries, bread and egg, pizza, and MEAT (I’m more of a fish person but at this point, I could have probably done anything just to eat meat).
The surgery was successful! Eating was quite an adjustment after surgery, I can recall how it felt like having the food go into my tummy. I even remember my first drinks and foods and how amazing it felt to eat without discomfort. There are a lot of things I wish I had known and understood before the surgery, although it was the right move. For instance, anxiety and stress can worsen symptoms (quality of life around food), thus it is important to make lifestyle changes that would reduce anxiety and stress. Also, I still needed to be careful while eating; smaller portions, smaller bites, eating slowly in an upright position, and avoid eating late in the evening among others. Surgery was not a cure, although it greatly relieved my symptoms, everyone's experience varies, and it is uncertain how long this could be sustained. Hence, regular follow-ups (and here I was hoping to be done with hospitals) are needed to treat recurrent symptoms and complications.
As always, please note that I am not a medical professional and every piece of information I share is based on my research, experiences, and struggles. I hope that it would be of help to someone else.
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