A Personal Story

2020 was a difficult year. I contracted COVID early on and was diagnosed with type 2 Achalasia.

Tests were not available in the early days of covid  and I didn’t fulfill all the suggested criteria at the time.

In April/May I began to suffer severe chest pain at night and developed problems swallowing. On occasions I’d have choking episodes, some serious and frightening.

At the time it was almost impossible to see a doctor and hospitals were almost no-go zone’s unless you had a serious form of covid. At times it was quite scary. At times I feared the worst.

Eventually I was able to speak to a doctor and went through various tests to find out what was wrong. I had a couple of endoscopys. In November 2021 I had a high resolution manometry in London that brought about the diagnosis of Achalasia. Then early in 2022 I had an endoscopy to rule out pseudo-Achalasia (which seemed to be code for cancer) – thankfully it was all clear.

What was wrong, was the lower section of the oesophagus was not functioning (I had previously suffered from oesophageal spasms), and the lower sphincter (the valve into the stomach) was not opening as it should to allow food to pass into the stomach which meant it would build up in the oesophagus.

While all this was going on, I set out to learn what I could about Achalasia. I discovered that certain foods were claggy and stuck in the throat (i.e. white bread), so best avoided. Dry food wasn’t good either, again, because it would stick in the throat. Meat became a challenge. Lasagne became a favourite.

What I discovered was crucial was drinking plenty of fluid during meals to aid swallowing, and it was best not to eat late in the evening, no later than 6 pm – this helped to prevent reflux at night.

As time went by, things got worse and I was having to force myself to swallow, which then had an impact on my neck. I also found that eating in social environments was not good as I’d forget what I should be doing and then suffer the consequences and subsequent embarrassment.

I also began to lose weight and had to get some better fitting clothes.

On November 15th 2022 following further consultations I had what’s called a POEM procedure (peroral endoscopic myotomy) performed at St. Thomas’s, London. During the procedure they go in via the oesophagus and cut/weaken the valve into the stomach. Next morning I was told that though I had originally been diagnosed as having type 2 Achalasia it was in fact type 3. This would explain the real difficulty I had in swallowing. They also found that my oesophagus was working properly – I wondered whether this was due to forcefully swallowing as I had read that it might be possible to get the muscles in the oesophagus working again.

Come Christmas the difference it made was huge. I was able to enjoy every bite of my Christmas dinner with no choking or drinking loads of water. I could eat normally and there was very little if any reflux.

Come 2023, instead of cautiously eating I  could now eat normally! Not only that, I wasn’t on any medication and began to put weight back on.

Today I eat normally and am so grateful to God and to the consultants, surgeons and nurses at St. Thomas’s.

We are truly fearfully and wonderfully made. Something we frequently take for granted, but when something goes wrong you wake up to it.

Throughout God has been present giving grace and strength. Family, friends and church have prayed. The words of the psalmist were an encouragement: I shall not die but I shall live to declare the works of the Lord!

Yes, there were dark times when the enemy would come in like a flood. But God has brought me through.