Wish me luck - I'm off to the Royal Surrey!

Health Care & Carte Vitale
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Nothing major!

As some will know, for years I have had an occasional problem with food getting stuck in my gullet (usually firm meat such as pork or beef).

Having mentioned it to my quack he referred me to the Royal Surrey, who stuck a camera down my throat and although they didn’t get it all the way down (I didn’t have sedation) established that I have a “constriction” in my oesophagus.

So this afternoon I am having another camera inspection (this time with sedation) and the plan is for them to then stick a balloon down and stretch my oesophagus! I gather the Frères Montgolfier are on standby. :smiley:

Sounds fun, doesn’t it! Anyway although I’m not having a general anaesthetic, hopefully the happy juice will mean I don’t feel it too much.

It’s an outpatient procedure so I should be back home this evening (my brother is coming to collect me).

Far from a major op but anything hospital-related always generates anxiety.

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Sounds like you need peace, which is understandable and what I’ll ask for.

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Thank you for your kind thoughts Lord @Porridge - at the moment I am feeling fairly relaxed about it thankfully!

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Good luck, Chris. We’ll be thinking of you today, please let us know how you get on once you’re up to it. :wink:

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Good luck Chris, hopefully this will lead to many years of happy munching.

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Yes I will! It’s by no means a big deal compared to what some members have had to put up with. I think the most tedious bit will be having only fluids for 24 hours afterwards, and then a gradual return to solids via scrambled egg and yoghurt! (not together, obvs.)

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Thank you @Debby_Wade - yes I hope I will only need one inflation!

The problem has been manageable if I am careful what I eat and how I chew it, but having had a piece of pork get stuck for five hours a couple of months ago I decided it was time to get it sorted…

(apologies to anyone reading this over breakfast!)

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Nothing worse than a bit of pork stuck in your mouth for hours :rofl::rofl:

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Hope it all goes well Chris, and you return with comfortably broadened culinary horizons.

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We’ll definitely be thinking of you today Chris and hoping that the process isn’t too unpleasant but is effective! :hugs:

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My sympathies and wishes for your quick and painless resolution.

FEIW, My dog Maud has an oesophagus issue and the specialist bet explained, and showed us diagrams, of a new procedure that inserts a silicone stent to maintain correct width. The only concern is that Maud at 12 years is a risk under general anaesthetic and the cure might be worse than the illness. :cry:

Then I looked on Dr Google, saw the high rate of complications and decided, no.

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Yes they do metal stents in humans in some cases - I think if they suggested that I would say no!

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Bon courage, I hope it goes well and isn’t too uncomfortable!

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Thank you - they are sedating me so the actual procedure should be OK but my throat will I guess be sore afterwards.

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This is quite a simple procedure and you will benefit from it.

Good luck.

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Best of luck @ChrisMann

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Hope all goes well Chris. Hugs from Rachel :heart:

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All the best.

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Good luck and hope all goes well!
If it’s any consolation I had to exist on soup for a month after breaking my jaw and I can confirm that it’s a very effective weight loss treatment.

Also incredibly boring!

Xx

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Sweet sedated dreams of all the things you will be able to eat without worrying.

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