hi how long did the drs play around with meds before they finally decided to do surgery the drs sunday now put me on my 4th med previcid and it has made me sick to.i go back to the drs on friday and the bad part is my esophogus has closed back up and my ulcer is bleeding again.oh joy .im very tired its like my body is rejecting these meds and its to the point i cant eat anymore .and its like they told me they do not do repeated dialations on the esophogus because of risk of rupturing..thank you tmm35

Hi tmm. So sorry for your troubles. If I remember correctly, didn't you say you were at Stage IV dysplasia with your esophagus? As far as surgery, I was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus (Stage 0) in 1999 and doc recommended surgery then. However, I wasn't ready for surgery and wanted to continue on medication (I was Prilosec - went from 20 mg to 40 mg daily). He said that was fine but if my dysplasia worsened (I was to have EGD done annually) he would schedule me for surgery immediately. After 2 years, I decided to have the surgery; fortunately my Barrett's had not worsened, but I found out my LES was hypotonic and no amount of med was going to change that. So I had the Nissan fundoplication done in June '01.

So basically, the choice was up to me. If surgery is recommended for you, please consider it. But weigh the pros/cons first - will it truly help you with the esophageal problems you have? Or is the damage too much? Are you thinking of fundoplication? Or would the doctors have to remove part of the esophagus due to the progression of your dysplasia?

I'm praying for you - please keep me posted on your decision. Do a lot of research before opting for any surgery. That's another reason I waited 2 years after it was recommended - I needed to fully research the benefits of the surgery, as well as the less than desirable outcomes, so that the final choice became mine.

Wishing you well,
Katie G

hi katie i think they will probally have to remove part of my esophogus.

I will keep you in my prayers. Please let me know what you decide to do, ok?

Sending you good thoughts,
Katie G

tmm,

I am sorry about your problems!!! I have nothing to add ----I have No experence in this area.

God Bless---Harry

hi cathy .there are differrent stages to barrets esophogus .at stage on you are considered to be mild at 2and 3you are in a danger zone and 4to 5 you are at great risk for cancer.the cells in your esophogus almost like they mutate at differrent stages .and the one thing i dont under stand with your problem cathy is why the dr keeps dialating your esophogus because uasually after 2 times they dont like doing that any more because of the risk of the esophogus rupturing .but i have learned no 2 drs have the same opinion. tmm35

Im not sure your dr is giving you correct information.....I called a Dr. at Cleveland clinic clinic about this 0-5 staging this morning and he says it doesnt exist with barretts dysplasia....mtaplasia. low-grade, and high-grade is the universal staging with this type dysplasia..I would ask your Dr. what is up ....

[This message has been edited by cathy2752 (edited 05-09-2003).]

I dont buy this grading for barretts...Thanks

[This message has been edited by cathy2752 (edited 05-09-2003).]

hi cathy .im sorry if i affended you .yes my dr grades from mild to servere to but he used 1-5 as an example instead of getting into a lot of medical mumbo jumbo he said he put it into terms that me and my husband could understand and yes drs do rate the dysplactia from bad to worse its like my dr said this morning he only uses the number scale to help people understand and he said he didnt want to cause no confussion.so i just wanted to say yes your drs do use the right terminology.and so do others but sometimes somethings are like the pain ratio a lot of drs like using numbers .im sorry i didnt mean to offend you.all of this has happened to me the past 10 months and ive been on a roller coaster ride.so im looking for support and info just as well as the next guy.and katie has been very helpful and supportive.tmm 35

Thank you for your kind words tmm.

And for you cathy - so sorry if you're offended, but this site is for support and advice for others. Posters are sending information to others as they have been given by their doctors or giving information from their own experience and it should be taken as such - ADVICE ONLY.

Your experiences with Barrett's may be different from mine or any other person on this board and we appreciate your input. Every reader is free to accept, follow, or reject advice/suggestions offered on this board. Feel free to reject our information, but you can reject that info in a more courteous manner than you did.

Sorry if you were offended. I wish you well in your journey with Barrett's.

Katie G

hi katie and thank you .i go to see another specialist in charlottesville on the 21st of may.food is really getting stuck in my throat again.and its to the point even water burns my throat when i drink it.the nurse told me yesterday if i go through the weekend and still cant eat or drink to go directly to the er in charlottesville where my dr is.i thank all of you for your encouragement and prayers.tmm35

When I was diagnosed with Barretts, I researched it online too. What I found indicated that only 5% of people with it went on to develop esophogal cancer. That sounds so much more reassurinlg than 90% of all esophogal cancers started as Barretts. However, both may be true!

Does anyone know if it effects one's singing voice? After MANY years, I filnally found a choral group to join, and I discovered that my voice has deteriorated terribly. My GP said it is probably from GERD. I've been taking nexium for that for a number of years. Anyone know if the two are connected?

Thanks, Dale

Hi there - GERD can definitely affect the voice and singing ability. You need to see an ENT to have videostroboscopy done where the doc can actually look at your vocal cords in motion to see what level of damage has occurred from GERD.

You may need to get vocal lessons from a professional vocal coach as well to build your voice back up to where you'd like it to be.

Good luck,
Katie G