Hello,
My name is Sharon, and I am the mother of a 28-year-old daughter who has been living with Type II Achalasia for the past six years.
We have recently been told that her condition has progressed to end-stage disease, and that an esophagectomy is now the only remaining treatment option. As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly difficult reality for her to process.
Her feelings about the surgery vary from day to day. Sometimes she feels determined to keep going as she is, while at other times she feels ready to move forward with the operation. Understandably, she is experiencing a great deal of uncertainty, anxiety, and grief as she comes to terms with what lies ahead.
Recently, she told me that she feels it would be helpful to speak with someone who has personally undergone an esophagectomy. While support groups have been valuable, many discussions understandably focus on esophageal cancer, and there seem to be fewer opportunities for younger people facing surgery due to achalasia or other non-cancer conditions to talk openly about their experiences.
I am reaching out to ask whether anyone who has had an esophagectomy would be willing to have a video call with her, simply to share their own journey, discuss what influenced their decision to proceed with surgery, and talk honestly about life before and after the operation.
I know everyone’s experience is different, but I believe hearing from someone who has walked this path could help her feel less alone and better informed as she faces this decision.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this