Replied by Deborah (Chino Valley, Az) on 02/28/2012

Do you have access to Calamus Root in your country? This can be made into a tea (if you can get it, let me know by replying to this thread and I can give you directions on how to make the tea). It must be sipped in very small doses throughout the day. It's absolutely brilliant for issues of the digestive tract.

Good luck, Deborah

Replied by Shonnana (West Jordan, Utah) on 03/04/2012

My GP at that time said it was no big deal and was simply cured by stretching my esophagus. A proposed 6 month delay until I was on Medicare did not seem to concern her at all.

About 2 months later, I started choking less than a block from home on my way to a Mammogram. I pulled over to the curb to wretch. I believe that was the first sign of blood in my vomit, or shortly thereafter. I was too weak and dizzy to drive myself anywhere. I vomited only a minimal amount of blood, and did not take it seriously enough, they said, as I should have called an ambulance. I called the doctor to get in ASAP by 11:30 AM. The nurse said my doctor was expected any time, she would tell her and call me back. No call back by closing. I tried to reach them, phones were off.

I called family members to take me to ER. I had never had to do this before, and was really uncomfortable even calling. By then I had horrible abdominal pain and the "coffee grounds" like foul stools. It took over an hour for them to get there, ready to take me.

When I arrived at the hospital, my oxygen level was 70% because of blood loss. They got me on IV and admitted me. When the Specialist checked me he found an esophgeal tear about 3 inches long, He said this is big, and if it had perforated, he would have had to go in through my breast bone and remove my esophagus. It appeared to be healing on it's own. So he decided to watch it for a few days. This was 10/19/22. I was in there 5 days. They gave me 2 units of whole blood, tons of IV Potassium - which burns and scars your veins, along with other items. Thickened liquid diet. (It must be thickened. You choke on plain water. )

I went back in 11/7/11 for Endoscopy and colonoscopy. They still could not stretch my throat as it was still too raw.

I went back in last week, after 3 months of treatment w/PPI's, but he said it is still too red and swollen for him to chance it, and can not do it with it so swollen. He doubled my PPI to 40 mg 2X a day. I am to go back in 2 months when hopefully my throat will be healed.

But, it feels like it is getting worse, and I am now on 40 mg Omeprazol twice a day (80 Total) I had to get up at 2 AM and take soda on top of the PPI.

Let me be clear: The Specialist said I just missed biting the bullet. I almost died. That was the first time in my life I had ever been hospitalized, except for child birth.

You MUST address it NOW! I am taking the time to write this at 3 AM because I KNOW this is Crucial! You said you got better; Immediately after that you should have had stretching! My throat closed so much I could not take my pills, mcould not eat, could barely do smoothies. You might eat something, not chew enough, or swallow a pill too big, and it tears- Or Worse! You are choking because it is building scar tissue etc. And closing off! Make sure you have it done NOW, if it was not done. If it was done, it is building back up or you would not be having that sensation. Please, take responsibility for your own welfare... Your own life!

From One Who Knows