Well I knew the honeymoon couldn’t last forever.

Since my last surgery in 1989 I have had only minor problems such as occasional reflux but recently I’ve been getting sharp pains in my neck and my neck balloons out slightly under some conditions when swallowing so this past week I had both endoscopy and an oesophagram. The radiology tech had a panic attack - apparently I’m silently aspirating food every time I swallow. The colon interposition is very long and lanky - food pools in pockets which fill and then empty into lower pockets kind of like a bucket waterfall. Biopsy of the colon lining show healthy tissue but the colon is coated in bacteria - white slime is how it was described to me.

It’s clearly unnerved the gastroenterologist who is young and admits he doesn’t have a good idea how to proceed - the aspiration is the main concern. For now I’m being referred to a cardiothoracic surgeon for a consult but I’m hoping for some advice from other adults here. At 47 I’m one of the oldest long gap colon interposition patients and I’m looking at the fact that if this progresses to surgery it needs to be done right as based on past history I’m going to be over 60 years old the next time I start to have significant problems. I’ll be picking up electronic copies of the oesophograms probably early next week.

Thanks
Gary

Hi Gary,

are you on facebook at all? if you join the facebook tofs group there a few older tofs on there who may not also be on here who could help you, also if you join this group

http://www.facebook.com/#!/eatefboston?v=wall

there is a Dr. Jennings, Dr. Foker and Dr. Brad Linden who try to answer all tof related questions too. maybe that may be good for you?

im on facebook as ‘kim smith tof mummy’ and have a few friends on there who are older tofs, you can add me as a friend and ill put you in contact with them if you like.

kim.

Hi Kim,

Thanks for the reply. I’m on Facebook and I’m a member of one of the TOF groups on FB (the one that uses the logo at the top of this page). Foker is a name I recognise, possibly Jennings as well. I seem to recall Foker was somewhat controversial with some of his opinions about surgery options 10 or so years ago.

Thanks
Gary