- Achalasia
- Interviews
Anne-Marie's interview
How did all start?
I started throwing up things I ate in 2012, almost six years ago now, within a few months I wasn't able to keep much down at all. Before that I had for about a year been experiencing some heartburn and a great build up of saliva (all the time) which I now think could have been the beginning of things.
Do you already have a diagnosis? How long did it take you to get it?
Not yet, my doctor suggested it sounds like I have achalasia and an endoscopy four months ago showed that food is trapped in my esophagus so I'm meeting a specialist this week to discuss my next steps. It took five years for a doctor to start taking me seriously, up until recently I've been put down as having an eating disorder or something psychological.
What has been the most useful thing for you so far?
I am living on soup right now, so thank god for soup! Supportive friends and family, having something to get out of bed in the morning to force me to keep going because sometimes my motivation is extremely low
What have been your biggest difficulties?
Lack of energy, weight loss, being accused of being anorexic, being told that I need to just simply 'eat more', not being taken seriously by doctors and family members: having to fight to be heard
How has your social and family environment reacted? Have your social or family relationships changed?
Some family members weren't very helpful but for the most part, those closest to me just trusted that I knew what I was doing and let me eat what I wanted as slowly as I liked
What things have you stopped doing?
Most active things, I have no strength anymore so I struggle to cycle and I've tried to kayak and ice skate (things I did before achalasia) and I just couldn't
What do you think about the future?
I am looking forward to being able to keep food down again, I am pretty optimistic
So far, which years have been the best years in your life? What have you done during them?
I like where I am in my life now, but my happiest years were before I got ill, nowadays I can get very down about things and feel quite low, but at the same time I have grown so much as a person that I do make better decisions for myself and I am more ambitious
What would you like to do if you didn’t have your condition?
Go ski-ing! I never thought that I wouldn't be physically able to go ski-ing in my 20s, I had presumed that I would be at my healthiest now! Also, eat a whole pizza to myself, or be able to order a dessert after my dinner!
Finally, what advice would you give to a person in a similar situation?
Persist. Find things every day to get you up, sometimes it's making coffee arrangements with a friend, sometimes it's just brushing my teeth. Even if you don't want to do it, once you have you'll feel better. Sometimes it's also okay to just give yourself a break, take a day off, close the curtains and don't answer your phone.
