I had suffered difficulty with swallowing food and drink for around 11 years. My swallowing issues became more pronounced after I had my son and it worsened gradually over time. It would feel like painful spasms in my chest and often regurgitation of food or drink. I would never be able to go to bed or even lay back after eating or drinking. Waking up choking is a really scary experience, so I would need to time my meals for at least 5 hours before I would go to bed. I had to be really careful with my diet –bread, pastries, muffins were my trigger foods, but soft options like soup were more manageable. You can forget meat it was a big trigger for me, but very crunchy food was ok and strangely water would also trigger the sensations, so the other end of the spectrum.

I was diagnosed as having reflux and was prescribed PPIs – which did nothing. I had 3 or 4 endoscopies which showed nothing (as you can’t eat during an endoscopy, so the problem with food couldn’t be observed. I was told – as a lot of women are by the medical professional – it’s hormones, it’s stress, it’s anxiety. I actually did a lot of my own research and self-diagnosed as having achalasia a pretty long time ago! I was told it couldn’t be achalasia – it’s too rare and it only happens to elderly people.

I was in Germany for business and I was being seen by a radiographer for an issue with my spine. I was having MRI of my thoracic and the radiologist was keeping me on the table for a really long time. He ordered an immediate CT of my chest to see if there was an obstruction pressing on my oesophagus creating an inability to allow liquid to go down and creating narrowing. It was quite nerve wracking. At the end he told me there was no tumours but he had noticed liquid sloshing around in my oesophagus – it wasn’t draining and he observed no peristalsis to move the liquid into my stomach. He said, ‘You probably have achalasia’.

So I was then sent for a different diagnostic – something called a barium swallow – which showed conclusively I had Achalasia. I was actually quite angry at the doctors that I had the condition I suspected all along and was told I couldn’t possibly have. Achalasia affects people of all ages from and even teenagers and children in some cases.

This year, after delays due to Covid-19 and moving house, I finally had a procedure to treat my swallowing issues called POEM. I was treated by Dr Rehan Haidry who was frankly amazing as I was so nervous and anxious, but he put me totally at ease. After the procedure I was groggy of course and I had pain in my neck, but I could immediately swallow – I felt this movement down the gullet like it’s supposed to.

The procedure has totally changed my life. I can lay down after eating, I can go to bed straight after eating, I can eat with friends and talk and relax – where before I had to concentrate on every mouthful. I can eat a normal variety of foods of different textures. I can eat out at a restaurant, without worrying I might regurgitate food.

I would advise anyone who recognises their symptoms to push to be tested for Achalasia. Yes it’s rarer than reflux or heartburn, but it’s a miserable condition to suffer from. And the treatment for it is straightforward and permanent – POEM has made such a difference to my quality of life.