so this is what I have - barrett's esophagus - too much acid reflux over the years has worn away my esophagus - leading to scar tissue, which can, in time, become cancerous.
after being heavily sedated, after my gastroscopy, i wobbled to the waiting room for my surgeon to talk to me - and that's what he said. I think i must have turned a transparent white cause he took my arm and said: "I don't think it's cancerous, but we will have to wait for the biopsy, and then perhaps, schedule yearly gastroscopies to keep things in check".
i was too spaced out to really take in all the information, but tried to focus on the positive - all my ulcers had cleared up nicely, but today -
today...
hot on the heels of my other worry that Friday, another round of pap smears might confirm the presence of pre-cancerous cells in my cervix.
nothing is written in stone, i don't have any diagnosis (knock on wood!!!) but to even know that my risk factors are bumped up to (in this case with the Barrett's) to 125 times the risk, i'm not really in the best place right now.
oh how silly we are to think we are almost immortal - that death can't touch us
after being heavily sedated, after my gastroscopy, i wobbled to the waiting room for my surgeon to talk to me - and that's what he said. I think i must have turned a transparent white cause he took my arm and said: "I don't think it's cancerous, but we will have to wait for the biopsy, and then perhaps, schedule yearly gastroscopies to keep things in check".
i was too spaced out to really take in all the information, but tried to focus on the positive - all my ulcers had cleared up nicely, but today -
today...
hot on the heels of my other worry that Friday, another round of pap smears might confirm the presence of pre-cancerous cells in my cervix.
nothing is written in stone, i don't have any diagnosis (knock on wood!!!) but to even know that my risk factors are bumped up to (in this case with the Barrett's) to 125 times the risk, i'm not really in the best place right now.
oh how silly we are to think we are almost immortal - that death can't touch us
What is Barrett's esophagus?
Your esophagus is a tube that goes from your throat to your stomach. When you swallow food, it goes through this tube and into your stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (also called GERD) is a health problem that happens when stomach acid goes up into your esophagus. If this happens over a long period of time, the acid can make changes in the lining of your esophagus. This condition is called Barrett's esophagus. In some cases, it can lead to cancer.
Who gets Barrett's esophagus?
People who have had GERD for a long time have a higher risk of getting Barrett's esophagus. This problem is much more common in white and Hispanic men. Smokers and people who are obese also have a higher risk. Barrett's esophagus is more common in people older than 50 years of age. Most people who have Barrett's esophagus are diagnosed after age 60. As a matter of fact, paitents with Barrett's esophagus have a 30-125 fol higher risk of developing cancer of the esophagus than the general population.
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