Hello everyone, Tabitha here.
I’m so glad I found this site. I was diagnosed with grade 3 oesophagitis and 6cm hiatus hernia in February this year following a gastroscopy at my local general hospital. I was put on 60mg lansoprazole daily for 6wks then had to return for another scope to see if the inflammation had settled.

2nd scope showed no inflammation, the scope nurse was impressed and my PPI dosage was reduced to 20mg daily. Off I went with a skip in my step feeling that all was well ...........big shock to the system to then receive a letter several weeks down the line to say that the 2nd lot of biopsies had shown non-dysplastic Barrett’s . I saw an upper GI consultant who calmly stated that Barrett’s can’t be detected when oesophagitis is severe and that’s why it didn’t present in the initial biopsies. He was quite dismissive and said I would be put on 3yr surveillance scopes and that was that.

Unimpressed I arranged for a 2nd opinion with a Barrett’s specialist clinic at a nearby highly respected teaching hospital. Wonderful consultant who is arranging another scope in a couple of months, which he will personally perform, to get an exact picture of the size and position of the Barrett’s lesion as no histology was forthcoming from my local hospital. My 3yearly surveillance scopes can be done at the teaching hospital and should any progression be detected (I sincerely hope not) HALO treatment can be performed there, by my consultant. I now feel in safe hands.

Sorry everyone if I’ve rambled on but I just wanted to get my little tale of woe out there, and to encourage anyone who isn’t satisfied with the hospital consultant they see to seek a second opinion.

Wishing you all good health and a big thank you to Chris Rob for his helpful information on this site

Tabitha xx