Woman’s Rare Condition Forces Her to Stand While Eating to Avoid Choking

Dover: Elise Baynard, just 25, has been dealing with a rare condition called achalasia. It’s a tough one that makes swallowing super difficult. She has to stand up to eat or drink, or else she risks choking. Imagine that!

This all started back in January 2020 when she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and had trouble swallowing. At first, her doctor thought it was just acid reflux, but things only got worse. She was regurgitating food and sometimes even liquids, which is just awful.

After a long journey of tests and referrals, she finally got the right diagnosis in November 2024. It turns out her esophagus muscles aren’t working properly, which is why she can’t swallow like most people. She’s been living on a very limited diet, mostly cereal and chips, and has lost a lot of weight.

Elise is now hoping for a surgery called peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) that could help her eat normally again. But she’s facing a long wait for that referral. It’s been a real struggle for her, and she’s just trying to raise awareness about this condition. She wants others to know how hard it can be to get diagnosed and treated. It’s not just about eating; it affects her whole life. She can’t go out with friends without worrying about getting sick. It’s a tough situation, and she’s just looking for a way to feel “normal” again.