Dawn Britney Shockency – Reflux Care

Attending a Riverwood seminar on solutions for reflux and heartburn put Dawn Britney Shockency of Coleraine on the road to recovery from gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

“I had been struggling with worsening acid reflux symptoms for the past three to four years,” Dawn explains. “I was having a lot of acid reflux at night. It got to the point where I could hardly eat at all and I felt nauseous all the time.”

 

After attending the March 2017 seminar, Dawn decided to see if they could help her at the Minnesota Reflux and Heartburn Center at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin—the town where she grew up and graduated from high school.

An EGD exam, which offers a view of the inside of the upper digestive tract, revealed that in addition to a hiatal hernia, Dawn had ulcers in her esophagus. A special medication was prescribed that cleared up the ulcers in about a month.

The MRHC reflux specialist who examined and treated Dawn recommended that she have a Nissen fundoplication procedure to treat her severe acid reflux disease in December 2017.

“At age 79, I was worried that I was too old to have this surgery,” Dawn adds. “But my decision to go for it was the best decision in my whole life! I have no heartburn and I can eat pizza and spaghetti again. I haven’t felt this good in ages. ”

Dawn appreciates all the clinic and hospital caregivers at Riverwood and some of the extra special services for patients.

“I just love those two therapy dogs, Muppet and Snickers, who I got to pet in the Aitkin clinic lobby on the days I went in for my appointments,” Dawn says. “It was so nice to get a ride to the hospital and clinic front door with the golf cart guy who offers to pick patients up where they park so they don’t have as far to walk.”

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