Treatment of rare esophagus ailment works after 10-year battle

Clarissa Venditelli wasn’t sure what was going on one night 10 years ago when some food got stuck in her esophagus.

The Grand resident began coughing up the food, but didn’t think anything off the issue — until it happened again and again.

Venditelli, who was 60 at the time, would eventually cough throughout the night, and eating became a chore as swallowing became increasingly difficult.

It became so bad it began affecting her quality of life. She would avoid eating alone in case there was an emergency and she couldn’t get help. At restaurants, she would identify the closest restroom just in case she had to rush in there to dislodge food.

She thought about it all day, every day for a decade.

“Initially, people think you’

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