Self dilation in laymen’s terms is manually stretching your esophagus. I use a 48FR (16MM) dilator and insert it approximately 20 inches into my esophagus. I do it daily and have been doing it for a little over 2 years. Takes about 2 minutes from start to finish. It’s not as bad as it sounds. Anyone could do it. Like anything there is risk involved but it is so minimal I don’t dwell on it. Of the couple hundred people I know who do this also, not a single one of us has had any issues.