Part 4 of POST OP LAP NISSEN - Go to Part 5 Please.

Doghouse:  I was glad to hear from you.  We were pretty much comparing notes since our surgeries were not too far off of each others.  I haven't had the esophageal spasms but I do have some other problems.  Do you have any chest pain?  I keep asking this because at 9 months I still have this annoying chest pain that doesn't go away.  The surgeon says it has to be something else but I know it is from my surgery because I feel this weird pressure that seems to come from my chest area where my hernia was fixed.  I had an endoscopy back in April and everything looked fine but I did have gastritis so I had to go back on 20 mg. omeperazole.  I am doing better on the gastritis but I am also trying to watch what I eat.  I have so much gas and bloating it is unbelievable.  I measure my waist in the morning when I wake up it measures in at 29-30 inches and before I go to bed it will measure around 35-36 inches.  I am having a stomach delaying test on Thursday because the gastro doctor wants to put me on Reglan and I don't want to take that junk if I don't really need to. 

Also, I still can't lift anything very heavy because when I do I feel the tug and pull on my chest.  I told the surgeon this and he said that I am being too paranoid.  He said the surgery is over and it is time to move on.  I think he probably is tired of me.  I know he didn't like that I told him this is the worst surgery to recover from and I should know since I have had several surgeries.  Could you let me know if you are being careful and not lifting heavy things and how much weight you are lifting?  I also asked him, what happens if perhaps in 5 years I were to gain lots of weight and get pretty fat, can the nissen slip?  He said yes, because the stomach will stretch and can loosen the wrap if you gain lots of excessive weight.  Did your doctor ever mention any of this to you?  I do have to move on and stop thinking about all of this garbage.  I also told him that I think I have become obsessive about my surgery because even after 9 months I still don't feel 100% and like my old self.  Barbara....

HELLO EVERYONE

It's been MONTHS since I have been on here!  I had my nissen and hiatal hernia repair Jan. 28 this year....I am still doing GREAT.  The last time I was on here I mentioned I got pregnant!!! I am now just about 18 weeks along, YEAH ALMOST half way!  I have had MAJOR morning/all day sickness.  I have been on phenergan and zofran (both anti nausea meds). I have dry heaved a handful of times, and NOTHING COMES UP. (I had the full wrap for those of you who don't remember/know me). I must say, I have NEVER wanted to throw up so much in my life!!!  I have had ER drs and my OBgyn thinking that maybe my excessive nausea this time around has something to do with my surgery...BUT WE WILL NEVER KNOW...I was sick with my 1st pregnancy but had no nausea.  Granted if I didn't have the surgery I would be VERY sick....most likely vomiting all the time and heartburn.  I used to vomit water before my surgery!!!!  Overall I am SO glad I had the surgery!   Before getting pregnant in March I had been eating just about anything I wanted except for sodas. Although if I have some soda I take gas-x before hand and drink slowly.  As for the gas pains.....THEY GET SO MUCH WORSE WITH PREGNANCY!!!!  WHOA!!! NOT FUN.   As for pain or pressure near my incision sites....I only have some pain after a spell of dry heaving....

Porcelain doll- I have been lifting 28+ lbs since a few weeks after surgery.....(Stella weighed 28 lbs then) Maybe the pulling you feel is just scar tissue. My surgeon said I couldn't do anything physical to actually tear anything. Scar tissue is VERY TOUGH. My guess is that you are just worried, which is fine, but live your life!!! It's been too long for you!!

Allison

Elaine,

Hi this is Kitt and I am glad to read how far you have come.  Please do talk with your physician re the asthma like sx.

I will be following this thread from now on and learning from all of you. 

Hugs

Kitt

Lightin

Why would you consider a redo without testing to see if acid is coming up.  You are in the infant stages of recovery.  All your sysmptoms could just be from swelling of the esophagus and the healing process.  Everyone heals differently and at different time frames.  It takes a year to fully recover from this surgery.  If your surgeon is wanting to do a redo at this point then definately get a second opinion from a reliable surgeon.  If you are having trouble swallowing, you can have a dialation of the esophagus.  That sounds more reasonable at this point. 

 The only reason to have a redo is if you are still refluxing and you didn't say that.  I urge you to have a bravo test and a manometry to see if you are refluxing.   A manometry can tell what's going on with your esophagus.  That's the only reason to consider a redo but it's far too soon for that.  

Many nissen surgeons can and will do a redo with lap.  It all depends on your circumstances,i.e., other surguries, scar tissue, etc.  With the info you've given us, this does not sound right.    

Post Edited (sillylilly) : 7/22/2008 8:29:52 AM (GMT-6)

Hello everyone. I'm one week post-op from my nissen and I'm doing okay; pain is decreasing, walking is easier. I'm eating small amounts only; not hungry at all. Food does get hung up and it feels as if gets "stacked" up waiting to go into my stomach. The Dr. explained that there is a lot of swelling because of the dissecting of the esophagus. I am providing my husband and our cats with an outstanding organ recital every afternoon and evening!! and I do indeed have the gas bloat. I may or may not be having spasms in my esophagus...I can't tell what exactly is going on!!

Some of the information that I have received correlates to Lightnin's post; this surgery causes such a disruption to your internal processes and you have to remember that this is not a fix, but a repair..your anatomy has been changed!...that it will take quite a while for everything to once again work in concert with each other. My Dr. is allowing another 10 days or so to allow the swelling to subside in my esophagus before testing for a problem and even if there is, another fundoplication isn't his answer, so I will join the the others in raising the question of having a redo after only 3 months. Of course, there is probably other information that we don't have and I certainly am no Dr., but I would be careful too.

I do have a question myself; did anyone find themselves in the position where they could burp after the nissen? did anyone have even a little bit of heartburn?

Thanks in advance!
Janice

Hi all!

LdyJane - I could burp immediately after my op and still can. I don't get much gas from the other end though! I had a lot of throat burn which felt like acid and that lasted quite a few weeks. I only get that occasionally now and it doesn't last. Not sure what it is?! I didn't have any heart burn.

oldpoopie-sorry to hear you are not doing so well. I am hoping I will not end up in the same situation as I still have a lot of trouble swallowing and some days even liquid is difficult. My surgeon won't dilate until I get to 6 months post op so 2.5 months to go.

lightnin - did you have the surgery or decide against it? How are you doing?

Oldpoopie:  I too came down with a bad case of gastritis.  I had lots of the burning stomach and nausea.  I did go back on acid suppression but on the lowest dose possible.  I started with 20 mg of Prilosec for about 4 weeks and then weaned down to the 10 mg of Prilosec for about 3 weeks and so far I have been ok.  I think that in my case I was eating too much red chili and acidic fruits (grapefruits).  I am glad the problem is resolved.  Also, try some of the DGL licorice or slippery elm if you want a natural alternative but going natural takes a long time compared to the good old PPI. 

Bopeep and Alycarr00:  I can't believe how much weight you are lifting.  Sometimes, I wonder if I am just being a crybaby but then again I know that if I lift anything really heavy I feel discomfort and feel the tug and pull on my chest.  Maybe it may be scar tissue as someone mentioned on an earlier post.  Yeah, I still have the chest pain and I just try to ignore it and don't know if it will ever resolve.  I already had the endoscopy, chest xray and they tell me it looks good and my surgeon thinks it is something else, not related to the surgery.  I have my doubts because it hurts where my hernia was repaired, maybe the mesh who knows, so I don't know about this one.  Bopeep, I was wondering if you had aspirated some acid in your lungs prior to the nissen surgery.  I never in my life ever had asthma problems but when my gerd was at its worst, I had aspirated the acid into my lungs and it gave me gerd induced asthma and it was pretty bad.  I think that now my lungs are very sensitive because I have had some bad post nasal drip and it has affected my lungs that my doctor had me on flovent and singulair.  They helped a little but what I am taking right now is Mucinex and it is helping better, as least I think.  Could this be your problem?  This gerd sure wreaks havoc on ones life, doesn't it? 

Update on the gas problem!!!! I think I have improved somewhat on this royal pain in the butt because I have been taking whole psyllium fiber and forcing myself to drink lots more water.  The key here is to keep your bowels moving and keeping hydrated, this is also helping with the bloating.  It is very hard to drink lots of water post op but I really try to during the day.  I guess this is it for now and wishing everyone out there a speedy nissen recovery.  It will be 10 months for me but it has been a slooooooooooow recovery for me, Barbara...... 

porcelain doll - Which Mucinex is it? The one for chests or the one for nasal/sinus congestion?

Bilbo, your post was moved to Part 5..........Part 4 is closed.  

***********Please go to Part 5*****************

 

Thank you , Kitt
Forum Moderator.

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 8/10/2008 4:59:25 PM (GMT-6)