Part 5 of POST OP LAP NISSEN...Please continue to post!!!

ElainK:

You'll do fine. It was the best decision I ever made. If you read through all our old posts, you'll see that everyone was different as to how long they were out of work and how long it took to go back to a regular diet. Recovery is as individual as people are. Best wishes to you.

I remain after 14 months.....

HappilyWrapped

Hello.

I thought I'd drop by since I'm 10 days post op. Surgery apparently went fine. I've got 5 little cut scars - plus I think one in my belly button too, and some bruising around 3 of the little cuts. That's the only signs from the outside!

Inside.... well for the first 24hours after surgery I could not move. I felt like I'd bean kicked on the stomach really really badly. After about 2 days I was up and about albeit very slowly and quite often walking with a stoop! After about 5 days I could sleep on my side again - previously it hurt like hell to sleep anyhow other than on my back. Each day that passes I feel better and better. I am now totally mobile, and raring to go! The bruising has almost gone from the cuts, and I don't feel the internal bruising at all now. I can burp still, I can fart still - haven't felt the need to vomit yet so can't say about that!

It's he eating that getting to me. I thought I could stick to a soup diet or the 2 weeks.... but I can't. I'm too hungry! I've tried scrambles egg as that's soft - but they got stuck, as did rice pudding and mash potato. When they say liquid they mean it! The problem I had was understanding the diet - I wrongly thought if I could swallow it - it would not get stuck. I was so wrong. If anyone is about to have it done - please don't make the same mistakes I have! You don't realise straight away that the food has got stuck. You swallow - fine, leave it a few seconds, take another swallow - same again.... repeat about 5 times.... THEN you realise it's stuck. Not just the 1st swallow - but all of them! There's nothing you can do (apart from stop eating!) apart from sip warm water to try and ease it through. It's taken about 15 minutes on the 3 occasions I have eaten what I shouldn't have to get the food through and it hurts like hell. I'm obviously not ready fro any kind of food of substance.

Plus side - I have not had one single bit of acid or heartburn since I woke up from the op! Also, due to the diet I've lost 14lbs in 10 days!!!!

All in all - I'd say so far it's been very worthwhile having it done and would recommend it. Any problems are of my own making with rushing onto solids too soon. As for long term I'll have to keep posting.

ElaineK -

Congratulations! I hope all continues to go well for you. I do remember wanting to eat more than liquids because I was so hungry. Those meal replacement drinks helped quite a bit for me. Not the diet ones, but the Boost or Ensure that have more of the stuff your body needs right now. They kept me satisfied a bit longer than soup.

Best wishes as you recover.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New year.

Please go to Part 6, this thread is closed..............do not post any more in Part 5.  thanks

Kitt

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 12/16/2008 6:03:37 PM (GMT-7)