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Part 1 Day 4 post Nissen Revision

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Posted 12/26/2008 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Well I'm back and on the computer. Operated Dec 22nd for re-do of a Nissen done in 1989. Wonderful doctor did amazing work- I burp and I'm eating with no trouble. Had oatmeal for breakfast and mushy food for lunch. Went shopping with my wife for groceries. Managing my energy well and taking a percocet every 2 hours. Extremely glad I went with a revision Nissen rather than Esophyx. Because of 2 previous midline incisions, I had a lot of adhesions. The operaton took 6 hours rather than 2 but I am adhesion free now. Also, a small portion of my stomach was removed where the previous sutures were. A complete undoing of the previous repair and a newer and improved one replaced it.

So all is well and I will post as I go along but so far so good and I thank all the wonderful people that made it possible. It's not easy but I'm optimistic that recovery will come one day at a time. It's all about listening to your body. Mine had been screaming for a year and a half from pain at eating and sleeping. It's a new day and I will do not do anything to that might ruin that.

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 3/16/2009 9:46:01 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 12/27/2008 12:53 AM (GMT 0)

So glad your surgery is over and your right, a new day is dawning.

Gentle Hugs

Kitt

Posted 12/28/2008 12:45 AM (GMT 0)

Day 5 post Nissen-

Well, had a fair sleep. Taking pain meds every 4 hours wakes you in pain- you get the pills (percocet), break it in 4 pieces to swallow- go back to bed. This morning woke up- had some jello, took a pain med, then started to feel very nauseous... not good after this operation. Got sweatty, and felt like I was going to heave. My wife brought me through it with cold compresses, foot massages and some dramamine and peace and quiet. An hour later, fell asleep 2 hours. Woke had a little Ensure and decided that was it for Percocet. Took 3 Motrin Ibuprofen and slept for 3 solid hours- my best sleep since day 1. Getting the narcotics out of me seems to have helped. I'm feeling better and have better energy. I'm eating little portions till I feel full. Bowels are working fine. Had a walk on the beach for the 1st time since the operation.

I've had no shoulder pain, am passing gas and burping when I feel the need which isn't often. I feel lucky but am watchful that things can change.  All in all- a very good day after a rough start. Sleep seems to be the best healer and peace and quiet a close second. This is my untainted experience which I pass on as a thank you to those who passed before me and gave me the strength to go through this. See you tommorrow.

Posted 12/28/2008 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
hi rbrunet,

i`m so happy you didn`t choose for the esophyx.
did they perform an open or a lap nissen this time??
ask your docter for anti nausea meds,you really don`t want to vomit so soon after surgery.
good luck to you.
Posted 12/29/2008 1:47 AM (GMT 0)
Day 6 post Nissen Revision-

Started out OK- made it to Sunday Service after oatmeal breakfast- small. Nothing is swallowed till it's more thaan ready. Had 1/2 pear with cottage cheese- i tablespoon. Rested and read most of the day- energy-wise struggled. Couple slurps of Boost for dinner but no appetite. Seems one day up= next day not so up. A 6 hour surgery can probably do that so I have to expect it. One day at a time- that's all for today.....
Posted 12/29/2008 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
rbrunet -
Definitely listen to your body. If it tells you to rest, do it. I remember the up and down energy levels all too well. My surgery was only 2 hours and 15 minutes or so and I was wiped for a couple weeks at least.
I couldn't imagine going through 6 hours. That's part of the reason I'm kinda scared to have mine redone if needed. I was already told to expect a 5 to 6 hour surgery for a redo.
Have you noticed any differences from your first Nissen? I struggled to get soft foods , such as mashed potatoes or pudding down after mine. I couldn't have even thought about eating fruit for about a month.
Hang in there, I'm sure your energy will be back before you know it.

Bill
Posted 12/30/2008 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
Day 7 post Nissen Revision-

What a difference a day makes- no more meds at all today. Started to feel my old self and had a bit of appetite for the 1st time. Walked 1/2 mile and was up all day except for a few naps. My first Nissen was open and was much worse recovery-wise. I'm probably 2 weeks ahead energy-wise. Started experimenting with food, small tastes of almost anything I have found. I chew chew chew and taste taste taste. Can't eat a lot so i enjoy what goes down. Not one thing has given me a problem. The first Nissen 20 years ago was the same- went to a normal diet within a few weeks. I can't remember being given any instructions about diet. I played golf about 5 weeks later.

I beleive this time is different because the anasthetic was there for 6 hours and once it leaves, you recover fast. I drank electrolyte a lot and kept the fluids going the last few days. It's nice to see more energy and less pain. My chest is now almost pain free and makes movement much easier and contributes to cleaning out the system. Being able to blow one's nose without holding in the belly and clearing the sinuses is definitely a big plus as well. Off to a movie and joining the world again. See you tomorrow...
Posted 12/31/2008 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Day 8 post Nissen Revision-

Another day stronger today. My diet is pretty much what I want to eat- but 10-20% of normal. Nothing I've tried has given me any trouble. Oatmeal for breakfast, cold tuna, avocado and tomato for lunch and a little red snapper fish for dinner. I chew well and feel myself getting stronger. Went shopping again this afternoon for 2 hours- no naps. I'm amazed at the speed of recovery. Best of all, had the best sleep in over a year last night. It had been reduced to 2 or 3 hour duration sleeps. Particularly the last 2 months... and the quality had been awful too. Bad dreams and always trying to find a comfortable position. I still sleep on my back mostly but can sleep on either side. I have a back massage booked for tomorrow morning and I can't wait. The last week's sleeping mostly sitting up tends to make the back muscles pretty cramped. I think I'm well on my way...
Posted 1/1/2009 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
Day 9 post Nissen Revision-

Took it easier today- may have overdone it yesterday. Had a massage in the morning- wonderflul! I realize i'm a long way from being normal energy- I expect 2 months of recovery but my hernia is fixed. No more heartburn and sleep is getting better. I eat slowly and taste everything. Best decision I ever made-so far anyway.
Posted 1/1/2009 5:31 AM (GMT 0)

Happy New Year to you, I have been reading your reports and I am glad you are writing them down.  It is good to be able to look back at them as well as they are a great help to others.

I am here to support you so keep on with your healing.

Respectfully

Kitt

Posted 1/1/2009 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Happy New Year rbrunet,

It's good to see you have energy boosts. Just remember to rest when the body tells you to. I am really jealous you are able to eat so many different things so fast. It's quite impressive. Glad to hear you were able to get out for a few hours. that can actually help with stamina if done carefully and not overdone.

I was wondering, hoe many days did you have to stay in the hospital? Did you have to do the Barium swallow after wards also? You mentioned you had a massage...I was too sore for at least 2 weeks before I even thought of something like that.

Well, Keep at it a little each day.

Bill
Posted 1/1/2009 5:04 PM (GMT 0)
HAppy New Year Kitt- and thanks. When looking around at getting info on the Nissen, I saw few success stories. This is my experience and I hope it will help others in making a balanced decision. It doesn't mean it's typical but it does mean it happened to me. A daily report seems easier than a wrap-up after the fact because at my age (57) the memory goes, especially after anesthetic.
Bill- Happy New Year to you too ! I left the 3rd morning, one day earlier than expected. Looking back- that was a good thing because the day after was a harder day for me in terms of energy. Also, I had a 2 hour drive to get to my resting place- our condo. Yes- I did the Barrium swallow the morning after- but it wasn't white chalk - it was a clear liquid which was much more bearable. This determined that there was no leakage and confirmed a good repair.
As for the massage- it was wonderful because the therapist had a cushy table with a hole for the face to protude down and distributes the body weight evenly. There was absolutely no pain, just pleasure as I lay on my front. It was soothing with hot rocks and plenty of oil and scents. Truly healing in every sense.
Posted 1/2/2009 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
Day 10 post Nissen Revision-

Eating everything and anything but sticking to light food. No alcohol and feeling a little stonger every day. Today went out for a few hours and joined the rest of the world on New Year's Day. Good for the spirit. Have a big day tomorrow- 5 hour flight to get back home. Fell strong enough for the trip but will have to manage my energy. Back in 2 days....
Posted 1/3/2009 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Day 12 post Nissen Revision-

Well I made it after travel home of almost 12 hours duration including meals and a 2 hour drive from the airport. I was glad to get in but,credit to my strength, I wasn't exhausted. All went very well and my wife and son took care of any lifting. So I'm back home in familiar surroundings and thrilled. Though still weak, I'm eating well and every day is a little better than the last.

The one word of advice or caution I would have is to try not to let yourself get too hungry. When that happens, I tend to eat a little too fast and fail to keep my mouthfuls as small as they should be. I have to keep aware of what goes in and how long I chew before swallowing. Twice, I realized I overdid it and had to wait for it to go down- a few minutes. A little scare, a little painful and a great reminder- first things first- and don't get so caught up in the conversation. tongue

Fortunately, my wife who was an angel through all of this, is still letting me milk the situation and I'm not doing a whole lot that I don't want to. Altogether I lost about ten pounds- fortunately I had 15 to spare. The nicest thing though, is that my diet is opening up a whole new experience. The last month before this, I was eating a whole lot of oatmeal. Now- nothing is off the menu as long as I eat small portions and chew chew chew. Absolutely, no heartburn.

Best of all, my sleep is restful smurf and I wake relaxed as opposed to exhausted- like when I tossed and turned all night. This happened for more than a year- I was beat. Well that's it for now and when I get more pearls of wisdom, I'll be back. It's a new year and a new day.

 

Posted 1/4/2009 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
How generous you are sharing your story so all can read rbrunet.

Thank you for that, seeing it through the eyes of a patient is a great way to learn what your facing.

Bless you

Kitt

Posted 1/6/2009 10:22 PM (GMT 0)
Day 13-14-15 post Nissen Revision-

Well- not good news. Saturday night after dinner, my stomach started to bloat. A lot of discomfort all night. Eventually it passed on day 14 but my appetite and energy level fell to very little. Yesterday was the 1st day since Day 3 when I didn't shower. Today- I did but the appetite and energy is very low. I'm learning that thre are no guarantees and that I have to be careful. Being back in a cold climate can't help either. So simple foods and lots of sleep and taking it easy are the order of the day. Could this be a backlash from my travel day?
No question, when the intestines lock up, this puts a stop to everything and did. I'm starting over and easy does it....totally took me by surprise though.
Posted 1/6/2009 10:29 PM (GMT 0)

Hi rbrunet. I wanted to start by saying Thank you for sharing. I'm going up againest a Nissen redo. My 1st was done 5-30-08 and now my 2nd is scheduled for the 19th of this month. I'm very scared. They have imformed me of the high risk due to scar tissues and increased rate of puncturing a hole amoung other things but I really don't have much of a choice. I have a paraesphogeal hernia found after the first nissen with advanced Barrett's so I'm praying for the best.

I was hoping to find some one on here that has redone their nissen and how it has effected them so Thank you again your words were very insightful.

rbrunet said...
Day 12 post Nissen Revision-

Well I made it after travel home of almost 12 hours duration including meals and a 2 hour drive from the airport. I was glad to get in but,credit to my strength, I wasn't exhausted. All went very well and my wife and son took care of any lifting. So I'm back home in familiar surroundings and thrilled. Though still weak, I'm eating well and every day is a little better than the last.

The one word of advice or caution I would have is to try not to let yourself get too hungry. When that happens, I tend to eat a little too fast and fail to keep my mouthfuls as small as they should be. I have to keep aware of what goes in and how long I chew before swallowing. Twice, I realized I overdid it and had to wait for it to go down- a few minutes. A little scare, a little painful and a great reminder- first things first- and don't get so caught up in the conversation. tongue

Fortunately, my wife who was an angel through all of this, is still letting me milk the situation and I'm not doing a whole lot that I don't want to. Altogether I lost about ten pounds- fortunately I had 15 to spare. The nicest thing though, is that my diet is opening up a whole new experience. The last month before this, I was eating a whole lot of oatmeal. Now- nothing is off the menu as long as I eat small portions and chew chew chew. Absolutely, no heartburn.

Best of all, my sleep is restful smurf and I wake relaxed as opposed to exhausted- like when I tossed and turned all night. This happened for more than a year- I was beat. Well that's it for now and when I get more pearls of wisdom, I'll be back. It's a new year and a new day.

Posted 1/7/2009 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Picklepuss, why do you need a 2nd op? I have a reason for asking; for the first time in 25 years I contracted an intestinal bug; vomiting and diarrhea. Of course, I had the Nissen in July and vomiting is definitely on the do-not-call list, but after a while with the dry heaves, vomit I actually did.

Painful, scary, not good; for awhile afterwards it felt like a knot or a lump under the sternum and painful too. That did go away, but now I'm having heartburn again and chest pain. So, I am concerned.

Janice
Posted 1/7/2009 2:35 AM (GMT 0)

My first wrap is undone only after approx 3 months.

I was fine after the recovery period  and I was so blessed not to have any reflex or any gerd issues. It was so wonderful to experience that after years of problems.

In Aug 2008 I started feeling pressure and pain in my right side and poo pooed it off. It gradually got worse and worse.

I went back in for more tests, barium, x rays, endoscopy, mobility test etc.. and they found my wrap undone as well as the paraesophageal hernia.

The doctor that's doing the redo is different from the one that did my first lap. Thank God! My new doctor thinks he just did a botched job and overlooked the hernia.

My pain did start like what your saying so if I was you I would certainly go in and be checked. Possibly you may have done something from the heaving. It's worth the time to have it checked and not flake it off like I did.

How did you feel before you got sick? Did the nissen work well for you?

I'm sorry to hear you are having pain. I read these stories on here and it just brings me to tears both good and bad. I know the feeling of relief from this awful disease if only for a short period of time and I know the extreme pain to.

My prayers are with you.

Posted 1/9/2009 12:07 AM (GMT 0)
Day 16-17 post Nissen Revision-

Slowly but surely I've regained much energy. I spent 5 hours at the office today- I was bushed but I got a lot accomplished. Eating well and sleeping certainly helps.
picklepuss I certainly empathize. The one thing I have learned is that the surgeon is the most important factor in all this. This is about fixing something- experience and skill is everything. As for heaving after the operation- I should be dead because I spent 24 hours in emergency dry heaving 2 weeks after my 1st Nissen in 1989. They had no idea why or what was happening. They were about to do exploratory surgery when they discovered I had pancreatitis. Long story short I survived and never took so much as a Tumms for 18 years. That surgeon was a lung transplant thoracic surgeon- the best- and the Nissen held even through that. I was playing golf 6 weeks later. Ladyjane- that's why I think there must be something wrong with your surgery. Most Nissens are re-done within 6 months- probably because they were improperly done IMHO. Emery University did a great study on this... here is one I found.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1420908

Here is another......I pasted in.

Quote-
"Abstract
Purpose
Recurrent gastroesophageal reflux is a common complication after fundoplication and is often treated with revision fundoplication. We report our experience with laparoscopic redo fundoplication.

Methods
The medical records of all patients in whom laparoscopic revision fundoplication was attempted over a 7 1/2-year period were reviewed.

Results
Redo laparoscopic fundoplication was attempted in 72 pediatric patients. Ten patients had undergone initial open fundoplication, and 9 additional patients had prior abdominal surgery. Fifty-one percent of patients were neurologically impaired. Laparoscopic fundoplication was completed in 89% of first-time redo operations and 68% of second revisions with average operative times of 2.2 ± 1.0 and 2.6 ± 0.9 hours, respectively. Herniation of the fundoplication through the hiatus was common (75%) and the fundoplication was intact in 49%. Conversions to laparotomy were because of difficulties with dissection or visualization. No patients required intraoperative transfusion. No patients required reoperation in the perioperative period. There were no perioperative deaths. Twenty-six percent of the 72 patients went on to a third operation for gastroesophageal reflux, and 4 of these had a fourth.

Conclusion
Revision laparoscopic fundoplication is a technically challenging operation but can usually be completed and is characterized by a low rate of complications."

End quote





A revision fundoplication is more challenging I beleive- but well worth it. Good luck and I will keep reporting my experience.
Posted 1/9/2009 8:24 PM (GMT 0)

rbrunet -Thank you for the reply and link I will certainly read it. Glad you recouping so well. I had experienced relief for the little time the wrap was intact and it was so wonderful. That is the reason why I don't hesitate to have it redone beside the fact that I don't have much of a choice but I want to be free of pain again ; )

Your wrap lasted a long time! How wonderful to have such success. The doctor told me to expect it to slip years down the road and she said they call it the 10 year fix. What is Pancrea*** ?

When I was in the hospital after the surgery I was dry heaving for approx half an hour or so after each time they gave me morphine. I kept trying to tell them that I think it was a reaction to the morphine. Of course I was in a lot of pain from trying to vomit and the horrid shoulder pain so every time I got the pain med it was the same thing over and over.

I don't understand why they didn't put me on something different . nono

As for my doctor, I was referred to him, and having health coverage with Kaiser you have to go with their doctors, so I was stuck.

Of course it was far from my mind that it was going to fail so soon after having it done. I was so excited to have the procedure done that in hind site I should have checked into his past surgeries before going with him. Another case of the could-a should-a would-a's.

The doctor for my redo is very experienced and has done hundreds of these surgery's so I feel good about her doing it tongue

LdyJane- Have you went in or called the doc for a checked up? How are you feeling ?

Posted 1/9/2009 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
LadyJane,

I'm so sorry to hear that you are experiencing heartburn again after vomiting.  It just breaks my heart to hear that.  You were doing so good. 

I'm 4 months post op with the Hill repair and doing great.  It was a rocky recovery with alot of burning in the chest that turned out to be a wierd type of healing but I don't have heartburn at all now. 

I've also thought about what I would do if I had to vomit.  Did you have Phenegren or Zofran to take for nausea?  If you did, you evidently still felt like you had to vomit. 

I'm so sorry and hope you aren't having heartburn very badly.  Does taking any med make it go away?  I had a friend you had the Nissen and 12 days after, she also had the flu and wretched quite a bit and heartburn started up again.    After testing, it was determined that she was still 85% good with the wrap but having some mild heartburn.  Not enough to warrant a second surgery yet.  She still says she is so much better than before that she considers it a success.  Do you have an appointment with your doc to check it out yet?

Take care...thinking of you.

Carolyn

 

 

Posted 1/10/2009 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
Carolyn!!! I am so happy to hear from you, it's been a long time!

You want to hear about a typical blond moment?? I'm up in the middle of the night with this bug having the dry heaves, not understanding why I'm not throwing up (holy cow! right!); my Husband gets up to check on me and reminds me that I can't throw up... what a dumb bunny!! It never even occurred to me! Perhaps it was the middle of the night fog, or something else; but I never even thought of of the surgery, nor using the phenergan or zofran. What a lesson learned, hopefully someone else won't make the same mistake I did.

I had a colonoscopy on Wednesday because of continued abdominal pain; they've determined that I probably have bacterial overgrowth from the surgery and we're going to do intermittent courses of antibiotics for the next 4 months; that should take care of that!

We're trying Protonix for the next week with monitoring and I have to let them know how the heartburn/chest pain is doing...unfortunately, not as well as I had hoped. Next step is a barium swallow to see what damage I did.

Overall, and I want to stress this for anyone else who may wonder about the surgery; the surgery was worth it and the change in my health was worth the recovery!! My pulmonary function alone is like night and day! the migraines are so much better; everything, overall, is so much better.

I didn't post here for quite a while and I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you with your recovery; I apologize for that. I'm glad that you told me about your friend, it gives me perspective and grounds my fears; bless you Caroline, you always come through!!!

Janice
Posted 1/10/2009 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
I have to also remind those considering the surgery to ask themselves what they will do if this happens to them too. I am not convinced that the pros are worth the cons ...like back surgery that is only effective 50 percent of the time. I hope you get well soon Jane and that all of you find answers and comfort.
All my best, Annie
Posted 1/10/2009 4:01 PM (GMT 0)

rbrunet

I was so sorry to hear of your set back and yes I think the stress of traveling may have pushed you back a bit but glad to hear you are now able to go into office for a bit. :-) .

Jane, I am so sorry you became so ill and I am praying for all of you to get through these tough times.

My email is open so if anyone needs anything do not hesitate to email me.

I care for each and every one of you.  You are family to me.

Hugs

Kitt

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