Problems...

Hi All,
I've been struggling lately, and thought I'd share what's been going on. After Christmas I started having an acid taste in my mouth. I also started getting a really acid stomach and esophagus. I must admit I was panicking about it--sure that my hernia repair had failed. (Those of you who have been with me through my surgery and recovery, know I coughed a lot, lot, lot after surgery, and I always thought I'd compromised my wrap/hernia repair because of it.) I though that I was in for another surgery.

I went to my family doc, and I'm back on Protonix twice a day for a while to calm things down. (I had taken an antibiotic before Christmas, due to a bad cold. I was also coughing nonstop. My stomach is extremely reactive, and it doesn't take much to get it going)

Now yesterday, I suddenly came down with a bad stomach virus. It hit me like a ton of bricks--faint, horrible nausea (I did have Zofran with me). News Flash...I can throw up. I threw up twice out the car door, then took a zofran. Later, at home, I threw up a lot, then felt better afterward. Throwing up made me feel a lot better, although it did irritate my wrap. Just what I needed.

Since I got sick, I'm not feeling the acid in my mouth and esophagus, believe it or not. I'm guessing that I was coming down with this stomach bug for a while. AFter throwing up the second time, I used a compozine supository, which has helped a lot. My husband is out getting me some Tylenol suppositories. I think it'll help me feel better.

My family doc is seeing me in six weeks to see if my stomach has calmed down. Barb knows my stomach issues well, because she suffers from similar stomach reactiveness.

I have changed my assessment of my wrap...I think because it's loose, when my stomach gets rip roaring acidic, some of it can escape.
I'm actually glad I could vomit. I never knew what to expect in that regard.

Hopefully all will be well. I still feel horrible, so am going back on the couch to rest.
I just wondered what my friends here at Healing Well think about my experience with acid.
Thanks for being here!
Denise

Denise-
I too caught a stomach bug the day after Christmas. The Phenegran didn't stop the need to vomit. Well it did for about 30 minutes and then I had to try. Even with the loose wrap my surgeon did I still can't vomit. Unfortunately my body does figure it out until I have dry heaved about 20 times. I did that for 12 hours that day. It was 2 days after my injections for my ribs too. That pretty much undid any good the injections did.
The GI docs put me back on Prilosec once a day because my follow up EGD showed a lot of swelling and such again. That was in September. I think I have the same issue with acid being able to come up sometimes because of the loose wrap. In fact the last couple weeks I have noticed that old familiar taste and burn in the back of my mouth.
If you have anything like what I did it lasts about 24 hours and hits you like a ton of bricks. Michelle had it New Years eve. Hope you get to feeling better very soon.

Kitt- I sure wish I could have vomited and got it over with. Kinda like the Bill Cosby bit about getting sick after drinking. I wouldn't have been surprised if my whole stomach came up, of course he said shoes. Think I am going to ask for Zofran instead of the Phenegran since it didn't work this last time.

Take care,
Bill

Hi there New Zeland Cowboy!
I'm still feeling "down under" myself, but I figured it was time to get up and about. The stomach virus is leaving, but I'm still feeling sick--kind of faint and weak. Hopefully another day will fix that. Hopefully the acid issue will resolve once my stomach calms down from my holiday hi-jinks--too much rich food and alcohol I believe. (Before that...the dreaded antibiotic, and although it didn't bother me at the time, probably set my stomach on high alert.) Also, I fainted so much the first day/night I was sick with the stomach bug, my husband's catches have caused lots of sore muscles!

I'm taking the day off from school to give myself time to recover. Hey...in school we're studying penguins. You've got the little blue penguin living in your territory, don't you? Very cool. The kids love penguins (second grade--I think in NZ you'd call it grade 3), they're so cute at this age (kids AND penguins).

Thanks for your good wishes.
They're greatly appreciated.
Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. It is as it is.
Take care,
Denise

Hi Bill,
I remember reading that a stomach bug had gone through your family...I'm sure Michelle was pleased to catch it from you in time for New Year's Eve! Oh well...the stomach part did only last about 12 hours for me. Actually I threw up about 4 hours after taking the Zofran. I don't know how long that's supposed to last. At that point I took the Compozine suppositories, and they either worked, or I was don throwing up anyway. Jack went out to buy me some Tylenol suppositories, and they've been really helpful. Actually, I prefer them to liquid Tylenol, which tastes yukky. Maybe I'll keep those on hand and take them instead, when I have the need. I'd recommend them to the newly wrapped as well. I don't know why I didn't think of them sooner!

Unfortunately, before I was wrapped, I didn't have any acid taste in my mouth--the only symptom was the heartburn and horrible asthma. So, of course, I'm worried that I've got nothing holding things in now that they've wrapped me. Question: Do you keep your original LES when they wrap you, or does that get taken out first? I guess my question is...is the wrap a second line of defense, or first line of defense?)

I'm still getting some gas that doesn't release automatically...I may have some little burps, and don't have any food refluxing, like some people describe. Doesn't that sound more like a loose wrap that just can't handle a super-reactive, acid bubbling, terrible, horrible, no-good stomach??? Hopefully that's the case. Then I know if I keep my stomach under control all will be well. It has been so good to have my lungs healthy--even when I had a cold before Christmas, it was NOTHING like pre-surgery. Nothing at all. It was more like a normal cold that others have (of course, except for the residual infection, which really, anyone can get).

Doesn't it always happen? You just got your rib shot and you have the dry heaves. Never fails. I was just getting better with my acidy stomach, and get a stomach bug. Oh well, this too will pass. You, though, my friend, have had to deal with far too many things. You're far too young to be faced with all those physical issues. Me, at 57, can expect some things to fall apart!

Hey, I don't care if I have to take some PPI's to keep my stomach in control if the wrap does the job on my lungs. They were the reason I had the surgery in the first place. Actually they're holding their own even through this bump in the road.

Take care, Bill. Best wishes with your physical challenges. We're all here for you!
How is the job hunt going? Best wishes there, too. I hope you find something you'll really enjoy!
Take care,
Denise

Thanks, Bill.
You are very comforting. I was really panicked at first...losing sleep over it. I had really hoped that the hernia had held through all that stress caused by coughing nonstop (and the fact that I'd been on so many steroids that the surgeon put in extra stitches to hopefully make it hold--the tissue was so fragile he considered using mesh as well, but said that can cause some problems as well, so decided on the stitches route.).

Seriously, it's not pleasant thinking about them going in again, as you well know. Adhesions, etc. When I finally went to my doctor and shared my worries, he took, I think, a very reasonable approach. I just hope that things get better on their own, but I'm more relaxed now about whatever course it takes.

No kidding...I do need to take my own advice. That's what I said to Kitt. I do believe we need to take a breath, relax, and give things a chance to get better on their own.

I'm so lucky to have such an experienced family doc who has been working with me for 25+ years and knows my ins and outs really well. We'll be moving an hour away, but I'm keeping him as my main PCP...I'll have to get a family doc in our new town, but we will come back for appointments several times a year to keep contact. He even emails, which is really great. When I've had problems he's responded to emails when he's away on vacation. He's one of a kind, and I need him to intercede with all my new docs.

I have calmed down about my acid issues. I know it takes time for a flare up to calm down and the tissues to heal (how many times have I written that to new members???). I WILL be patient and let things progress. I'm not losing sleep over it anymore, so that's good.

Good luck with your interview on the 18th. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed...no school that day, so my hands will be free! I hope you get an offer and it turns into something you really enjoy. You deserve it.
Take care, and thank you so much for your support and sage advice!
Denise

Brian-
If you get a take down you should be right where you were prior to surgery. The LES is left intact and should function just as it did before surgery. The wrap just supports the LES and as the stomach fills pressure is applied to te LES helping to hold it closed while the stomach does it's thing.

Denise-
Good to hear you have relaxed a bit and lets see what happens.

Take care,
Bill

Denise, it seems that you might be feeling better. I hope that is the case. I'm sure its very reassuring to know that you can vomit. Me, I would be freaking out making the worst out of it thinking that I had damaged my wrap. But as long as the acid stays down and its functional your 1 up from where you were before.

I know what you mean about doing it all over if necessary. I would do it in a heart beat in need be.

Best wishes,
Rafael

Hi Brian,
I do know that some have had their wrap taken down. My surgeon told me a story of a patient who couldn't not stand not being able to burp, and insisted that his wrap be reversed, so it was done.

Brian, if you were regurgitating food into your esophagus, it sounds like your LES wasn't working, and was probably pretty wide open. Taking it down probably will just put you back into the same situation, and require a surgery at some future point.

Now, I'm telling you this from thousands of miles away, I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV. I'm only speaking from my experience, the experiences shared here, on the internet, and other readings I've done. My LES wasn't very bad, but it was bad enough to allow enough acid to escape and get into my lungs, making them very sickly.

As good as it was, (my PH monitor showed a number of "14" which is very average--the surgeon was concerned about it, but trusted my other doctor's opinions and went forward.), my LES wasn't doing a good enough job to keep me from being a very sickly person, with uncontrolled asthma.

I certainly don't know the answer for you, but I do think more testing, a search for an excellent surgeon would be wise. You don't have to rush into this, but it sounds like it would help you physically and emotionally to do some serious searching for a good GI doc and and surgeon, so you can move forward with your life.

I'm really glad you're hanging around the forum. We're here to support each other and I think we do a pretty good job.
Information from more experienced members can really help. It has been a real gift to me.
Thanks for YOUR support! I'm still struggling with the stomach bug, and the acid. This is going to require a lot of patience! Let's see how well I can follow my own advice!
Take care, Brian. All will be well. Trust.
Denise

Yes denise the uncontrolled asthma would have been not good at all and I hope things improve for you.zI was regurg food with NO acid .pre op.I had as lot of tests done a mth ago .24hr acid significant but mainly after eating.mam test showed low pressure los relaxing normally.There is no obvious osoph dysmotility but the peristalis is low pressure and does raise concern about diff swalllowing if reop contempled!report from workup testing.So will a redo make me worse.I pray your wrap settles down as you are such awesome help on here.Take care

Hi Barb,
My stomach has been terrible for a few weeks, but got progressively worse. It started feeling a bit better, then I got a terrible stomach bug that has kept me home for three days. Hopefully I'll be back at school tomorrow.

Today I had a brainstorm (why didn't my great doc remind me?)--Carafate! I took a dose this afternoon, and WOW. It really helped my stomach feel SO much more comfortable--I haven't needed Maalox at all today! What a wonder drug. The only thing I HATE about it is that you have to take it an hour before or 2-3 hours after eating. It's so hard to orchestrate that timing.

Fortunately, with all that, my lungs have been good. I'm gaining confidence that this is just a loose wrap issue, which is fine with me. I have no trouble swallowing, etc.--that's worth something, for sure. I'll just have to be super-careful about not overdoing it with my stomach--which I DEFINITELY did over the holidays.

I'm also working on healthier eating. Right now comfort foods and no roughage, which makes counting points interesting, but I'm not eating much, and I'm sure I'm losing weight. I will take your advice about being careful what I put in my stomach.

My biggest challenge is taking my own advice and being patient. Delicate stomach and esophageal tissue takes a long time to heal.

Good luck with your healing, Barb.
Thanks for your support and advice!
Hugs,
Denise

So Barb, do you take Carafate all the time--not just when you have a flare-up? I'd be interesting in knowing.
My stomach isn't perfect, but what an improvement with the Carafate. I think I ate a little too much tonight...I didn't have much, but it doesn't take much.

The candy issue has got to be a real challenge. I wonder how sucking on a water popsicle would work? Just a thought...
Well good luck finding an answer. I'll keep thinking...

Hope your hand feels better tonight.
Take care and have a good night. I go back to school tomorrow.
Denise

Hi Brian,
Actually, Bill is the one to ask about that. I think he's very knowledgeable. Why not start a new thread asking the question, and see what happens.

I would just suggest that your frustration and anxiety over the entire situation isn't helping it. Easier said than done, as I've found out when worrying about whether or not I'll need a redo. I know you're taking meds to try to calm things down, so that's good. It can make things so much worse when we focus on them and worry.

You are waiting several months to give things a chance to resolve themselves, right? I can't remember when you had your wrap done. How much of the healing time has gone by?

Have a great day down under! Chin up...it'll get better, you know.
Take care,
Denise

I get reflux with acid after i eat.Just had a drink of water and had reflux so that must mean los is not closing enough?.Its alovely fine day here and the sea looks nice.Take care...