Approaching Possible Open Nissen Fundoplication #4

you have gone through so much already. i have just had nissen done lap way and feeling loads better . so i know where you are comming from being misrable chin up hope you get the news you want

Let us know what you find out. I sure hope that they can find a way to help you. When will you see the surgeon?
Much luck!
Stacey

I don't know where you are but there's a world famous surgeon in Pittsburgh who does these types of repairs. He works with cancer patients a lot, does all kinds of really tough esophagus surgeries. He might even be able to do it laproscopically. Just because you've had open before doesn't rule that out!

I'd post the name, but that and posting helpful websites isn't allowed.

I wish there was helpful info coming from admin! There isn't anything anymore. It would be really helpful to newbies if there were links to good websites that aren't selling anything.

I had to crush my meds. The synthroid was very easy to crush. My non essential vitamin type things I just left out. I think you might have some luck looking at GNC for liquid vitamins. The pain meds that were prescribed were liquid. I was prescribed an antibiotic during recovery that was on the large size to crush up. Don't worry about this part too much.
Best wishes!
Stacey

I've always had to crush large pills, never could swallow them. I put the bad tasting ones in flavored yogurt. Applesauce and prune juice with pulp are good too. The prune juice is good for stuff that is constipating. Lots of meds come in liquids too.

I've found that a no sugar, low white carb diet works for losing weight. I ate so often post-op that I didn't lose weight, and I need to drop ten pounds. I thought I would lose a ton of weight, from reading the posts, but it didn't happen. So now I am back to a basically diabetic diet and just trying to control my portions.

You can search the forum. I'm sure a liquid diet can easily be made for you. I made my own diet in advance and froze small portions and took them with me to the hospital because I am allergic to sulfite and knew they had absolutely NO food I would tolerate. I made my own broth from chickens I cooked, ground the meat in a food processer for soft diet later. I cooked my own veggies, made broth from them, food processed them for soft diet. If you don't trust thehospital dieticians, and I wouldn't, you can do the same. You should get to talk to one, but ask them about their diet. I was able to look up what my hospital recommended online. I knew I couldn't eat any of it!

Yeah, I hope he's able to fix you up.

Joy

Goodluck pinecone, I hope everything works out

Hi Again,

Saw the surgeon who the previous surgeons referred me to who is expert in complex esophageal repairs. I will have yet another test so he and his assistant surgeon can more specifically see the specific situation with my anatomy. Although he is expert in lap redos, he said mine was too complicated to consider anything other than the 4th open surgery. Their biggest concern will be whether my esophagus because of its condition, age, multiple surgeries, etc. will hold up after a successful repair (hernia, juncture, connecting areas, wrap, etc.). Optimistic me says it will!! He suggested I could be in the hospital anywhere from 1 week to 1 month (if there are complications). I told him the complications were already there...and I won't be having any new ones LOL. He told me that attitude had a lot to do with successful healing. I reminded him that I was a retired psychotherapist who knows how true that is!! He suggested he could hire me to help some of his patients deal with their fears and attitudes but I declined. We talked about the complexities and possible outcomes, risks, etc. for about an hour.

I will see him on March 15, after the results of the upper GI test. We'll decide when to schedule at that time. I expect (hope) to have surgery around the 10th of April!!

I was thrilled that I was able to find surgeons who are qualified, experienced, competent and willing. I'll post more when I know more.

Welcome Pinecone, I look forward to hearing how things go. I had my wrap done 10 years ago and it only lasted a year. They talked about loosening it but I never went back to see the surgeon after he told me that. I just live with the problem and have found ways to deal with it. Be careful with the asthma and listen to the doctor. That is nothing to mess with. A lot of the members here that have GERD also have the asthma that goes along with it. If you have any questions just ask. Barb

I am willing and happy to provide their names, but before I give "gifted" endorsement I would like to first have the surgery and then, when successful, I will "hail" them. I had my last test at the hospital yesterday. I chuckled as the radiologist, who had taken an extensive history, said to me at the conclusion, "wow, you sure regurg all over the place. We didn't learn anything new...just everything as you said was once again, confirmed." I think I have recently had 8 tests so far (maybe more :=} ) and all were what I had explained PRIOR to the test. One was different, but what I had told them, was confirmed in the test I had yesterday. A few weeks ago, I had a stomach emptying test. I explained that it was a moment in time; that much of the time food doesn't process quickly. I said that I can feel/taste, etc. (you all know what I mean :-{ ) That day, food passed reasonably well. However in yesterday's test my stomach and part of my esophagus contained a lot of food 15 hours after my last food consumption (it was a fasting test). I had only had a small amount of water and no water after 11 pm the night before. The test was at 10:30 am the next day.

I will report on my complex surgery (open) when I have it. I meet next Friday with my surgeons and WE will make our decisions and schedule the operation. I will also report on the surgeons after they have performed skillfully. I am a retired therapist, college professor/clinical director. Last week my surgeon said he was impressed with my attitude and the way I had dealt with so much difficulty over the many years. I explained that "attitude" was "my business". He laughed and confirmed that it makes a huge difference in coping and with recovery. Of course, I knew this to be true and agreed with him. He then asked if he could hire me to work with some of his patients who were so emotionally distressed. I thanked him for his regard but declined, of course.

I do know that learning how to keep the experiences we have in life in healthy perspective makes a huge difference in our emotional quality of life. Being able to do this can impact our quality of life, physically, as well, and visa versa. I explained to him that I didn't come into this world to be defined by it, but instead, to transcend it. This was a useful perspective I often taught my patients as they were learning to make important course corrections in their lives. We can't always determine the things that happen in our lives (illness, death of loved ones, childhood abuse, loss of employment, etc.) but we can, when we learn how, as adults, to determine how we will respond. Often there is trial and error as we learn.

Moral of the story: Be vigilant in establishing your own knowledge base, do our own homework and check the facts, edit as new information is discovered, be curious (not fearful), and follow "your gut" even it it doesn't work right HAHAHA and we will find ways to make positive change.

Post Edited (my7pinecones) : 3/5/2010 2:52:19 PM (GMT-7)

Good luck!

Joy