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Posted 3/26/2010 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
Most times I don't have any recollection of the OR. Most times they sedate you so well before they even take you in. This part you should not worry about at all. I know they will keep you very comfortable.
My main advice would be to get a good detailed list of foods allowed and the timetable. And NO lifting.
Take care & ENJOY your senior year. I have a son that is a senior too. This is a time to have fun!
Stacey
Wrapped 1/18/2010
Posted 3/27/2010 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, I forgot something... Make sure you get some very loose fitting sweat pants to wear home. At least one size too big or the type you have to tie. Your belly will be sensitive to the touch of things and you won't be able to fit into your regular clothes for about three weeks. Your belly will swell about one to two sizes bigger.
At three weeks I could button my jeans comfortably. So I lived in loose sweats for that time.

Have you received a meal list?
Week 1-2- liquids only (you'll be swollen inside and swallowing will be tricky). No more than a cup of liquid at a time. Wait about an hour or two between meals.
week3-5- soft foods and anything you can chew to a liquid. Still no more than a cup at a time.
week 6 -start slowly introducing solid foods with bread and steak-like meats being last. Feel your way in your eating. Chew slowly and eat small bites. You'll probably want to keep meals still small and frequent. I still can't eat more than a cup and a half of food at a time.

Joy
Posted 3/27/2010 7:41 AM (GMT 0)
Your comments and advice are doing much to ease my mind.
Ooh, I'll need to figure out what do do about my school uniform while I'm so swollen...
What the surgeon briefly said about food was basically that he doesn't like to complicate things too much by making a huge list of things that are and aren't okay, but that they usually tell patients to not eat anything more solid than mashed potatoes for 2-3 weeks. Obviously, I've seen much stricter guidelines on this forum, so I will talk to him more about this.
Posted 3/27/2010 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
Oooh, no! Not mashed potatoes! Not anything that is sticky!!! You won't be able to swallow normally for a few weeks, so avoid bread unless it's well toasted and especially mashed potatoes, unless you add enough liquid to make them runny. It's not pleasant to be gagging on your food post-op.

And just in case the doc forgets, which a bunch of them do as I read the forum, ask for some Zofran for when you get nauseated. It's really not pleasant to throw up!
Posted 3/30/2010 11:34 AM (GMT 0)
I had my nissen and hiatal surgery on March 1st.

The surgery wasn't bad at all, it's the recovery that takes time. I listened to the wise words of many posters here that told me to take it easy and let my body recover.

I had horrific pain from gas. I also had bad shoulder pain from the insides being swollen. I eventually went to the bathroom when I got home and that seemed to take care of 99% of that pain. I also had my throat tighten which hurt terribly when I was trying to eat so again I learned, small bites, chew, chew and don't drink a big gulp of anything. Small sips AFTER you are done eating.

I was in ICU for 3 days after my surgery, just something my Doctor does with his patients. I wasn't in too much pain after the surgery either.

Make sure to get the anti nausea medication as you are nauseous and I don't know why.

I went back to work 2 weeks after the surgery.

Today, I feel pretty darn good except for being constipated and morning nausea but the medication helps with that. Mornings are the worse for me, after the noon mark I feel pretty good except I am VERY tired. But again, time will heal all.

Best wishes to you!!!

Edit:  email removed for you own privacy as this is an open forum.  Post your email in your profile and that way only members will be able to access it.  Thanks.

Kitt

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 3/30/2010 8:31:08 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/30/2010 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
I will be sure to ask for the anti-nausea medicine! I have also been talking to my therapist about doing things to relax my mind and body and think positively before the surgery happens, as apparently this will help my recovery afterwords. I am a little anxious right now and eager to talk to my surgeon about the possibility of traveling, as I have just been accepted to six colleges (!), including Georgetown, and am hoping to visit a couple before the May 1 deadline... my surgery is in nine days.

what did you all take for lunch at work when you returned? I got permission to use a fridge at school but I don't really know what I should bring. Also, is it hard to go up stairs afterwords? If so, for how long? Lots of stairs and quick passing times in high school... I'll use the elevator if I really have to, but I'd love to avoid it.
Posted 3/30/2010 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
No stairs... you'll get very sore.
I ate chicken or beef broth, jello, popsicle, milk, and yogurt the first two and a half weeks.
I added very thin grits (almost watery). Chicken noodle soup with the meat taken out.
I also ate vennia sausages. I nibbles very small bites and made it very mushy. Mac and cheese is good, but don't eat more than a half cup. It will swell some.
No tomato based foods for awhile, the tomatoes will make it irritated.
I could nibble on crackers, too.

Joy
Posted 3/31/2010 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
I was only on full liquids one day and then on any soft foods I wanted until I thought I was ready for regular foods. I was eating eggs and toast the 3rd day after both of my Nissens. Of course that stopped abruptly after the redo, but that's another story. Definitely stay away from mashed taters, soft breads, and solids meats for a few weeks.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 3/31/2010 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
You've probably read this in other posts, but my doctor (and other's, I've read) had me on liquids in the hospital for 1 day. Next, I was on soft foods for 4 days, and after I saw him on the 5th day, I was told I could eat anything that could be chewed to a liquid. That leaves the foods you can eat wide open. He did say stay away from steak and bread. Toast is fine, though...the crispy nature allows it to be chewed thoroughly.

If you're eating and you're not sure if it will be chewed to a liquid, have a napkin handy. Don't swallow anything that doesn't. Small bites and chew, chew, chew. I like the fact that my surgeon trusted me to have a brain, and be able to determine what things I could handle. The "chew to liquid" guidance was all I needed. I did not have any problems with this food protocol.

The other thing you need to remember as you get better and better--eat slowly, because you've been in the habit of swallowing food that hasn't been chewed that much for your entire life. If you're not thinking, you could accidentally swallow something that could bother you.

Also, try not to talk while you're eating...it allows more air into your stomach, and can cause additional bloating.
Good luck, and congratulations on your wrap!
Denise
Posted 4/13/2010 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hello all!
I had my lap nissen four days ago and today is the first day I've felt up to sitting in a chair at the computer. I thought I'd just relate a bit of my recovery story thus far for anyone who's trolling around looking for stories as I was before my surgery.
Went in early Thursday morning... met with all the nurses, surgeons etc and was in the OR a couple hours later. I chose to be put to sleep with an IV, which I didn't think would be too bad as I'd had a barely painful one a month before, but was I ever wrong! The IV had to be put in twice, and even with numbing cream it was extremely painful- I have no idea why. The anesthesia drugs were also extremely painful when injected- I was told I have sensitive veins- and I started panicking and freaking out, but then my eyes wouldn't focus and I couldn't breathe.. it was rather awful. Soon after I was asleep, and woke a couple hours later in tons of pain, which they soon controlled. I was on morphine on and off for 24 hours. Getting out of bed to use the bathroom was definitely the worst part. Then, because they couldn't control my pain with oral painkillers, I was kept a second night. On the third afternoon, I was sent home with Percocet and Reglan. The first night at home, I woke up at 4am extremely nauseous for the first time and experienced the horrific feeling of violent retching when you physically can't throw up! That was really bad but only happened once. Another thing that's been going on is a nearly constant chest pain above my heart that makes it impossible to breathe deeply. Also, I frequently have a sensation lasting 5-8 seconds where, I think when my body is trying to reflux, there is a kind of hiccupping and then intense pain floods through my entire chest. My surgeon hasn't had much to say about it so far, but it is troubling me. Can anyone relate?
Posted 4/13/2010 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Amen! I had the painful hiccups. Holding the pillow on my stomach during them helped some.
The deep breathing is hard to do, but again use the pillow to cradle your stomach and do some deep breathes. You will want to cough, do it gently, and hold your stomach. Try laying down and breath slowly out and in, holding the pillow tight.
You need to clear your lungs of fluid build up from the surgery.
The pain your feeling could be from the HH repair. It will fade in time, just take your pain medication.

Joy
Posted 4/13/2010 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Tirali-
I have to second what Joy said about keeping the lungs clear. I know it is painful, but you must do deep breathing to get them clear or worse problems will set in. Those hiccups are horrible, done them twice now.
Oh...Welcome to the "wrapped club"! Joy, you missed that one! LOL!
Did you get any anti nausea meds? If not please ask for them. The dry heaves are way to painful to deal with. I've done it too many times.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 4/13/2010 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hope you are doing better VERY soon. I'm sure the worst of it is behind you.
Hang in there!
Stacey
Posted 4/13/2010 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Bill, I forgot that one. LOL!

I hope you're feeling better today, Tirla. :))

Joy
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