preparing for nissen fundoplication

Hi i was wondering if there was anyone here who can give me some advice, im due to have the nissen fundoplication surgery in 6 weeks, my concern is the recovery, i am a single mum of 2 kids, one who has special needs, i wont have any help with them when im recovering, im worried as to what the physical pain is like, in the sense of how much i will be able to do, such as still having to get on with normal practical life such as looking after the kids and housework. Thank you.

Hi Alice, thank you for responding, im having the full wrap done, which i know is the one that gives u most difficulty in swallowing and they are fixing hiatias hernia, my kids are past lifting age thank goodness, they are 7 and 12 but 2 very lively boys let me say lol. The surgeon said i will be out after one night if all goes well, unfortunately im not in a position that i can have people over to help me only in the evenings and i cannot afford cleaners im afraid, recently made unemployed so its gonna be a case of braving it on my own. I am reading all posts carefully here which are really helpful, im hearing everyone saying not to be bending or lifting. Thanks for suggesting the heat and eat foods, really good idea for at least a week i reckon. It seems like a scary operation to have but have been waiting for it for 3 years now so bring it on lol.

Ah yeah thats the plan is to get them to help as much as possible, its all really in the first week im presuming, they will be on school summer holidays when i get it done so i wont have to leave the house for anything which is good, but which also means they will be in all day and wanting to be running in and out of the house causing all sorts of boyish mischief, ill make sure all supplies are in, like that i think my concerns are the pain and damaging the wrap by doing too much, im known for thinking im superwoman which i dont think will help me ha. And i was wondering by the lack of food i will be consuming will i be feeling weak or will the liquids and soft foods be enough to keep me going? Thank you for your replies, its nice to hear from people who have been through this already.

Hi jodibee,
Welcome to Healing Well! You'll soon be joining our wrapped club! We'll be ready to welcome you to our club the moment you start your post-surgery thread!

I suggest you ask your surgeon to provide you with his/her post surgery dietary protocol. There are many here who have had the Nissen surgery, and almost as many variations in what surgeons require patients to eat during the first weeks.

I was prepared to be "eating" only liquids and perhaps soft foods for weeks, but at Day 5 my doctor told me I could eat anything that could be chewed to a liquid. Actually, in my estimation, that's just like a liquid diet, but I had the pleasure of liquifying my own food by chewing it thoroughly!

Once you know what your doctor expects, then you can get the proper foods gathered. If you are on soft foods, you can buy things like Cream of Wheat, and either make or buy squash, applesauce, etc., depending on your own personal preference.

Click the link below for a typical post-Nissen fundoplication diet plan. It'll give you an idea...but I'd ask the surgeon's office to give you their requirements.

www.upmc.com/HealthAtoZ/patienteducation/Documents/NissenFundoDiet.pdf

It's a great idea to plan ahead and freeze meals for your kids. You said you might have evening help. Hey, that's better than nothing! It'll be nice to be pampered in the evening, and have someone to get those boys of yours into bed without a battle! (I'm also a mom, and know what that can be like!)

I had the surgery done in February 2009. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised. I was prepared for a much more difficult recovery. I don't think I took the prescription pain meds for more than a couple of days (buy some liquid Motrin or Tylenol, as you'll want to use that as soon as you can manage...they don't have the nasty side effects that the narcotic drugs have). You might want to take the narcotic pain meds at night, so you aren't bothered by pain when you're trying to sleep.

Everyone's recovery is a bit different, but if you can surrender to it, and just follow it where it leads you, it'll make the recovery much easier. People who constantly struggle against the recovery and who can't accept the time it takes to heal tend to have a much more difficult experience.

I'm glad you've joined us! Keep asking those questions. We'll do our best to help answer them, and lend support as you prepare for surgery and afterward as well!

Take care,
Denise

Hi Jodibee,
You're not alone in not being prepared for the surgery. None of use is provided enough information from our surgeon. I found the people here as I was trying to get the courage to go through with the surgery, and they gave me lots and lots of great information that helped me through. I decided to stay around and help others the way I was helped.

I strongly suggest that you call your surgeon's office and ask about his/her eating protocol post-surgery. There are several different ways surgeons suggest their patients eat, and you'll want to know what your surgeon wants.

I hope you'll stick around and share your own experiences with others here. It's what makes this forum so helpful and vibrant!

Take care,
Denise