Surgery this Friday

I am scheduled to have a wrap performed this Friday. I am 31 years old and have been on 80 mg of prilosec for two years. The drugs did improve my gerd but heartburn any where from minor annoyance to major discomfort is still a daily occurrence. My reflux occasional results in heart palpatations that keep me up all night. Did all the heart tests last year and everything came back normal.

My surgeon is Dr. John Sweeney at The Emory Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. He told me he has performed 25-30 of these operations a year for the last 15 years.

I am at the moment having cold feet. Some of the stories have made me a little apprehensive about going through with the wrap. Pre-op is tomorrow so I guess I have to make a decision pretty soon. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Tony

Joy,

Thank you for the info. I will have to ask about getting the meds before surgery.

It really is interesting how people's experiences are all over the place. Before I had a manometry done I read about how awful it was and I didn't really think it was that bad.

How long did it take you to recover and start eating a normal diet?

Hi T,

Try to look at your upcoming surgery as a life changing experience. I am able to say exactly that. Not everyone has the same results, but I believe a positive outlook helps tremendously. I have no reflux, have not taken a Nexium since the morning of my surgery (I too was on 80mg a day of Nexium), and my asthma is all but gone. Sure, we in the "wrapped club" have to deal with some less than desirable situations for several months. By that I mean that we have some initial pain from the surgery, we have to deal with liquid diets for a couple of weeks and soft and semi-soft diets for a few more weeks and then we have to watch what we eat and how much for a while. I will gladly do all of that for relief from reflux and no more jumping up in the middle of the night to throw up, and not being able to breath without a rescue inhaler etc, etc, etc..
The day of my surgery I do not remember a whole lot.. as Joy said you go into pre-op and have a breezy gown.. after that I get fuzzy because I do not deal with meds very well. I was hooked to an IV and they gave me something to make me relax.. wheeled me out of pre-op and all I remember from there is saying good-bye to my husband and my cousin.. next thing I know they are talking to me trying to wake me up and I have pain... mostly in my shoulders. I was taken to my room and as soon as I asked for something to drink they gave me ice chips, then I asked for ginger ale.. they gave it to me, I can't say it was the smartest thing to ask for but, it is always what I want when I don't feel well.fortunately it was flat by the time I drank it. I had liquid for dinner, broth, jello, juice and tea. in the morning they gave me thin cream of wheat and broth, jello and tea... same thing for lunch and dinner and breakfast on Sunday. I pretty much ate(drank) that for about 10 days then soft boiled an egg and mashed til you couldn't recognize it. it was OK. I always made sure I had something to drink right there to dilute everything.
I have just passed the 12 week point and I am eating pretty well.. lots of fresh veggies cooked well, nothing raw. I can eat watermelon at this point but I cannot eat other fresh fruit yet. I have eaten chicken, ground beef, pork chops.. as an example in the last few weeks but... you have to CHEW CHEW CHEW... everything must be chewed to mush. I started on pasta a bit overcooked.. now it is cooked soft and it is good with a little extra sauce to help it. As you go along you will learn that the best thing to judge your steps by, is what your body tells you.. if it says ..ah no I don't think so.... listen to it and don't eat it or do it...
You will do fine, make sure you let us know how you are doing and don't be afraid to ask questions. If I had not been able to turn to this forum I would be a mess.. I think these people are super...
Good Luck and let us know how you are doing..
Sandi

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice. I am not too concerned about the post op pain but the diet has me a little timid.

Bottom line is that I am tired of feeling the way I do so I am going to have the wrap done Friday. I am going to be positive, stay patient, and hopefully be one of those writing about a positive experience. I will be back to share post surgery.

Post Edited (Tduga1) : 6/28/2011 8:01:32 PM (GMT-6)

I'm the same age as you mate and was on 80mg Nexium and feeling pretty miserable about it. The liquid diet is annoying but remember you can have ice cream, jelly (jello), porridge and all the soup you like. Within a couple of weeks you'll be craving solids and you'll be able to incorporate more and more into your diet. You'll probably lose a bit of weight which is no bad thing unless you're a bean pole already and when you finally get back onto proper food (which comes suprisingly quick all things considered) you'll really appreciate it. See it as a massive detox. You'll be better in no time and every day you'll notice how much better you feel... oh and NO REFLUX! I was pretty much eating everything again by week 8 and was back to work in 2 weeks but it varies from case to case. Just don't be too eager and remember to chew to avoid stuff sticking in the first few weeks. Seriously mate, this surgery was the best thing I ever did. Good luck!

Hi Tony,

 I am now at day 8 post op and have you by about 20 years! I so wished I would have done this 20 years ago when I first started having reflux.  I am doing well except for  a little pain in the left rib area. Haven't used any pain meds since I came home from the hospital last Friday. I do have an ice pack for my afternoon nap everyday, though.  The liquid diet is not really as bad as I expected. I have found that I need to eat something about every 3 hours and can't handle more than four or 5 bites at a time.  I got my staples out today and was cleared for soft foods. I immediately went to KFC and had mashed potatoes and gravy. The doctor's office is about 1 1/2 hrs from home and I truly didn't think I would make it back home without eating! The good news--- NO REFLUX! I am to continue taking the Dexilant for the next month but was allowed to stop taking the Reglan twice a day. I have been on every PPI made, I think, so I have been having a mixed dose for the last two years. Good luck tomorrow, and I will pray that you have an easy recovery as an old lady like I have had! Crabby Gail P.S. My son and son-in-law are runners so I know how hard it will be to give it  a break for a few weeks! You will probably be able to handle the pain so much easier than us old sedentary folks!

T,

Glad to hear you surgery went smoothly and I hope you have a peaceful week-end.  Do keep us posted on your progress.

Kindly,

Kitt

Welcome to the Wrapped Club....

Rest and relax.. you need all you can get..

Keep in touch and update us on our recovery...we are here for you...

Sandi

Good to hear things are going better.
It just keeps getting better.

Day 4 of my recovery and things are still going well. Still feeling pretty weak but I do get a little stronger every day. Pain has subsided for the most part. My abdomen is still sore and I have occasional light pain in my upper chest and shoulders. Coughing is still a little painful as well.

For those thinking about the surgery I would tell you that the first day after surgery was the worst and I was very uncomfortable. I remember thinking in the hospital a few hours after waking up that I wasn't feeling all that bad but like I said, the next day was rough. The pain passes quickly and I am no longer taking the pain meds.

Food is going well too. I ate clear liquids for the first three days and have added very watery cream of wheat and watery mashed potatoes (really like a soup). No problems at all swallowing so far. I am really looking forward to eating regular food but will be patient.

Post Edited (Tduga1) : 7/5/2011 1:23:58 PM (GMT-6)

Been a long time since I was on here, but I'll tell you that I got the best information from the good people here; listen to their advice and you'll be so much further ahead.
My surgery was in 2007 or 2008, seriously, I do not remember! I had some complications, but I am so much better; once in a great while I'll have a touch of heartburn, but nothing to complain about. The surgery was the best thing for me.
Good luck, and look forward to a wonderful life!
Renee