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I just had Nissen Wrap and not doing well.

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Posted 12/23/2011 12:07 PM (GMT 0)
Please help.  Had the battle with the cream of wheat.

Finally went through.    Ate some  butternut squash really whipped

and some apple sauce and felt it stuck again.

Drank a lot of water  a lot and sick all night.   Finally had a bm but

I am still feeling ill.  I feel like I am going to get sick from time to time

and my stomach feels bloated... My hands and  feelt are cold.

Did I make a mistake on the butternut squash.  I had about a1/4 cup

THanks let me know Jean

Posted 12/23/2011 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I know how it feels!
Try to go with the potato and beef from minced meet. It is probably still getting stuck but hurts less and you get protein.
Posted 12/23/2011 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Jean, I think your wrap must be tighter than mine. I know that everyone is different but I've had no problems swallowing at all. I am so sorry. I had butternut squash last night too. It was mixed in a little vegetable broth but went down fine. Try always sipping warm tea or water before you eat to relax the esophagus. After you eat continue sipping and stay upright.

How many days has it been since your surgery now? I've heard the swelling inside gets worse before it gets better. It is day 11 for me. My biggest complaint is the pain inside in my midsection left side. Hoping you feel and eat better today!

Starry

Post Edited (imstarryeyed) : 12/23/2011 10:59:22 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/23/2011 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jean,

Hang in there.  Once the swelling subsides your eating will improve.  Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone who has had the wrap and not lost weight.  Have you tried protein drinks?  I believe during our earlier conversation on this thread I sent you a link with some protein drink recipes as part of its content.

Here it is.  Scroll down to the bottom of the document and you'll find a variety of high nutrition, high calorie drinks you can make:

http://surgery.med.umich.edu/thoracic/clinical/procedures/MushyDiet-Nissen.pdf

Until the swelling goes down, it would help if you stick to liquid meals.  See if any of those recipes work for you.

Your nausea is a result of the trauma to your stomach due to the surgery.  Do you have anti-nausea medication?  If you do, please use them when needed.  You don't want to vomit or even retch now, as it could damage your wrap.

I found suppository Compazine to be the best option for me.  If you don't have anything, be sure to contact your doctor today to get them before the weekend.

Hang in there.  It'll get better!

Denise

Posted 12/23/2011 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry if I repeat anything that someone else says but I am 9 weeks post nissen.   Unforunately, when I left the hospital I did not get awesome instructions.  My instructions given were simple "no sex, no lifting over 15 pounds, no soft drinks, no bread, no salad, no steak"  everything else was open game.  I thought this surgery was smooth sailing as I was doing everything my doctor told Then, at the 5 to 7 day mark, I was eating small chunks of Spam(I know) and a sip of tea.  The Spam got stock and the tea stayed on top.  Nothing would go down and nothing would come up.  I thought tea would come out my ears.  I got a little excited and tried to swallow a couple more times.  That was a bad idea because all I did was swallow air, so I had Spam, tea, and air trapped.  Finally, my wife tapped me on gently on th back for 15 minutes.  After that, I let out a tiny, tiny burp.  That is when I started reading this forum.  Denise gave me some of the best advice(Thanks, Denise).  I backtracked and ate my standbys until week 4(swelling seemed to go down about week 3 but I got Strep throat for a week).  My standbys were yogurt or grits for breakfast with carnation instant breakfast, I lived off Kentucky Fried Chicken mashed potatoes and macorni& cheese.  I was really worried about my weight loss even though I have enough to lose.  My doctor told me he expected me to loss 15 to 20 pounds in two months until my stomach caught back up to my appetite.  I lost an easy 15 pounds.  I ate/still eat 6 to 8 small meals a day.  I would feel a little pain in my stomach if I ate more than a cup or so at a sitting.  I know it is hard especially under the three week mark.  I was even thinking at that point my acid reflux was not that bad.  It gets better everyday, I promise.  My friend had surgery one year ago and he says everything for him returned to normal at week 12.  Come on week 12!  Hang in there!  Tim
Posted 12/24/2011 7:13 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for all your kind words.  I dont think I can afford to lose

20 lbs but I will keep trying to drink and I am making protein drinks with

ice cream. I seem to be sipping all day.  But I seem to fill up on a 1/4 cup.

which is not much.

 This is so rough. No one in the

world knows what we are going through.  

THanks again for any advice anyone can offer.  I just feel so alone at

times. 

THanks Jean

Posted 12/24/2011 7:19 AM (GMT 0)
Tim, Thank you for your reply.   Can you tell me what do you eat

for the 6 to 8 meals a day?  I am just  lost at what to eat.  I know

the protein shakes , but what else did you eat.  What do you eat now

Any help I would be so grateful.   I also do not sleep well ... Does anyone

have problems sleeping. I am tired but cannot stay asleep very long


Thanks Jean

Posted 12/24/2011 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Jean,
The first thing I can say is when you eat relax! After I got my the food stuck, I was pretty tense when I would eat for a few days. After that, I would sit down and watch one of my favorite shows on TV. That really seemed to help.

I know what you mean about being full after 10 bites. As far as stuff going down, it seemed like really healthy stuff(yogurt, malt o meal) or really unhealthy stuff(dairy queen milk shakes, pudding, etc) I usually tried a mix. It seemed like all I did was eat and drink. I used one of my daughters(4 year old) bowls as a measure because about anything over this bowl was very uncomfortable. Some things that went down very easy that seemed to have some calories were vanilla waffers. I would dip them in milk to make them soft. I also ate other cookies that would get soft in milk. I also ate some Lucky Charms after being in milk for a while. I also have a great japanese stir fry place that I frequent. They would make me some rice, chopped up scallops, mushrooms and sweet carrots. I never used a blender so I would mash these with my fork. I would also treat myself to something that I never ate before the surgery. But one post on here stated they were having problems drinking. There doctor told them to put a little oil in their drinks. After reading that, I went straight to McDonald's. Warm, finely chewed chicken nuggets hit the spot. The went down fine for me.

As far as sleep, I slept great at the hosipital because of the drip. When I got home, I usually wake every couple hours(still do). My reason my be different than yours. I always woke up before(numerous times) at night with acid reflux in my throat. I would swallow and it would gurgle up. My meds seemed to keep it from burning but it always freaked me out. Now, I seem to wake up just to see if anything is in my throat. I was a little concerned because I only had three acidepex left when I had the surgery. I asked for another prescription but my surgereon said you don't need it anymore. To be honest, I was a little worried about quitting cold turkey but I really could swallow pills for the first three weeks anyway.

Just take it easy, it gets easier every day. Everything is not perfect at 9 weeks. My body still wants to belch but can't so that is a little weird. It just takes time to get use to the changes your body has went through. Take care, Tim
Posted 12/24/2011 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Jean,

Are you taking the heavy-duty narcotic pain meds at night?  That might help.  Pains bother us more at night...we can do without them during the day before we can manage nighttime.

I am sorry I can't help you more with eating.  I took tiny bites of a wide variety of foods and chewed, chewed, chewed, chewed them until they were basically non-existent.  If something didn't chew to a liquid, I didn't swallow them.

Have you told your surgeon that even cream of wheat doesn't swallow for you?  How about liquids?

My surgeon actually thought that chewing to a liquid was preferable to soft foods that could actually clump and be difficult to swallow.

Hang in there...it will get better. 

Merry Christmas!

Denise

Posted 12/24/2011 1:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Tim.
I am only post 20 days and mostly liquid and whatever else that is whipped going down. No meat
right now.  You sound like you eat a lot.  I hope I can do that in 9 weeks. Right now I am

doing cream of wheat ... protein drinks  egg nog  and some cream soups.. wished I could

find a few more things to eat.  It is a long day and at night time I run out of what to eat.

Thanks again Tim    Jean

Posted 12/24/2011 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tim,

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience!  That's what really works around here.  I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, and making good progress.  It happens!  It's just hard to believe in those early days.

Thanks for the shout-out!  I was also helped here by members who stepped up and provided me with support and information during my recovery.  I decided to stick around and help others the way I was helped, since there is not much help out there, and the internet is filled with really negative and scary stuff!

Happy Holidays!

Denise

Posted 12/24/2011 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Denise,

The cream of wheat is going down and the squash but it sort of hangs there for a long

time.. Kind of a bloated feeling. Could even be pain somewhere else.  It just makes me

feel lousy.  I might have eaten both of them too fast. I know that is what I did with the

cream of wheat.  So liquids and the cream of wheat  is going down just cannot do more

than 1/8 or cup .

It is just not a whole lot to eat.  Cream of wheat ...protein drinks-- egg nog  water just

was looking for something to add to the choices. 

Thanks for your reply ..

Jean

Posted 12/24/2011 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jean,

Unfortunately at your stage of healing 1/8 to 1/4 cup of food at a time is about all you'll be able to manage.  This is the thing.  The top of your stomach is the part that tells your brain that you're full.  Right now it's swollen, and your brain interprets that as fullness.  This will subside as time goes on.  I told you about peak swelling, and it is real.  Swallowing becomes increasingly more difficult until on or about Day 14, and then gradually the swelling decreases.  Once that happens you're in business (not all at once, but you'll be on the other side of the worst of it).

Eat very,very slowly.  If you're anything like me, your wrap might get tired from swallowing and complain with pain.  Still it's better to eat small amounts all day long, then try to actually have a typical "meal". 

If you make whipped potato (not thick clumpy mashed) and top it with a little gravy, it should go down.  Just keep it in small doses.  Also, whipped winter squash, and applesauce. 

I was able to manage crepe manicotti pretty early on.  Crepe is better than pasta manicotti, as it will pretty much melt in your mouth. 

Soups are great...you can just eat the broth and whatever else is very soft and can be chewed to a liquid.  Some people blenderize it all, then eat it.  I never did that, but I suppose it would work well.

You could find a recipe for a nice winter squash soup...that would work well.  Did you try cooking in the crock pot yet?  After hours and hours, it should really make things very soft.

I know it's not fun to eat sweet foods forever...savory foods are much more satisfying.  Just experiment.  Most importantly, eat small bites, chew throughly. If you have any problem, try following with a sip of room temperature water or tea. 

Take care,

Denise

 

Posted 12/24/2011 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Denise,

I am om my 20 day so do you think the swelling has peaked by now?  I do get full fast

and just running out of stuff to make.  I am just so worried about losing to much weight since I lost so much before the sugery.

I will try anything and yes sweet drinks are getting not tasty at all.

Thanks very much  and Have a Merry Christmas

Jean

Posted 12/24/2011 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
Jean-

I am being turned off to sweet drinks as well this time around. Even my beloved sweet tea. I have switched to just a small amount of sugar and sometimes none at all.

Unfortunately the menu is some what limited until things settle down inside. Gets boring real fast. I made a list of what went down well and rotated what I ate and added different flavors to things such as grits, oatmeal, or cream of wheat. I also used eggs as a source of protein and reverted back to my childhood days and added ketchup to them. Not for everyone, but helped me to change things up a bit. This time around I was even able to use hot sauce again to change things up.

Don't know if you have tried toast yet or not, but usually toast will go down since it can be chewed to a liquid verses soft bread.

Hang in there and things will slowly get better.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 12/24/2011 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Bill,

Thank you for your reply.  I will try for sure.  I tired some whipped up chicken and

gravy but that did not work either. Going to stick with liquid I guess for a while.

Thanks alot really appreciated anything to help get to another day.

Jean from Manchester NH

Posted 12/25/2011 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
Jean,

When I was in the hospital for the first three days. Liquids would go down better for me. When the swelling hit, drinking was actually more difficult for me. I would have the drain effect. It would take awhile for anything above the thickness of water to get down(eggnog was one of favorite things to drink). Room temperature or little warmer liquids flowed better.

This is what I found out with eating. I drank very little liquid when eating to keep from getting filled up quickly. In addition, it seemed like if I waited for every bite to clear it would hang up more. It took a little pratice but I would take a small bite every 10 to 20 seconds. It took a little while for me to get the timing down. It seemed to push the food down better that way. It was only tricky the first two/three bites. Try this with something like instant mashed potatoes or yogurt that can be disolved by luke warm water if it gets stuck. I don't want you to think that it was easy and get discouraged. I actually had to force myself to eat sometimes. My jaws would get tired from chewing everything to mush. I swore I would feel the food pushing through the area my wrap was at. It was a very weird feeling. I just took it a day at a time. I actually stayed with softs all the way until last Wednesday. I had bread for the first time in 7 weeks. I actually ate a whole cheeseburger:)
Posted 12/25/2011 6:46 AM (GMT 0)
T331  Thank you so much.  I will slow down and do what you suggest.

I just do not feel I am doing things right.  I am  trying but nothing seems to

work.  Thank you again Jean from Manchester NH

Posted 12/25/2011 7:07 AM (GMT 0)
T331  Hello,

 How long has it been forn your wrap was done.  I am post op 20 days today and I seem

to be making so many mistakes with food. I tried some whipped chicken with gravy and

That was about 12 noon yesterday and I am still suffering. It just does not

seem to be moving. I will not do that again.  Back to the drinks and stuff that goes down

I only wished I knew what to eat.

Thank you  Jean

Posted 12/25/2011 10:44 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Out there,

I am feeling terrible. I just cannot seem to eat anything and my stomach

hurts.  I am 20 days post op  and I feel worse than the first week.  This is

so tough ... I do not think I can do this

Thanks Jean

Posted 12/25/2011 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
Jean-

Sorry you are having such a hard time. I had trouble with chicken for quite some time. Some things will pile up at the wrap even though they are soft foods. I had problems with thick mashed taters, french fries, chicken, soft bread, and some pastas.

Have you tried an anti gas such as Gas X or something similar? Since the gas usually won't come out as a belch it has to go through the system and can cause a lot of stomach pain. Also try not to swallow air when you eat or drink. those of us with GERD tend to swallow more air because we swallow more to keep things down where they belong. Unfortunately if we keep doing this after surgery it can cause bloating and such.

I usually take a small drink after about every 2 or 3 bites and wait to be sure it isn't getting stuck. If something does get stuck try your best to relax and take small drinks and try to feel if it goes through the wrap. Another sign something may be getting stuck is the urge to burp and you feel a kind of gurgling when you try to burp. That also sometimes helps to get things past the wrap. It's really a lot of trial and error to see what works for you.

I have faith you CAN do this. You are stronger than you think. The proof of this is you have faced this head on and made it through the surgery. Please try to find something positive in this and focus on that. This journey is tough, but SO worth it in the end. If I didn't believe this I would not have had this surgery 3 times in 5 years. If you want to hear my journey through this I can email you about it if you like.

Merry Christmas

Bill
Posted 12/25/2011 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Jean dont worry....8 weeks post op i cannot still have chicken it stucks on the wrap and feeling i m dying slowly ....specially chicken breast...i am anyway considering to undo that nissen if it can be undo.....
Posted 12/25/2011 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hello soliver38

I know what you mean.  When it does not move my chest hurts and back too.

I was feeling ok up to then, now it seems I cannot shake it.

My doctor said it cannot be reversed????

I am having a hard time to sleep.  Any one out there any help in this sleeping

Thanks soliver38 for your reply

Jean

Posted 12/26/2011 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jean,

Sorry you're having such a rough time of it.  What is keeping you awake at night?  Have you tried sleeping with the head of your bed/recliner elevated?  Often it works better for newly wrapped.  I actually still prefer an elevated head of bed.  Some people get right back to sleeping flat after surgery, but I always found it more comfortable on the wrap to be elevated. 

Have you tried ice as a pain reliever?  You could even put some at the wrap site and see if it makes you feel better.

At Day 20 you're still at a very early stage of recovery.  It will take a full six months for most of the healing, and a year for the rest.  In the realm of things, you're still in the baby step stage.

Peak swelling occurs on or about Day 14, but it certainly doesn't disappear immediately.  Swelling and healing takes time.  It's common to still have difficulty with swallowing at your stage.  Also, feeling full after a tiny amount of food is also normal.  It's an indication that there is definitely swelling present.

Have you tried experimenting with different foods and seeing which ones can be chewed to a complete liquid?  I've read through your thread, and there have been some great posts with good advice.  It's really a trial and error thing.  Tiny bites and chew, chew, chew, chew until whatever you're eating is basically non-existant. 

Be sure you're not drinking with a straw, stay away from iced drinks, and don't drink carbonated beverages.  All of these can cause problems. 

I'm expect your wrap is complaining when you eat.  It gets tired very easily.  I found straight liquid/water to often stop at the wrap site and kind of drizzle through.   It's very typical.

Wish I could hurry this along for you, but you just have to follow the course your recovery takes.  This is the toughest part.

Have you discussed your problems with your surgeon or GI doc?  I suggest you give them a call on Tuesday when the office opens and let them know what you're experiencing.  They can give you their take on the situation.

Hang in there!  As you heal things will get better.  It's a long process, and it takes time.

Best wishes,

Denise

Posted 12/26/2011 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
Can you drink stuff like ensure, and protein shakes??
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