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7 days post-op, I would have chosen to live with the reflux

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 1/3/2012 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Eloy, I am trying to remember what I had for my soft food diet and I can remember, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, ramon noodles and soups. I had enough of Ensure to last me a life time!!
I also drank drinkable yogurt drinks and drank carnation instant breakfast drinks and milk shakes but no straw as that will produce gas.
Watermelon sherbert also!!
Keep thinking of how great you will feel down the long road. I wished I had saved my posts from March of 09 as I sounded suicidal!!1
Posted 1/3/2012 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thankyou dear and wise Kit. Like you said what done is done. I am angry I can't go to my Pilates class today. I feel like my body is turning to mush. I am on my way out the door to Walk to the mailbox. I live in warm climate, 82 degrees, for that I can be thankful.
Posted 1/3/2012 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thankyou, mam. I am ordering the yogurt you drink. Didn't think of that one.all the milk and cheese products gave me unbearable gas, don't want to go thru that again. But today it wouldmN't matter.even smooth won't go down. Just had some beef broth. Getting used to being hungry,sad as it is. I see my doc next Thurs. maybe she can answer my concerns regarding intake of less than 1000 cal, and I weigh 6 pounds more than my weight at hospital going into surgery
Posted 1/3/2012 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
Eloy, I lived on my pain meds so that helped curb my appetite I believe. I didn't do that on purpose but I didn't want pain.
I also lived on GAS X pills which helped me with the gas because I couldn't burp or fart for weeks and that caused pain.
Make sure to take stool softeners also because not eating fiber and enough food can cause a problem which happened to me, terrible!!!
Try some of the foods I ate also the carnation instant breakfast drinks as those have nutrients in them also.
Any questions please email me or post again.
It's going to be 4 below zero here tonight, I can't wait for summer to return.
Posted 1/3/2012 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
My family practitioner called to tell me she called in some Xanax . Will that help relax my esophogous? My pain meds are just about depleted and I am afraid to call the surgeon for a refill before I see them next week. I had to take the maximum dose 4x a day, but I am in pain. I hear they are not too kind on narcotic refills. Trying to get by with baby Tylenol , but it doesn't 't seem right to suffer like this. I haven't talked to the surgeon, I just don 't know if I should feel this much pain 11 days postoperative . I remember them telling me I would be just fine. What is wrong with me?
Posted 1/4/2012 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
I also have that nagging shoulder pain. The heating pad does help.
Posted 1/4/2012 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
Xanax will help calm you down in general. It's good for the anxiety and stress of recovering from surgery.

Did another patient tell you your doctor is not kind on pain refills? I can't imagine a surgeon not refilling pain meds for someone who recently had surgery, a very legitimate reason. I had to have a refill and the nurse didn't even hesitate to provide me with the prescription. I would not be afraid to call a doctor. Doctors make a pretty penny off of these surgeries, so they better provide darn good post surgery follow up. You have every right to call them about anything.

If you haven't talked to your surgeon yet, I would start keeping a list of all of the questions you have and the things you've been feeling since the surgery. He/she should hopefully be able to put your mind at ease. At 11 days I was still fairly miserable. I had more than 2 pages of questions for him printed out when I went for my first follow up. It sure helped make me feel better as we went over each one.

Tony
Posted 1/4/2012 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
I would call your surgeon for more pain meds. Mine gave me 3 refills.
I had severe left shoulder pain, the cause was the esophagus was swollen and was pressing on the vegus nerve which caused the shoulder pain. The swelling went down around the 3rd week and the pain went away.
Posted 1/4/2012 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks. I will call tomorrow.if I can have help with my pain my mood would improve. I am just trying to space out what little I have left, so today is one day I will be glad to be over.
Posted 1/4/2012 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
I stayed consistently on my pain Meds for at least two weeks. My surgeon was good about keeping my pain under control. I also called the nurses in his office several times for advice. Call your surgeon. Btw, they do make a liquid adult Tylenol that may help too
Posted 1/5/2012 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
Horrible scare today. My husband had a heart attack.We have been through this before,so we got straight to the hospital, I had to drive 90 miles and did a ton of waking, not to mention the stress. Mt son relived me so I came back home. Have to return in am. He will prob have stents again. Hope y they don't have to crack his chest. I am lying down now, shoulders& belly pain intense. Couldn't call to get pain med refill, but will cal tomorow& hope they can call them into hospital pharm. don't want to spend weekend without. I haven ' t eaten or drank anything all day. Just warmed up some mashed potatoes & gravey. But all I can do is stare at it. Nothing like a scare to make you forget about being hungry. What a day
Posted 1/5/2012 2:00 AM (GMT 0)
Omg, I am so sorry to hear that!!! That must have scared you to death! Please try to take care of yourself and let us know how he is doing. Will say a prayer too
Posted 1/5/2012 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thankyou, Nal. I believe in the power of prayer. Boy when it rains it pours!
Posted 1/5/2012 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
So, so sorry, Eloy! You and your husband are in my prayers. Please take care of yourself.
Posted 1/5/2012 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Eloy,

Wow...you had a rough day, to say the least.  Try to get some liquids into yourself, even if you can't eat.  I hope all goes well with your husband, and that you weather the storm and your pain is minimal.

My prayers are with you both.

Denise

Posted 1/5/2012 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
Wow you guys are so caring. Husband tucked in for night at hospital. I just took a Xanx. Feel better. Trying to get some rest, but woulda, coulda,,shoulda is playing like a move in my mind. I am sure everything will be ok. In my life I can always count on everything being ok. My motto is that 90 percent of my life I have no contoll over. The other 10 percent is how I handle it.
Posted 1/5/2012 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
Eloy-

Sorry I didn't catch this thread sooner. Praying all goes well. Remember to take care of yourself too. Don't want to get dehydrated or anything while you yourself are still recovering.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 1/5/2012 2:25 PM (GMT 0)
Eloy

I am so sorry to read of your husband's heart attack and please know my prayers are with you both. 

Do use the Xanax as prescribed as this will help you manage your anxiety and help you in dealing with your multiple problems.  And yes,  do call your Drs. office today and tell them you need the pain medication.  My hubby has had his pain med filled several times after major surgery and no problems other then you must pick up the RX in person for a narcotic as they cannot be faxed to a pharmacy.

This is where you also turn to family and good friends to ask for help especially making the long drive to where your husband is.  You must take care of yourself and sometimes turning  your worries and fears over to a higher power is the right thing to do.

Sending you many gentle hugs,

Kitt

Posted 1/5/2012 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Eloy,

I'm sorry to hear about your husband. Is there an update?

Keeping your family in good thoughts,
Ashley
Posted 1/6/2012 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
:good news. None of the vessels were blocked and the stents are open after the angiogram. Whew. If the stents were occluded it would have been open heart surgery. Docs can't explain the chest pain, but we are home. My doc called in a generous amt. of loritab to the hospital pharm. it sure helps. My pain is less, but swallowing has become a problem again. It must be that peak swelling you mentioned.a couple bites and I am bent over in pain. Also liquids hurt more than anything. I got some thicket andadded it to some Gatorade , that helps.again, I appreciate al your concerns, for him this is no.4 in 18 mos. so it did frighten me.i am resting in bed today watching movies.
Posted 1/6/2012 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
So happy to hear your good news! Glad you got the pain meds you needed and are taking it easy.
Posted 1/7/2012 12:04 PM (GMT 0)
7 days is far too early to worry it's a rough time after surgery. It's easy to get down and I did myself but after 4 weeks or so your eating will improve and will be less of a worry. My surgeon explained to me it would be rough after surgery for about 6 weeks and wasn't easy but always gets better in time as long as there are no complications. I'm 2 months on now and don't think twice about what I was like after one week it's too early after this type of surgery if you think what you have had done.
Posted 1/7/2012 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
Today for some reason I had terrible chest pain that was in the middle of my chest.it felt like I eas having a heart attack .i took my gasx, some pain meds and xanax.it lasted forever a good 30 min, is chest pain. Normal?
Posted 1/7/2012 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry about your husband. My father has had 6 stents put in over the last 10 years. Last scare was 3 years ago. I hope he's with a good heart doctor.

Sounds like it was a gas bubble pushing on the wrap.
I saw where you posted that bending over was painful. My surgeon told me not to bend over or lift anything over 5 pounds for six weeks.

It also sounds like you're reaching peak swelling. I basically stayed in my recliner for the first two weeks, sleeping and eating.
Have you tried muscle milk? It's high protein/soy based drink.
Posted 1/8/2012 6:27 AM (GMT 0)
Actually I am pain free right now. I am drinking a lot go Gatorade because I got nauseated and vomited for the first time since my surgery. I am guessing it is all the stress, boy what a week. When you all told me to give it time I wanted to cuss all of you out. I thought you were kidding me. That first week was hell, but here I am eating crow because two weeks and a few days and I survived. This has to be the very most challenging surgery of any. I miss my Pilates and my circuit training, and can hardly wait to get back to my exercise regimine. As for eating, I miss it but have gotten used to not being able to eat what I want, when I want. That is the part that really hurts!
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