New to posting, finding my way after fundoplication surgery

Great idea! My husband just bought me a case of the individual containers at Costco - $30 with coupon for 24. I like the idea of mixing it myself. Sometimes I'm lucky to get down 2-4 ozs then I'm left with an open container which I may or may not finish.

NYteller,

Just read your posts on the Muscle Milk. I'll have to agree with Bruce on this one. I drink 2 protein shakes a day BUT...I don't drink Muscle Milk. I have tried their vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate and didn't like any of them but that's just me. I felt like they had a weird aftertaste. I buy a private label kind but I have in the past had the Optimum Nutrition brand in the chocolate flavor. It can be purchased at any GNC store. Muscle Milk does have about 11 or 12 different flavors available in the powdered form. In the pre-mixed, they have only the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and maybe a chocolate caramel or something. Try the ON brand, it is way way better. You might think about mixing it with some almond milk for an added protein boost.

Take care,

Liz

Hi everyone.  I had my Nissen Fundo 6 weeks ago and I am looking for some encouraging words.  The first 3 weeks I choked up food often; the soft food diet given to me, but at least I was free from reflux for the first time in 13 years.  exactly at week 3 I started to feel the signs of slight reflux.  Since then, the more my diet had progress I no longer have choking, but I am getting worse reflux than I had before.  I tried to back off and keep liquid food only going and it still is happening.  I have been taking Nexium, 40 MG and burn right through it.  I take a pepcid a day and Gaviscon.  I am so upset and worried that I fit in the 10 to 15% of people in which this surgery does not work.

I see my surgeon in a couple weeks and have called ahead to tell them what is happening in case they want to schedule some tests the day I am there.  I also scheduled a visit with my GI doc the following week.

I was so very hopeful this was my answer.  I actually cried tonight thinking I mutilated my body (because it's basically irreversible) as a last resort for a better quality of life, and now I am feeling worse. 

Don't want to worry others out there.  I really did my homework.  I talked to 4 people who had the surgery and said it was the best thing they ever did.  My GI doc sent me to the University of Cincinnati to a surgeon he said was better than Cleveland Clinic or Mayo.   She is very knowledgeable, so I believe it to be true.  Anyone else have a similar issue during recovery? 

Sorry so long, I'm just desperate for reassurance. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply Max. I had two different reflux systems. Used to be mostly a chronic intense burn in the pit of my stomach, and on very rare occassions I would get true "wet" reflux. Then a couple years ago I started to get a different kind of pain in the pit of my stomach that would radiate to my back and up into my jaw. My doctor made me get my heart checked, which turned out fine, so they just classified that pain as a new symptom of long term GERD. Insurance no longer paid for Nexium 3 years ago, and nothing worked so I ended up with Barrett's esophagus. So surgery was a good option, or so i thought. My insurance started to cover a portion of nexium just recently, but it is not touching this form of reflux. What I feel now is the pain at the pit of my stomach, radiates further up my throat than ever, and then into my jaw. My reflux never lasted all day long and it never burned into my throat constantly. Not sure my PH test, I know I had one. Hmmm, i wonder if mine is vapor - it's pretty bad. Did you have the Nissen surgery?

I have a second nissen, 1 30 years ago, and one 10 years ago. The second one really screw me up. Severe gastroparesis, and more reflux. My doc had no experince I think on redos. Now I have strong reflux again. Meds give me pain, but I have been doing aloe vera juice, make it myself, take the leave, and remove the green skin, put it on the blender with a bit of honey and warm water. and it is amazing. (don't buy the one in bottles), the preservatives will give you pain, and take the healing power away. There is a poweder out there called glutagenics, i mix it with the aloe vera. very good too. also there is no good drug for gastroparesis in the us, mexico and canada sell prepulsid that was removed from the market here, that is the best one, or if not, domperidona. could not live without it, but after 10 years it is losing its effect. no sodas, no chocolate, no coffee, no GARLIC, no onions, no mint, and no breds.

1st 3 weeks no reflux. I did start to get it at week 3, now at week 6 it is worse. I think it is too early to tell if it really helped me. From my understanding the swelling comes and goes for months really. My doctor said it takes 4 to 6 months to heal to around 60%, and a year to heal to the point where it would be considered completely healed. So I am hoping this is just a period of healing that is creating some form of pressure causing temporary reflux. I will see what the surgeon says.

I gave the operation a year of research. I found 4 people i knew that had it. 1 was 10 years out from the surgery and still reflux free. The others were 1 to 3 years out from the surgery and free of reflux. I didn't meet anyone that said it was a bad idea, so I went for it. So don't let me scare you. I just may be the unfortunate small percentage that it does not work for.

Max - I was getting bad asthma about 4 years ago and did not realize the connection with reflux until an allergy doctor told me her brother has reflux induced asthma. I truly think reflux creates many issues. I have gastitis as well and I think it is caused by powdered Nexium,which was the only form of the drug my insurance would help pay for over the past 3 years. It irritated my stomach, and I think is the reason after 13 years of having reflux I ended up with Barrett's.
I have to believe that statistically, if you find the right surgeon, this works for more people than not. I think I had the right surgeon, I just think I have the wrong body . I know, it's a hard decision and believe me, I have had a few major break downs thinking I did something to my body that I wish I had not.
I wish you luck, I know what you are going through. Keep looking at posts, there are positive stories out there that are encouraging! If you are in daily pain to one extent or another, you do not want to wait until it turns into Barrett's.

Nyteller,

What kind of symptoms did you have?

Nyteller-

You are in the window for peak swelling now. Things are going to be worse right now, but will continue to get better over time. Have patience and go slow with your diet.

Take care,
Bill

Nyteller,

Did you have nausea before surgery?

I wonder if the nausea is caused by excess gas in the stomach?

How many days has it been since your surgery nyteller?

It seems nausea is a common side effect of the surgery.

But for some it relieves it...

I wonder if the way you feel after is based on person, surgeon, previous symptoms, or all.

Hope you better nyteller.

Nyteller-

The peak swelling at 14 days is a generalization. Not everybody hits that exact day. It depends on how our body reacts to the swelling and what we are doing to it(what we are eating, how much rest we get, etc). After my first redo I had a lot of swelling still after 3 weeks And I was not allowed to eat or drink anything after the 3rd day due to a small hole in my stomach that was leaking. I finally got relief from the swelling at about week 5.
I also believe it depends on how rough the surgeon was during the surgery.

Take care,
Bill