what if I don't follow diet after Nissens?

Everyone recovers at a different pace. I doubt you are hurting anything by eating salad at week 4. I was eating lots of things at week 4. I chewed it like crazy, but I know I had some fried chicken and vegetables and apple pie at week 4 (It was the week of Christmas, so I remember it well). On Christmas eve I had a cheese omelet and skillet fries. They went down fine.

I never experienced anything getting stuck either. I was always just overly cautious. At week 4, my surgeon basically told me I was set free to start experimenting with foods. He said that the food you eat won't damage your wrap, those restrictions are really in place so you don't get food stuck and deal with that uncomfortable problem. Its more to protect your ability to eat food than protect the surgery site. If you are progressing quickly, sounds like something to celebrate! Just don't overeat.... I made that mistake. Your body will continue to adjust to allow bigger meals.

Hi PJess,

My surgeon sent me home on a soft diet, but on Day 5 or 6 told me I could eat anything I wanted, as long as it could be chewed to a liquid (creamy or soft consistency).  Many here are kept on liquid or soft diets much longer.

I could eat toasted bread right away, no problem. (Everything I ate in the beginning weeks were in very small bites with lots of chewing.) If beef was cooked in a crock pot to a very soft, easily chewed consistency, no problem.  Stay away from carrots and celery, because they don't chew well, however, many salad contents can be chewed quite well.

As bowecho said, everyone is different.  Just don't let your swallowing prowess lull you into not chewing carefully and completely.  For me, food choice was trial and error.  If I could chew it completely, I ate it.

I remember once in a restaurant, I ate a half a cherry tomato, and it got stuck.  OUCH! Eventually, it went down, but I got some spasms in the process.  Still, it wasn't the end of the world, and it didn't harm my wrap.  I learned my lesson, though, and started ordering tea and iceless water when eating out after that!

Happy eating!

Denise

I think I'm getting some depression here. For one... I'm single and recovering alone. Its been one week since my nissen and I thought id be feeling better than this. Still feel popsicles or whatever stay in my esophagus too long.. etc. Dr said alll went well.. but I am scared.
Did u guys still feel bad after a week?
I was already underweight and now I've lost more.

Pls send support.
Why does my esopogus still feel sore... irritated... even burning a little?
I had hernia correction and nissen.

Thank u

Any support appreciated

Thank u for your support again Joy.

Hi sopranomeg,

You're very early in the recovery process, and your incisions will take time to heal from the inside-out.  some swelling is to be expected.  I had swelling that lasted a long time, but in the end my incisions healed just fine.

Keep reminding yourself that you have undergone MAJOR surgery.  Healing takes time.  It takes 6 months for most of the healing, and a full year for the rest.  I continued to improve into the second year.

Try to take it a day at a time. Surrender to your recovery, and follow where it leads.  Your body will tell you what you should and shouldn't do.  Keep your food quantities small, take small bites and chew, chew, chew.  You can do this!

You're not recovering alone.  You've got us!

Happy healing!

Best wishes,

Denise

Hi Meg,

Your doc hasn't recovered from this surgery.  Everyone is different. I couldn't drink coffee before or after my surgery. Give your poor stomach a break.  Treat it as if you've just had a stomach virus.  It is inflammed and irritated, and coffee is very acidic.  If it got stopped at the wrap site, it could create lots of irritation, and if your stomach/wrap is inflammed the coffee could set off even more pain.

Hang in there!

Denise 

Hi Meg,

The sooner you can stop the percocet and move to liquid Tylenol, the better, if your stomach is bothering you.  I started the Tylenol early on, and saved the narcotic pain med for nighttime when all those aches and pains seem to be more noticable.

Hang in there!

Denise

Excuse my typos please. I drank emergen - c today. it is vitamin C with other vitamins.

I did get oatmeal down today. No probs swallowing. That's good.. right?

My Forum Family _
God I hope I get well one day so I can somehow repay you for your support....

anyway--
today is my day 14 or 15.
as I told you, I was beyond in pain last night.

went to my surgeon this am and he was not particularly concerned! It was severe gastritis, let's face it--
Starbuck's was not a good choice and some other things so early on.

You guys--
he told me to 'START EATING".
This is is very well known surgeon for this realm. Dr. Kevin Gillian, in VA.
Anyway-- he says I'm not eating enough and wants me to eat, but chew chew chew.

so my boyfriend and I went to subway and I tired my first bit of food--
that seafood-- fake crab stuff-- chewed chewed, swallowed and literally, thought I would faint.
I thought about you guys-- and kept sipping some juice to get it down, but dear God was it scary. Did it a few more times, and darn it-- it just hurt and got stuck too much-- so I came home and had oatmeal which went down with no problem.

You guys--
here are some very imp questions. My doc was not concerned. He said I have not injured my wrap and that I cannot be refluxing from the work he did -- my biggest fear as I WAS a professional singer until reflux stole my voice, jobs, career..... etc.
i FORgot to tell this to my surgeon, but guys, I still feel stuff pool in my throat! I just drank some juice, bent over and good feel it-- do you know what I mean? But I guess it is not really reflux, right?
Has anyone experienced this? If I lay down too quickly as I have have been on all this percosette and stress--
I can still sometimes feel stuff come up in my throat.

My stomach was fine today. Now I ate a little-- what I am supposed to do- and it hurts a bit again. Why does my stomach hurt one min and not the next?

He seems to think all is well. Did you voices ever get a little horse from this pooling? I have also been taking tons of carafate the last two days.

Did Percosette hurt your tummies at all?

Is chamomile tea okay?

thank you.
My hernia surgery and nissen was aug. 14th.

any advice welcome--

warmly, megan