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Nessian wrap stuggle

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Posted 8/19/2012 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
I remember having acid reflux as early as 12 years old. Doctors said "oh its a nervous stomach". In my late 20's I had taken Lipitor for my cholesterol. It caused my stomach to become extremely irritated. They performed an EGD and said you have a hiatal hernia and acid reflux (by two gastroenterologist). I was not able to take Nexium or any of the acid reducers beside Zantac and Reglan. So for the next 10 years I suffered. It didn't matter what I ate I had reflux. Nausea, pain from gas, belching, vomiting. I finally had enough and went to another doctor. He performed an EGD and told me "No pill on this planet is going to help you..you need surgery." I went to see a surgeon and he requested the barium swallow and stomach emptying test. The barium swallow did not show a hiatal surgery and the stomach emptying showed my stomach emptied a little slower than normal. I had the surgery August 1, 2012. The surgeon performed an EGD before the surgery. He told me afterwards that I did not have a hernia but an abnormal muscle. Of course at the time I was in pain and not really listening. He performed a semi Nessian wrap. I can burp but its nothing like before I mean I made teenage boys look like babies. So its been 18 days since I've had acid reflux. My diet has been strict. First three days liquid only (broth, jello, juice). The next seven days I could have cream of wheat, broth, milk, ice cream, pudding, mashed potatoes etc. I am now on a diet of pureed meat, pureed fruit/vegetables, pureed casseroles. I'm struggling. When I drink Ensure about 30 minutes later I get flushed, sick to my stomach and feel completely weird. I know I need to heal but I have a fear that I'll never be able to eat normal food again.
Posted 8/20/2012 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

Welcome to the Healing Well yeah yeah yeah Wrap Club! yeah yeah yeah It sounds as if you definitely did the right thing in going for the surgery. I'm glad you're on the road to recovery.

When I read your description of how you feel after drinking Ensure, I'm wondering if you are getting some dumping syndrome symptoms, which is very common after stomach surgery.  It's not a permanent situation, and will resolve once you're farther along in your healing.  I know it's very uncomfortable and diconcerting.  I think it happens after the Ensure because of the sugar content.

Here is some information about the symptoms of dumping syndrome:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dumping-syndrome/ds00715/dsection=symptoms

Here is information about a diet to follow to avoid dumping syndrome:

http://uvahealth.com/services/digestive-health-1/images-and-docs/dumping-syndrome.pdf/view

I'm no doctor, and I can't say for sure what's going on, but it sure sounds like it to me.  If you are at all concerned, please contact your surgeon or GI doc and let them know what's going on.

Glad you've joined us!

Happy healing...

Denise

Posted 8/20/2012 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
I was wondering if it would be wise to stop eating or drinking anything chocolate. I started thinking the other day that this might be a stimulant. The list my doctor gave me does not mention obtaining from chocolate.
Posted 8/20/2012 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

Were you able to open the PDF document with information about an anti-dumping diet?  If you can't let me know, and I'll look for another resource.

I think the sweetness is the problem, if dumping is what you're dealing with.

Good luck!

Denise

Posted 8/20/2012 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I was finally able to open the links. I notice I have less of the feeling when I drink Carnation Instant breakfast. I guess its going to be a trial and error diet for sometime. Thank you. I just hope to get to the point of eating semi normal food.
Posted 8/20/2012 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
You will. You've got a lot of healing ahead of you, but you'll gradually improve, and the foods you can eat will increase and become more normal.

Good luck!

Posted 9/24/2012 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again. about two weeks ago I was getting ready for work suddenly I got really sick to my stomach. I tried to vomit but nothing happened. I heaved several times. I also experienced diarrhea. Afterwards my stomach felt upset. The next day I felt fine. Then four days later I got sick again. This time I felt the sickness gradually then I had to heave and did not vomit. After an hour I felt ok. I started thinking of what I had eaten the past week. I had salads. Also one day I guess I ate too much and felt extremely full the rest of the day. Then last Friday I ate a small York Peppermint patty and got nauseated. It passed. At lunch I ate a small cup of broccoli soup and a small turkey panni. I tried to eat some bread pudding I got nauseated after 5 bites. I spent the rest of the day feeling full. Sunday I had dinners at my mom's and ate too much, got nauseated and felt full the rest of the day. Is it a combination of eating the wrong foods, eating too much? I made the mistake of reading stuff on the internet. Now I'm worried that my stomach isn't emptying fast enough.
Posted 9/24/2012 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Also I saw my surgeon 30 days after my surgery. He said I never had a hernia that the muscle that closed my stomach didn't work properly so he performed a partial wrap.
Posted 9/24/2012 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Did he mention any motility problems after the manometry test?
Posted 9/25/2012 11:11 AM (GMT 0)
Storming-

I have a problem sometimes with getting nauseous when I have dumping. Sometimes it's it's right before or after I have dumping. For me I think my insides are pushing so quickly or hard it affects my stomach and makes it wretch too.

Do you have an anti nausea med on hand for when you feel nauseous? If not please ask to have on prescribed. Dry heaves are too painful and can possibly damage your wrap.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 9/25/2012 12:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

Bill has a good point.  You should definitely have some anti-nausea drugs on hand, just in case.  At your early point in recovery, vomiting or retching can damage your healing wrap.  Let your surgeon/GI doc or PCP.  Let them know what's going on and ask for an anti-nausea script.  If one refuses, go to the next.

People around her either use phenegran, rofran, or compazine suppositories.  I always carry (at 3 and a half years post op) rofan and compazine suppositories, because even now, although I have, and can vomit, I try hard not to, because it's very hard on my wrap.  I find compazine suppositories to be the best for me, because once my stomach is unhappy, adding an oral medication just doesn't sit well. 

I would also suggest over the counter Zantac when your stomach is feeling sensitive.  If you can calm down the acid a little, it might make it feel better.  I have prescription Zantac, and when I have an upset stomach (my stomach is very sensitive, and always has been), I take it, and it feels better.

Don't forget Maalox or Gavascon...both coat your stomach and cut acid.

Hang in there.  You're still early in the recovery process. It takes a full 6 months for most of the healing and a year for the rest.   It will get better as your recovery progresses.

When you have a problem, back off on your food choices and amounts for a couple of days.  Once things are back to normal, wait a week or so, and gradually add in more challenging foods.  My GI doc told me that when my reactive stomach gets going, to wait two weeks after it feels better ("perfect" in his words) before challenging it again.  If yours seems to be bothering you periodically, you may need to move to that rule of thumb.

Hang in there!

Best wishes,

Denise

Posted 9/25/2012 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
Joy - Before the surgery my surgeon ordered the stomach emptying test. He said that I was 2% slower than normal.


Denise and Bill -I'll call my dr for some meds. I woke up this morning and like every morning I feel a little nauseated. I was fixing something to drink (I hadn't even eaten breakfast) I started gagging and then heaving. Does anyone wake up nauesated every morning? I'm so happy not to be having the reflux and the burping that I did have but now I'm in a constant state of worry that this surgery was mistake. I've had a lost of stress since the surgery, work, personal lose and I know the stress isn't helping. My friends and family keep telling me its going to take time. I'm trying to listen.
Posted 9/25/2012 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
I carried nausea medicines for months after my surgery. I'd get nausea sometimes first in the morning.
Posted 9/27/2012 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Its me again. I finally got a hold of the surgeon's office. They made me come in for barium swallow, they were afraid I had herniated my stomach. Tests came back clear. The dr thinks I've completely irratatied my stomach. He wants me to start back on the clear liquid diet and slowly advance. Would taking Zantac or Mylanta help with the irratation of the stomach? He prescribed Zofran but I guess my stomach is so bad it doesn't help. Will waking up with nausea be an on going thing or will it evenuatlly pass?
Posted 9/27/2012 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
try malox
Posted 9/27/2012 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Storming,
I am 4 weeks post-op and I have trouble with some morning nausea/stomach upset. Typically when I sit up and stay that way for a bit, mine passes and is sometimes due to the fact that I become hungry through the night. I don't get up to eat because for the time being, I am not to eat for two hours prior to laying down. I had pretty severe reflux and I have a super sensitive stomach. I am still on my stomach meds during the healing process despite the fact that I have been doing much better with foods. I also only eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup food at a time. This helps with the full feeling and ensures I am not overeating which can cause stomach upset this early in the game. My Zofran works very well, I use 4mg tablets but they do come in a bigger tablet. If your Zofran isn't doing the trick, maybe you just need a bit more at a time.

As the other members have been writing, this is a process that takes most 1 year to completely recover from. Take it slow and try not to over challenge your tummy! It will get better!
Good Luck to you!
Wendy
Posted 10/3/2012 1:40 PM (GMT 0)
Its me again.  I finally spoke with my GI doctor.  He told me to take Zantac and Malox.  I had severe gagging and heaving last week.  I lost 5 pounds from not eating.  I started back on a liquid diet for 1.5 days then started back on soft foods (mashed potatoes, cooked veggies etc).  Then after a few days started back on cooked chicken etc.  I haven't had the severe gagging for 3 days until this morning and it hit again.  I guess my stomach is really sensitive.  I just got to get it in my head its going to take time.  I suffered from severe reflux I just want it to be better right away.  Would it be ok to start drinking tea?  I've only been drinking water since last week.  I really appreciate all your input.  Thank you for being here. 
Posted 10/3/2012 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

Sorry you're struggling, but I think you've gotten things figured out.  Baby that sensitive stomach until it's feeling better.  The Zantac and Maalox wll help.

Everyone is different, but tea has always settled my stomach.  Don't make it really strong and not scalding hot.  If you're anything like me, it'll go down easier than nearly anything else.

Good luck!

Denise

PS...yes...you have to be patient, and this is going to take a long time.  You'll get there, though!  Be consistent with the babying of your stomach.  My GI doc always tells me (with my sensitive stomach) to baby it until it feels PERFECT for two weeks, then try introducing other foods.  It's tough, but it's what it takes!

Posted 10/4/2012 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
Its me again. For lunch today I ate 2 baked potatoes (butter, sour cream and cheese). They were not huge and actually I only ate 1 and half. Its six hours later and I still feel full. Has anyone experienced this? Is there something I can do to help this feeling go away.

Thanks again
Stormie
Posted 10/5/2012 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

You're just a little over two months post-op, so it's not at all uncommon to have some digestion issues.  Remember that your upper GI tract was accosted by surgical tools and stretched, wrapped, and stitched.  It's going to take time for your poor stomach to adjust.  Try smaller portions more often.  Generally that's easier on your healing stomach.

Remember that it takes a full six months for most of the healing, and a year for the rest.  I found improvement even in the second year. 

Patience...healing will progress and you'll gradually see improvement.  If you can surrender to your recovery and follow its lead, it will be much more manageable.  Listen to your body and go wth the flow.  It is as it is.  If you can do that you'll find your recovery much easier.  You can't rush this...it will progress at its own pace, and you have no control over that, unfortunately!

Hang in there!

Take care,

Denise

Posted 4/3/2013 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
its me again.  I'm now on Nexium.  GI said my stomach was so upset from the changes it needed to settle down.  After I started Nexium I'm doing better.  Now I'm having sulfur burps.  Its smells and tastes like rotten eggs.  GI wants me to take 300mg of Zantac at night.  I've been doing it for 2 weeks nothing has changed.  Has anyone experienced this?  I know its going to be a long recovery but the burps are horrible.
Posted 4/3/2013 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Storming,

Sorry to hear you're struggling!  No, I never experienced the "sulfur burps", but they do sound yukky.  I hope you get them under control soon.  Some of our stomachs are more sensitive than others, and PPIs definitely help calm things down and allow healing.  I have a sensitive/reactive stomach, and I find that if I'm into a gastritis flare, PPIs are a big help in getting my stomach healed.

Maybe somebody will be by who can speak to the "sulfur burps".  Stick around for support!

Take care,

Denise

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