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Had my lap. Nissen 4/30/13

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Posted 5/1/2013 10:03 PM (GMT 0)

Hi all, I had my lap. Nissen Fundopliation yesterday. I spent 1 night in the hospital and came home today about noon. Been very tired and having a good bit of pain. I am taking Lortab elixer about every 4 hours. I was sent home with a clear/full liquid diet, which I seem to tolerating OK. But I do feel like there is a big air bubble in my throat. And I also feel like my stomach either wants to burp or hiccup but can't, and that hurts pretty bad. I will post more either later today or tomorrow, hopefully I will be feeling a little better.

 Angie

Posted 5/2/2013 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Angie, I am having a partial wrap on 14th May so am really interested how you get on. Do you mind me asking what age you are? I am 67 and have a little pre-op jitters, so any info regarding your progress would be great....by the way I am in Australia...where are you?


Sandy
Posted 5/2/2013 10:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Angie,

Welcome to the yeah yeah yeah Wrapped Club! yeah yeah yeah I remember those air bubble swallows well.  It's just the surgical pain and swelling giving the illusion of when you take a swallow along with a big gulp of air.  Ouch.  It doesn't last long...The first two weeks are the toughest, as the wrap becomes increasingly more swollen--peaking on or about Day 14.  After that your swallowing gradually gets better.  The air bubble feeling will resolve sooner, though.

I can't remember if I posted on your other thread, but in case you haven't seen it, here's my early recovery journal:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2183443

You're in the most challenging part of your recovery, so hang in there.  It gets better!  If you can surrender to your recovery and follow its lead, you'll do just fine.  Listen to your body, and accept the fact that it has to heal at its own pace.  No matter how hard you try, or how much you fight against it, you can't hurry this recovery.  Just go with the flow, and you'll do fine!

Happy healing!

Denise

Posted 5/2/2013 10:52 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Sandy,

I am 35, I live in Georgia (USA), right above Florida. Today is day 3 and I am still having quite a bit of pain. Still taking the Lortab Elixer about every 4 hours. I have not had any nausea today, so that was good.

I was able to eat a little bit of oatmeal for breakfast, then some very soft (instant) mashed potatoes for lunch, a few sips of apple juice through the day, about 4 ounces of strawberry Ensure, and just had some chicken noodle soup for dinner. So far, everything goes down OK, but, I still get that bubble in the throat feeling and sometimes some chest pain, like I need to burp or hiccup.

Also, I have been sleeping a lot. Seems like I sleep about 2 hours then I'm awake for 2-3 hours, then back to sleep again. Hopefully, tomorrow, I will start to have more energy. I was able to take a shower today and that made me feel much better. I skipped yesterday because I was just to exhausted.

I have 5 incisions on my abdomen. I took the dressings off of 3 of the sites because of the drainage. The doctor said it would be fine to take them off when I took my first shower. I will take the other 2 dressings off tomorrow. I have quite a bit of staples, but, so far the sites look good.

I will post more tomorrow, hope everyone has a good evening.

Angie

Posted 5/2/2013 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise, thanks for welcoming me to the wrapped club (I was hoping to hear from you, makes it seem official, lol). I have read through your recovery journal several times and reread through it again last night.

It has been very helpful. I will continue to post my progress and follow others also.

Thanks again, hope everyone has a good night.

Angie

 

Posted 5/2/2013 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Angie thanks for the quick reply, I am encouraged by all the info on this site and wil be posting on it myself after surgery..I hope you continue to recover well. thanks again...looking forward to reading more from you. By the way I live right near the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia..regards Sandy
Posted 5/4/2013 2:01 PM (GMT 0)

Post Op day 4-5

Hi all, yesterday was my post op day 4. It was up and down through out the day. Started out with a lot of pain, then was able to do more stuff middle of the day, then ended the day with a lot pain. I think the pain came back worse later in the day due to stress. My oldest son (I have 3 sons), who is 16, got his drivers license yesterday and of course wanted to drive by himself. So there was some arguing about that, but, I ended up losing the battle and all was fine. I am just terrified of him driving without myself or my husband in the car with him.

Anyway, it was an up and down kind of day, now moving on.

I have noticed my tummy swelling more and the shoulder pain seems to come and go, but at times it can be severe.

Also, I feel like I am having spasms sometimes. It seems like when I sit up or get up out of the bed, I'll have one. Feels kind of like a hiccup. Any thought on this?

And...I wanted to ask about weight loss/gain post op. The morning of my surgery I weighed 193 pounds. On my third day post op I weighed 199. I was shocked at the weight gain, considering I have eaten very little. I am thinking it may be due to the IV fluids I received in the hospital. I know I received at least 3 bags of fluids (3 liters) while I was in the hospital.

Today, day 5, I weigh 197 (still 4 pounds over my pre surgery weight). I was hoping to lose some weight after this surgery, not gain weight. Any thoughts on this would be helpful.

Thanks for all your help,

Will try to post more later.....

Angie

Posted 5/6/2013 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Post op day 6-7

I am continuing to do better each day. Yesterday (Sunday), I was able to do a couple of loads of laundry, but other than that, tried to rest most of the day. I am not taking the pain medicine quite as often now. I usually take a dose about every 6-10 hours, and it definitly helps to sleep better. I do seem to have trouble getting comfortable when I try to go to sleep. I am a side sleeper and am just getting to where I can sleep on my sides. It had been very uncomfortable when I would try to roll over on my side, like my wrap didn't like it (almost like a pulling feeling).

Anyway, today is day 7, and I am alone for the first time since having the surgery. My husband and kids are back to school and work and my mother went back home this past Friday. I got up this morning very motivated to get some things done. I cleaned the kitchen (to my standards-husband and kids just don't do it very well) and the living room, and have done about 4 loads of clothes. Then took a shower and all of a sudden the pain came back pretty strong. I have been doing a lot of bending and moving around in general today and probably over did it. So I am sitting down for a few minutes. The kids will be coming in from school soon and I need to rest while I can.

I will post more again later, happy healing everyone!!

Angie

Posted 5/7/2013 12:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Angie,

I have enjoyed reading your journal! It sounds like you are doing well and improving a bit everyday. Did you have the full wrap? Also, can you explain to me the type of pain you've had with this surgery? Is it mostly swallowing/gas pain or stomach pain? Can you still burp? My Docs are trying to avoid surgery for me but eventually I feel I will need at least a partial wrap. I'm very anxious about it and need all the info I can get at this point.

Wendy
Posted 5/7/2013 9:47 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Wendy, yes I did have the full wrap. I started out with the feeling of a bubble in my throat the first couple of days. But that has since went away. Yes I can still burp. Started out very tiny burps, but they seem to be getting a little bigger, more like a normal burp. The pain is much better since the day of surgery. First day pain was pretty bad, sharp, aching, but as long as you stay on the pain meds, you can keep it to a tolerable level. First few days, pain just keeps you from being able to more around like you normally do and it seems like it is instinct to just be real careful. After a few days, you realize that you can move around pretty good.

Hope this helps and good luck with everything.

Here is my update:

Post Op Day 8

Well let me just start off by saying that last night, I got the worst case of hiccups I have ever had. I had a small bowl of banana pudding icecream for dinner (was craving some icecream) and about 2 hours later the hiccups started. They lasted for over an hour and were so painful. I ate a couple of Gas x and sipped some water, but man, was it painful. My chest feels sore today from them.

On with today...after yesterday I did not feel that well, tired and sore all over. I started out the day telling myself I was going to take it easy, but, as time went on I ended up doing more stuff around the house. Mostly laundry, and then made a big pot of vegetable soup and a desert my youngest son has been asking me to make. Now I am exhausted and having some pain/soreness due to so much bending over today. Not severe, just more of an aching pain.

I had been dealing with some constipation, but now, its starting to go the other way. At one point today, thought I just needed to pass gas and had an accident, if you know what I mean. I know to be more careful now.  Also, weighed myself today, 191 lbs. So I am down 8 lbs since the day I came home from the hospital, but technically only down 2 lbs from presurgery weight. (Went from 193 to 199 the one day I was in the hospital-due to IV fluids i'm guessing). Hoping the scale continues to go in that direction.

I will try to take it easy the rest of the evening. I have to get up in the morning to take my mother to the DR and then grocery shopping. It will be my first real outing since the surgery, hopefully all will go well.

Til next time....

Angie

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