HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Nissen Post op Questions

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/7/2013 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
For those of you who have had the laparoscopic nissen fundoplication surgery, did you find yourself sleeping the majority of the time afterwords? Were you in too much pain to watch netflix on your computer? Were you in too much pain to sleep right after the operation? Is there a pain somewhere that makes you only be able to sleep on your back, could you sleep on your side, do they tell you that you should only sleep in a certain position afterwords? How well did the pain meds they give you help you to relax? I'm sure some of these are silly questions but I'm still curious.

Thanks!
Posted 10/7/2013 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
Diaas2

They will give you pain meds for the pain. Take them if you need them. I was on the computer while in the hospital, on here of course, LOL.

I found that sleeping in my recliner felt best for the first couple weeks. Sleeping on your side can be a little tricky at first. When getting in and out of bed roll to your side and use your arms to push yourself up. Abs will be sore.

I was given a patient controlled pain pump while in the hospital and had hydrocodone for at home. It worked quite well for me. If you haven't taken it before it can make you tired.

There isn't any sleeping restrictions, just what is comfy for you.

Take care,
Bill
Posted 10/7/2013 4:49 AM (GMT 0)
Diaas2-- I was very groggy after my surgery. I was in pain, but as Bill stated, you'll be given pain meds as you need them. You're going to be sleepy and feel zapped of energy immediately after the surgery. However, each day you will see improvement. I had difficulty sleeping on my side-- it was painful. But by the end of the week I think that I was eventually able to sleep on my side. The pain meds are effective in managing the pain. You'll know when they wear-off-- you'll start feeling the pain return.

I left the hospital the next day and was able to watch TV and movies. I suppose I could have watched Netflix in the hospital-- it all depends on how you feel. Remember, you don't want to rush anything. Give your body time to heal. You're going to be sore and tired.
Posted 10/7/2013 5:58 AM (GMT 0)
I was groggy the first 24 hrs. I'd doze off and on between doctors and nurses coming in and out.
I spent the first week in the recliner sleeping, watching tv, and reading. I was able to lay in bed on my back for a few nights before sleeping on my side. Be prepared for some pulling feeling in your stomach. I was able tolerate it but some might not like it.
Posted 10/7/2013 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
I slept in my bed, on my side, as usual. I could not get interested in anything for any length of time the first week. I don't think I used the pain meds enough the first 5 days, if I had, maybe a movie might have interested me. The pain was not bad, just more of an overall discomfort.

I was given Toradol for pain in the hospital instead of narcotics. I think it was because I warned them that I get nauseous with narcotics on an empty stomach. I never felt pain in the hospital, at all. The nurse would keep asking me about my pain level, my answer was always 0. They did start me on the liquid hydrocodone prior to discharging me, Toradol only works for me via IV, not pill form.

Since you can't eat much, volume wise, you will have to eat often. Being prepared for those small meals in advance is important. You are doing that already - which is great! I did not look forward to eating, but after 4-5 days, it got easier. I still don't look forward to eating after a month.
Posted 10/8/2013 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
It all sounds doable. I wanted to reply sooner to these responses, I was working a bit later today.
I like the idea of having that patient controlled pain killer! I'll plan to bring some things to keep me company, including this laptop. Looks like I've decided to write my own journal. I almost started it now, but it seems too soon.

Post Edited (Diaas2) : 10/7/2013 7:22:07 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/8/2013 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
I was not really in that much pain honestly, it was totally do-able.
They gave me morphine, which for some reason did not work nearly as well as the liquid vicodin, so I ended up just telling them to give me the liquid vicodin and not the morphine. I think that surprised them. I was pretty out of it in the hospital. I guess I took a bunch of pictures of my dad and I on my iPad that I dont remember and they are hilarious. I sat downstairs the week I came home and watched lots of netflix. I had post anesthesia blindness a little bit which was weird. I could see, but I couldnt read a thing! I actually did not read any magazines or books for two weeks and had trouble texting and emailing, so my family helped tell my friends and stuff about how I was doing.
I had planned on writing in my nissen journal on here right away, but since I couldnt read or see I tried to remember enough to fill everyone in after the fact.

I think the worst part for me was coming off the pain meds. I wasnt in pain, but they made me really emotional.
Posted 10/8/2013 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
In the hospital, I was on dilaudid with the "magic" PCA button I could hit every 10 minutes as I needed. I didn't want to be in ANY pain at all, so I made sure to hit the button as often as it'd let me for the first day or so. My nurses were very good about checking in on me every so often to gauge my pain level and would give me a boost if I needed it. That only lasted the first two days. After that I was on liquid vicodin and that was fine. Once I was home the liquid vicodin came with me and I only needed it for a few days. I didn't have any serious pain problems otherwise.

I was out of surgery around Noon and in my room by 2pm. I think I was awake pretty much up until the early evening...enough to have a small meal...then was asleep the rest of the night. After that I was fine. I'd get up to make the walk around the unit, read quite a bit and watched every awful B movie on Netflix I could find. My nurses made sure that I wasn't in bed much. In fact, they'd help me get cleaned up in the morning and then put me in a chair where I'd stay most of the day unless I took a nap and then I'd be back in bed. Once I was home, I was able to sleep just fine on my back but felt the most comfortable on my left side. Sleeping on my right side was difficult for the first couple weeks.

Lots of great questions! Keep asking as they come up!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply