Surgery on Dec 2

Hi Pink,

Sorry no tips as I haven't had the op. But just wanted to say that I'm really pleased to read that at long last you are having surgery for some of your symptoms. I do hope that this will not affect your swallow and I wish you the very best for the day.

Noelle

Good luck! I had similar scores and could not handle the full. Have not noticed improvement since doing a partial but my problem has always been LPR and throat issues (sore throat, mucus/phlegm throat)

Hi Pink,

Good luck tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you. As far as tips go...

You're well informed with all the time you've spent on the forum, but here are a few that come to mind:

Watch out for "no-nos" on the trays they bring to your room. Often the kitchen staff and even nurses don't really know the ins and outs of this surgery. I got a can of ginger ale full of carbonation, and a straw on my first meal tray. So be careful, and speak up (or quietly set aside the offending foods) if you get something you know you shouldn't eat/drink.

A night nurse gave me the best-ever advice. She told me to get up and walk around whenever I got up to go to the bathroom. So that's exactly what I did. I walked and walked around the floor, wheeling my IV pole with me as I went. I found that the more I walked, the less my shoulder hurt. That shoulder pain is really hard to take, so be sure to get up and walk as much as you can.

Once home, you're likely to find lying down with your upper body elevated is the most comfortable.

Be sure to have some liquid Motrin or Tylenol on hand. Most likely you won't need the heavy duty pain medication for more than three days or so, and you'll likely go to just taking it at night fairly quickly.

Stay away from iced drinks, as they can cause uncomfortable spasms. I always found warm/hot (but not extremely) drinks helpful, as they relaxed my esophagus and helped with swallowing. When something got stuck, a warm drink calmed things down, and helped with any discomfort.

If you do find something feeling stuck, don't panic. Just try to relax and take sips of a room temp or (preferably) warm drink, and it will go down eventually.

Be sure that your meds make it through the wrap, as they can be very irritating if they sit at the base of the esophagus. If they're not time-release, you can crush them and mix them with yogurt or applesauce. Some people don't have a bit of trouble swallowing pills, but I'm not one of them. I got my docs to switch some of my meds to two half-doses, or another type of medication that comes in a smaller pill. I also take liquid calcium and fish oil, rather that large pills.

If any questions come to mind, be sure to ask. We're here for you, and will look forward to hearing how you're doing when you make your first post-op post!

Good luck!
Best wishes,
Denise

Good Luck Pink! I'm so glad u r doing surgery. I predict the your swallowing problems will be much better than what u expect.

Look forward to hearing from u on the other side

Jason

Hi Pink,

Welcome to the Wrapped Club! Glad to hear your surgery went well and you're on the other side. Keep in mind that the esophagus is a dumb organ, and it interprets all pain as reflux.

Don't assume that you'll continue with bothersome reflux just because your wrap is a loose one. While reflux is possible after any wrap (if it was tight enough to stop all reflux, you wouldn't be able to get food through), in the early stages, pretty much anything is possible, as your wrap will be swollen and can be misshapen because of that. No need to project those problems into your future!

The first two or three weeks are the worst, so hang in there. The first few days of swallowing are especially troublesome. It's very common to have painful swallowing. Did you see my early recovery journal in the resources? It describes the difficulties swallowing I had. I remember not even wanting to swallow my saliva. One day I was making a ton of it as a reaction to the irritation of the upper GI tract, and I just spit it into a tissue, rather than swallow.

Keep in mind that your wrap will become increasingly more swollen during the first two weeks or so. Your swallowing can get more difficult before it gets better. However, the super painful first few days improve, so you should notice some improvement from this first day's swallowing pain.

Get lots of rest, and give your body time to heal. Laproscopic surgery can be deceiving...with just a few little slits, we forget that we have undergone major surgery, and our insides have been through a surgical trauma. If you can surrender to your recovery and follow its lead, you'll do just fine!

Happy healing,
Denise

Hiya Pink, please don't panic at this stage,i would say its the swelling of your esophagus after the op and you have a motility issue aswell.
I remember complaining to nurses after my op that I still had reflux.It turned out to be esophageal reflux and not acidic from my stomach.
Give it some time.
Barry

Hi Baza,

It's reflux coming from the stomach, I feel weak reflux all the time, bending sitting or standing.

I had a 200-220 degree wrap. It's almost as though I am full of gas all the time, I'm wondering if something else such as gastroperisis is going on as well?

I'm so pissed off

Hi Barry,
I've been refluxing since 4am this morning non stop, it's exactly the same as before only now I have esophageal spasms as well. I can feel the liquid dribble through then reflux back up and it burns.

Due to see the surgeon in two weeks, but am not hopeful in fact I feel worse than I did before the surgery.

Baza

Did your oesophageal reflux burn all day long or just when you ate?

Thanks

Pink

Yes that sounds the same, I have not drunk anything and yet I'm refluxing - then when I do drink fluid I get massive chest pain and burning.
Also lying down - reflux I just do not get what's going on, I'm really struggling with this today.
Wish to god I'd did never had it done.

How long did your oesophageal reflux take to go away?

Pink

Hi Barry,

I have just been lying on the sofa - it's definitely reflux. I swallow and I can hear it gurgle through, then 2 seconds later my stomach gurgles and up comes the reflux.

I think the trouble is the wrap is not tight enough but I cannot have it any tighter because of my poor motility.

I swear to god they could take my stomach out to give me some relief.

I need to contact the surgeon after a few more days and get it taken down.

Thanks for all your help

Pink

Hi Pink and Barry,

I had my second fundoplication and hernia repair on November 20, two weeks ago today. I can barely swallow anything today and food seems to keep getting stuck. Still eating only liquids and pureed foods, yogurt, applesauce, etc. I'm super hungry but just can't get much down. Supposedly the swelling of the wrap peaks right about now so I'm hoping it's just that and it will start to get better in the following weeks.

As for all the reflux right after surgery that you're having, Pink. Don't worry! It doesn't mean everything was a failure. Things take time to settle down and you're also reacting from the anesthesia just like anyone who has been put under. Most people experience the reflux. It's very tough on your body and you are detoxing. Just try to give yourself two months before you decide whether it was a success or not, and expect that each day can bring some different sensations and issues but that tomorrow, those things can change and all will be well.

I had such bad reflux at first, they put me on a continuous drip of Nexium while I was in the hospital. Now that I'm home, I've been taking 20mg every morning of omeprazole. I have to open the capsule and mix the little balls with applesauce and swallow. Otherwise the tiny pills get stuck in the wrap and that is very irritating and uncomfortable.

I hope things start to settle down for you as far as the reflux goes. Keep us posted....