NISSEN FUNDOPLICATION NIGHTMARE

Linda Sue

Great to hear that you are doing well, remember to go slow. Get you lots of ice packs that way you can start weening you off the pain meds. I so happy you are up and about.

Remember let your husband help you.
Keep smiling you will find a new normal and fell much better.
Love ya Dorthy

Difficult foods for me were: pasta, rice, any raw vegetable except tomato, anything chewy, anything acidic like tomato-y sauces, lemon juice in dressings, viniagrettes, salad-type dishes. Probably other stuff I have happily forgotten, too.

Nothing carbonated, no straws, no chewing gum, no mints, no chocolate anything.

I'm at Week 17 now and noticed just today that I still have trouble with raw carrots, even when I chew them to a fiberous liquid. Strange!

PaulS, I had a terrible time with hiccuping when sitting down to a meal with the family. Often I would have to run to the bathroom and spit out whatever was in my mouth, because the lower sphincter just would not open! Haven't had that happen for about a month, now. Also, still 'irregular.' I take three Citrucel every day, 2 oz. prune juice diluted in water if it's been too many days, and if I'm desperate, Milk of Magnesia. At Week 17, I am still struggling with this.

I eat a well-rounded diet including some (not too much!) raw vegetables such as small salads, and fruit two or three times a day. And STILL constipated! So you and I may just be built that way, and it will take us a lot longer to resolve. I know 'being patient' seems out of the question when you are hanging with your head in the toilet-bowl in total misery. Ask your Doc about a patch to wear behind your ear, used for travel-sickness (I used it for ocean fishing) and they put one on me before surgery to control nausea. That can last up to 5 days, and works really well. (I can't remember what it's called.....) I don't have any experience with the other nausea meds folks have mentioned. Nice thing about the patch; you just leave it on. No med to swallow! You need a prescription for this, should be able to get it from your GP. It has really been helpful for me; I hope it might help you, too. I have always been a big 'barfer', for 66 years to be precise. Lactose-intolerant, etc. Only once since surgery on March 9th, 2015, did I actually try to vomit. Geez Louise! Did that ever hurt! And I am fearful of pulling any stitches loose; I have so many!

I do hope you can get control of the nausea, and being constipated can be really nauseating!

Please let us know how you are getting along, we have all experienced bits and pieces of what you are going through, although maybe not for as long or violently as you.

Keep yer pecker up! Fresh Greens
P.S. Hubby reminds me that patch I mentioned is called 'Scopolamine' and I recommend it without reservation! Best! FG

Post Edited (fresh greens) : 7/5/2015 5:18:56 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Linda Sue

I'm trying to find someone to check my trachea. The diagnois is sublotic stenois they had a story on the news the doctors show about a woman misdiagnoised with asthma and breathing problems finally got the right problem.

I'm waiting to hear from the pulmonary surgeon, my new GI doctor and the surgeon. I've had the million dollar workup so many times this is sad if I find the problem. 4 years after having surgery my breathing has gotten so bad eating is not in the cards mainly liquids and mushy food still.

Ok silly you put the ice packs on your belly it helps with swelling and pain so you don't need to take the pain meds and you will get your bowels and head back in the picture.

Thanks had a wonderful birthday, my friends all turned 50 and they say I'm in the older than dirt club. lol
Let me know how the ER goes, sending good wishes.

Dorthy

Linda Sue

about 10 days just in time for the incision to start healing you will start itching and small pain near the incisions. I take a ice pack to bed lots a lotion for the itching.

I'm glad your doing ok I have an appointment next tues for my trachea I hope this will be the end of having breathing problems way past frustrated and tried of only getting to bites of food then I can't breath.

Talk to you soon, Dorthy

Linda Sue - I was advised to not put anything on the incisions. Just use soap when you shower, rinse well, and pat dry. Once they have had more healing time, you can use some emolient, but you should wait several more weeks. The Docs are worried about bacteria getting trapped under the grease, and you sure don't want that to happen!

Is your bath soap perhaps making you itchy? Maybe you should try something very mild and soothing for a few weeks; such as a baby bath product, or something with oatmeal in a liquid soap base. I never did get itchy, so I don't quite know what you are feeling.

The benadryl always helped me when itchy was an issue, had a squirt of it in my IV the first night in the hospital. I think the morphine was making me itch; all over especially my back!

Hope you get itch relief! Fresh Greens

   Linda Sue   You are on the right path to a full recovery, the itchy is that you are healing. I put just a little bit of lotion and use ice pack to help so it won't drive you crazy. Good thing it only last about 10 days or less.

Great news I'm going back to my old GI doctor to ask for help he is the one who found the new surgeon.

I have an appointment on Mon july 13 and an ent on wed july 15. I still trying to find someone to check the airway and trachea. My breathing today is driving me crazy, good thing I can still loose weight don't eat too much enough to get by. I will keep you posted hope you are doing well.

Love Dorthy

 

Hi Linda Sue:

Glad to hear that things are going well for you. I think that your discomfort may be due the the wrap is at it's peak swelling (usually 10 days to 2 weeks), but that will subside. The incisions may be itchy because your skin was stretched due to your stomach swelling and it's starting to subside - I hope that makes sense. Make sure that you take something for the gas, that can be so uncomfortable.

Take one day at a time, you will have good days and not so good days, but it will be much better for you in the near future.

Sharon

Linda Sue:

I found that being on a liquid diet prevented me from having a normal BM. I experienced dumping syndrome, but never was constipated. It just takes a while for your digestive system to reset itself. It's quite normal to experience small set-backs. I think when we have one good day, we expect it to continue and sometimes do too much. Activity is great, but in moderation. You are so early in your recovery, but it may be that the pain medicine is making you constipated - I've heard that from other people. I suspect that the milk of magnesia just stuck in your throat and got hung up. Don't be discouraged, you did your homework and realize that the recovery is slow, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Sharon

Hi, needed some insight here from snybody ! I had a partial fundo wrap approximately 5 weeks ago and I'm still have some pretty bad dysphagia when eating certain foods (chicken, jello, ground meat , etc. the water and liquids seem to go down pretty good . I have to go in like 3 weeks for a endoscope to go back in there n check everything out. Is it normal to still be choking on foods after 5 weeks out. I did have a bad case of retching/dry heaving about 3 weeks ago and I'm worried about the wrap Beong destroyed . Please help !! Thank you , paul

Hi Linda Sue,

I'm doing ok, canceled my appointment can't have any test done till off my blood thinner.
Sorry don't get to my computer my employer decided to fill my position so I've been looking
for another job. I swear if it's not one thing it's another. I tried to get unemployment and now
they said I quit. Really so I should know in about a week. It's ok, my part time job training 30
hours for 3 weeks. Karma will get my security co, I hear they do this to everyone.

I hope the lemons that I keep getting dealt slow down. I love lemonade but enough is enough.
I found a part time job 20 hours at nights, looking for day work.

How are you doing, my colon is doing better, all the narcotics I took bowels backup to the stomach. My internal doctor put me on something that starts with l maybe levista I will check. I need to get me some
gas x I forgot if you don't fart some of my belly pain is the pressure.

I'm so happy that we are still moving forward I hope you are too. Small steps each day, small amounts of more solids, Love all the veges I've missed for such a long time.
I'll try and write sooner, See ya Dorthy

Oh, SUNSHINE,
You've had such a rough time, it's NOT FAIR. You still manage to have a great attitude and I admire that so much! When you keep getting lemons, you keep making lemonade!!

You go girl! I hope your job situation improves.

I'm 24 days post-op and doing fairly well. My main problem is the constipation and diarrhea that happens while on medication after surgery. I'm slowly getting back to normal and am on a soft diet until the 28th when I can start reintroducing other foods ... slowly and carefully. Boy, I've found if I eat the wrong thing, I will PAY FOR IT!

I hope you continue to improve and hang in there!

Hey SUNSHINE,
So nice to get your update. I still have pain in the center of my chest also, and I'm 4 weeks post-op. I think (hope) this is a normal part of the internal healing process and will be in touch with surgeon to verify this so I can stop worrying so much about it. This is the only pain I still have.

I'm doing pretty well with food but have to eat small portions SLOWLY and once in awhile, I can feel something that's not going down well and I have to wait for it to clear. This is normal. Requires patience and I'm not the most patient person. My age (68) I'm sure is a contributing factor.

My bowel issues are starting to normalize. I drink as much water as I can and still drink prune juice daily. The gas is also starting to subside although I still get some strong flatulance at night. In your case, retreating to liquids is probably a good idea; I did that too a week ago and it helped. I'm still not eating raw veggies or fruit and found out that the fresh fruit smoothies I make do NOT agree with my stomach, so I will stay away from those for awhile yet.

I hope your job situation is working well for you. Be careful not to do too much and rest as often as you can.

If I ever plan a road trip that will take me to your lovely city, I will let you know. My whole future depends on how well I can heal after this surgery. I haven't had a vacation since 2006 when my husband and I visited Barbados!

Please take care and check in with us when you can. We all care about you and pray for you to get your life back!

Hi Linda Sue,

I went to see the surgeon he tells me to give it more time, the Nissan will loosen in time.
He said just keep being patient and don't let the GI dilate your throat or you go
back to the way you were, with Esophigaitis, and ulcers in your throat.

He said make sure you get plenty of powder protein about 70 grams a day. He said this
will help with my hair that is thinning, falling out. lol We must have humor I made
it this far it must me my angels talking to me. I keep plugging away just like the
rest of you one day at a time.

Still working on my bowels, not sure but will give it more time.
Still looking for a full time job. Hope you are doing ok.
The surgeon said the pain in the front will go away in time it's possible because
it's too tight. But it will loosen in time.
Love Dorthy ( and wise words from my OZ)