My recovery journal - hernia repair and NF

I had a haitus hernia repair and Nissen Fundoplication done last Friday (Sept 18), and I thought that I'd update here with how recovery has gone so far.

I arrived at the hospital at 6:20am on Friday, and I was in surgery by 7:00am. My surgery was about 3 hours long, and everything went smoothly. Coming out of anesthesia was a nightmare. I wasn't given any anti-emetics initially, and my nurse gave me a shot of morphine without any gravol. I ended up heaving twice, and it was about the most painful thing I've ever experienced. (The pain went away immediately though, and I haven't had any reflux or pain since, or I'd be worried that something happened to my wrap.)

Thankfully at the nurse shift change I got a nurse who better understood the surgery I had and she made sure that I was given anti-emetics around the clock. (To anyone is having the surgery - do not be afraid to assert yourself if you feel like you need more to control nausea!) I dozed on and off for the first 24 hours.

I did not see my surgeon after the surgery, and found that the staff at the hospital were, in general, lacking in knowledge about my surgery and what was okay for me to eat/drink afterward. My surgeon had left instructions saying that I would be okay to swallow pills and start on soft food by day two, and surprisingly, she was right. I was able to swallow my smallest pills, but didn't feel comfortable attempting the larger ones. I had cream of wheat for breakfast on Sunday and it went down well.

I was discharged Sunday around noon, and was very thankful to come home. Sunday night I noticed that I was starting to react to the steri strips over my incisions and my stomach is now covered in blisters. (I am allergic to latex and some adhesives, so this didn't surprise me.) I was also horribly bloated for the first three days.

I am still taking liquid codine at bedtime and tylenol twice a day, but I am finding that each day is better than the day before. I'm also sleeping really well - and flat on my back too! No reflux, no waking up choking on stomach acid in the middle of the night. It's amazing!

I've been really cautious with food so far - soup, cream of wheat, applesauce, a spoonful of sherbet, scrambled eggs, a really moist pancake (that took me almost 45 min to eat), canned peaches and I tried a small piece of toast last night. The toast is the only thing that didn't go very well, and it will probably be a while before I attempt it again. (I had shoulder pain for the first time last night, and it was not fun!)

Remembering to take small bites, chew well, and take small sips of water has been a challenge, but I'm getting used to it. (Also, feeling food/water stop at my wrap and then makes it's way through is an interesting experience!) I am missing solid food (mainly my beloved chocolate) something fierce today, though! But at least I'm able to have coffee without any issues. Very thankful for that.

Overall, recovery has been great so far! I would recommend this surgery 100% to anyone who was considering it. I am prepared for any challenges that come up in the next few weeks - less energy, more fatigue, not being able to eat as much - as my wrap swells, and I owe you all a huge thank you for helping me to be so prepared for the surgery and for the recovery so far! I will update when/if anything changes!

I am glad to hear your surgery and recovery are well. I like to see more positive stories. All of the positive stories on this site helped me decide to have the surgery.

One thing to note about gas. I did not have much the first few weeks either, but now that I have added more things to my diet I am finding I get more gas. I think the onions in the fried rice I ate the other night have caused me a ton of gas. I have been using the Simethicone drops for babies and it is working well.

I have been doing the same as you, just taking it easy and not adding to much at one time. It seems to have worked and I don't want to have to go through it again just because I didn't listen.

I started walking a couple miles every day after the 2 week mark.

brittbritt,
Glad you're doing so well. Please don't disappear until after 3 month post-op, as you will probably have some ups and downs along the way. I've been there. I'm just under 3 months post-op and for awhile, I was wondering if my wrap was damaged when I went back to work at the 6 week point. My pain increased as did pain meds and I had to stop working and take it real easy. I've had some serious ups and downs but no more acid reflux. I also had two ER visits for scans & x-rays and a Barium Swallow just this past Tuesday that confirmed that my wrap is indeed, intact.

I post this as I've seen so many people lately that post their first week or so after surgery and then they disappear and we don't know if they had a successful surgery or not. The first few weeks are critical, but even MORE so is the recovery process over the following month or two and THAT'S what people need to read about.

I do believe most people who have this surgery done by a highly skilled surgeon specializing in the LNF have a good outcome, but they also have challenges along the way and we all need to know what to expect and as much detail regarding the challenges as we can get; GOOD OR BAD, during recovery of this most serious surgery.

Age and general health make a difference, as does attention to the post-op instructions the surgeon provides, home care and being mindful of proper rest, etc.

There are at least 6 LNF patients who had this surgery recently and just disappeared and I've been wondering how they are doing.... I have not posted my 'Recovery Journal' yet as I am waiting to make certain that my surgery is a success. That should be in the next few weeks. I'm 68 and will take longer to heal.

Hi BrittBritt,

Sounds like things are going fairly well for you. I am 2 months post op and for now, I seem to be doing great. I struggled with some dietary issues, based on the small amounts of food that we can eat afterwards. I still eat half of what I used to per meal so eat about 5 times per day. Per my dietitian, I always have some proteins with each meal and snack. As my wife will attest, I have more gas now than I had in the past, but that is because more goes the other way. I can burp, but not as much as before. I would keep the gas x handy as I didn't need it for a few weeks. Since then I take it when I have a gassy meal. Take it easy, chew very well and don't overeat. Good luck. (my recovery journal link is at bottom of my signature).

Thanks for posting about your experience!