Post Nissen Surgery

First I want to thank all of you who read the posts and contribute in such positive ways. This truly creates a great forum.

I had my surgery on New Years Eve, so I am now on day 3 post surgery. I have been stubborn about taking pain medication because of the side effects-mostly constipation and also I've had the ability to cut short of pain meds in other surgeries. I have recently read that going through a lot of pain slows healing. Also, I find that I need medication mid way through the night but I am not up to making something, and right now having a cracker with the medicine is not recommended.

What have others done?

hello. i spent 2 days in the hospital, after my surgery. not sure what they had me on, but fortunately, i have a high tolerance to pain, so when i got home, i no longer needed pain meds. most important, were i learned the very hard way, was even thou you, may not want to eat, stay hydrated, i cant stress that enough. also if you don't have any anti nausea medicine, have it prescribed, and keep it on hand. can be very helpful. good luck.

swallowing, is going to be a little different for awhile, as the surgery is pretty major, but will improve. got to give yourself time there. just take it easy. follow prescribed diet, and do not over eat. hope this helps

I had my surgery on Dec 18, so about five weeks ago. At this point, I feel good. I still am tender on my incisions from time to time and I have to watch how I eat - small bites, chewed well.

I stayed in the hospital for two nights. The first night, I was not allowed not eat or drink anything. The second day, I had a test done to make sure that everything was tied up good - no leakage. The liquid they made me drink was probably the most disgusting thing a I ever drank. Just thinking about it makes me gag. But it was cool to watch the liquid spread through my system.

The test was successful, so I could have clear liquids that day. The next day I was allowed to go home, and start a full liquid diet. I kept this diet for two weeks until I went back to the doctor for a follow up. It was hard to drink liquids like water - they seemed to hurt more than if I had soup or something. Cream of wheat with protein powder and lots of milk was a life saver. I spent much of those two weeks on the couch, including sleeping there at night. The bed was too flat and my esophagus would feel tender and sore if I slept on it. I also regularly did breathing exercises as directed by my doctor - I think this was to make sure my diaphragm kept it's shape and size since they had to stitch some of it.

My six incisions were closed by stitches on the inside. I had steri-strips over each incision. They did not come off on their own, so the PA pulled them off during my 2-week follow up. I did feel like my innards might fall out! The bandage seemed to have a supportive quality, so once they were removed, I felt weird - like I was soft or something. The incisions are still somewhat tender so I avoid tight-fitting tops that might rub on the scars.

A weird thing, I had the most pain AFTER the steri-strips were removed. It was pain, not soreness that I had been experiencing. If I moved wrong, I would have a sharp pain. When I went for my final checkup, I mentioned that the pain after removal was the most painful part of the surgery. The PA indicated I may have torn one of the inside stitches. Besides that, I experienced little pain. While I was in the hospital, they gave me pain meds via IV. When I went home, I was sore but had very little pain.

When I had permission to add soft foods to my diet, I immediately started to eat a can of pears. They were too hard and I was quickly in a lot of pain! They key really was chew, chew, chew!! Set down your fork or spoon between each bite to help you pace yourself. While eating, I could only manage a very small amount of liquid, like only a few sips, or I felt over-full. One time I felt like I regurgitated. But I haven't had that sensation since I reduced the amount of water I drank with my meals.

I still experience pain if I am not careful with my eating. I have had my husband 'burp me' like a child once or twice. Sometimes I can feel the food moving from my esophagus and into my stomach - very weird sensation.

Random experience - I started having vision problems in the hospital. They had put an anti-nausea sticker behind my ear as a precaution. Apparently those things can cause temporary vision problems after a while. After they removed it, I slowly returned to my normal vision.

Overall - no regrets. No soda for life... worth it. Harder than I thought, but worth it.