Hello everyone, my name is Liz I'm a 31 year old single mommy living in Florida. Over the last 7 years I have been dealing with acid reflux, this started when I was pregnant with my oldest, she's 6 and a fireball like the one I felt in my stomach since I conceived her lol. Anyways, so while pregnant I was told it was from pregnancy so I took Pepcid twice a day and tums almost all the time. I had her and the reflux didn't resolve, then I got pregnant with my son and it was the same. Years went by I medicated with Pepcid once in a while when it was bad, then I was taking it every night, then twice a day, then it wasn't enough and I took omeprazole. I modified my earing behaviors, and times everything that I knew about
dealing with reflux at home. Well in this time I dealt with having two kids 13 months apart, a terrible divorce and I moved myself and my kids 2 hours from their father. So the nurse in me thought, ok this reflux is definitely from: first- when I was pregnant the two times consecutively and second- the insane stress I was dealing with.
Well, I was wrong, as I settled into my new city, I established a primary care ARNP (1/2018), I figured I guess I should do something about
this reflux its not better. She promptly put me on omeprazole 40mg daily. Well after a month I went to see her because reflux was getting worse, which is when I admitted to her that for the last 1-2 yrs I was actually waking up choking, coughing and sometimes vomiting. I constantly tasted gastric juices in the back of my throat, I've had laryngitis idk how many times. She inquired further about
my recurrent sinus infections... apparently connected to GERD as I found out later. Also I have a family history of esophageal and stomach cancer.
She promptly added ranitidine 300mg at night and sent me to a wonderful GI Specialist in my city (2/2018). I saw him about
a month later (3/2018) and he was very concerned given my years of symptoms etc. So I was scheduled for an Upper GI Endoscopy (esophagogatroduodenoscopy) with BRAVO and a colonoscopy (I have history of blood in my stool). I had the procedures done 4/2018, my doctor post procedure looked concerned, he stated he it was obvious my level of discomfort because as soon as he inserted the scope he saw me refluxing, he also removed 5 colon polyps! 3 of which were more than likely precancerous because they were large. My inpatient nurse-self returned to work the next day (I'm a surgery nurse for the same company that I had my procedures) so I requested they send me all my results and they were promptly faxed to me. My follow up wasn't for another 3 weeks! So after seeing my results and going for my follow up I was told that 3 of the 5 polyps were precancerous as he said they likely were. I have a 2cm hiatal hernia; my Bravo showed my reflux was off the charts. I spent more time of the day refluxing than not whether I felt it or not. I had grade 1-2 esophagitis which surprising to him, but he states I am, fortunate in that I was proactive about
my issues (even though I waited a few years!). So he referred me to a surgeon in his office who specializes in reflux surgery and I saw her the following month.
After my initial surgery consult, she was without a doubt certain I would need a fundoplication. My symptoms, testing and family history all point at me having surgical intervention. She sent me for a modified Barium Swallow also know as a Upper GI Series with barium; for this I had to take images of my esophagus after drinking barium alone, barium with a marshmallow and barium with a bagel. I had to this standing up and then again laying at a 15degree Trendelenburg (head down 15 degrees). Standing I was fine, laying down with the marshmallow and bagel I knew I failed, it was stuck in my throat and took many, many swallows to clear. When I followed up with the surgeon my swallow study showed I have esophageal dysmotility and takes bit to clear food, likely from my reflux and hernia. She determined I need a toupet fundoplication, which is a 270 degree esophageal wrap versus the nissen which is 360 degrees. For this she need me to lose weight mostly in my core. I weighed about
195, from then until now (about
3-4 months) I am down to 170. I went for follow up with her and she wants another 15-20 lbs. Which I fully understand and I'm moving forward, in the mean time doing my research I've come across information about
Dr. Gharagazloo in Celebration, FL, he specializes in the reflux surgery most on the forums know as ESOPHAGEAL VALVULOPLASTY. He basically recreates the Gastro-esophageal valve that the hiatal hernia and/or reflux has damaged. Fundoplication surgery basically creates a sphincter which is why many of those who have had it have issues with swallowing, burping, vomiting, etc. Those things are body functions that we are supposed to be able to do, with the valvuloplasty you can do those things as he is recreating what was already there versus making something that wasn't.
His office is about
an hour from my home, so I called and made an appointment and I will be seeing him next week, I've had all the necessary work up and am hopeful that I qualify for his procedure. From the research I've gatherers, videos I've seen, blogs I've read, it seems as thought he Valvuloplasty outcome are far better than those of the fundoplications. I am very very curious to see what he has to say.
My main goal is to be off the PPI's- as a woman, the bone density loss is not something I want to consider, I have a family history of esophageal cancer which with PPIs is also a risk, PPIs stop the "burning" from reflux, but you in fact still have reflux which eats away at your esophagus and increases your risk for barretts and esophageal cancer among other things.
Please if anyone has seen him already please give me some suggestions as to what I questions I should be asking, even though I'm a nurse, I'm human so often can forget what important general questions to ask. Thanks to you all in advance for the support!
Love, LIZ, RN
Post Edited (NurseBetty12) : 8/31/2018 12:05:30 PM (GMT-6)