BEST SURGERY AND HOW DID IT HELP YOU???

law...so weird...slowly getting better and better!! i can't believe it!!! i had 2 glasses of wine yesterday ... and felt great today???? im in shock. had 6 chocolate coconut cookies 2 days ago...and that did make me sick...but now dying. i wish people were aware that if you get gerd, treat it early enough...you can get better by watching everything you eat and drink along with taking meds for a few months...that there is recovery and can feel 80% back to normal! i read on a post that a man did all the right stuff when he was first diagnosed and he got well!!! i never forgot that post...and followed my body's clues!! whatever the situation, we have to be brave to help ourselves. i'm going to costa rica at the end of may! im so lucky...not bragging...but i actually thought of committing suicide when this journey started!!!!

hi law, how did that horrible test go?? did they find anything new that might help you solve your problems?

i found that if i eat a really good grain bread in morning...as an egg sandwich or whatever...it reeeeaaallly helps me out start my day feeling a lot better. still no meds...but i've been lucky...eating lots of good stuff and not bothering me. my fruit drinks will cause a little burn...but probably mixing the wrong ones. i am able to have a glass of wine or two...if i have something in my stomach!! have a couple of glasses of wine at happy hour once or twice a week!! im sooooooooooooooo happy about that. but, my diet is reeeeaaallly good most of the time. i still puree a lot of my food....makes great soup!! anyway...let me know how you are doing?

dam, so sad, that you feel sic 24/7! if nothing is helping you maybe you are the perfect candidate for surgery. you have to have some relief or i can't imagine??? i was severly ill for the first couple months...i thought the party was over for me...i could not go on that way! scariest pain ive ever been through!!! that is why i wanted to have surgery...i did not want to live like that!!! yes, seems like every week i feel a little better! id say im feeling fine about 90% of the time now. i am so lucky! i sure hope you find your way to feeling better and being happier. hope you feel better on that trip!!

yes, traveling and not being able to eat!!?? omg...that thought made me crazy! and who knows, i believe in miracles!!! hope all goes well for you!

Hello. Here's a thought that our family learned from the doctor even though we didn't like hearing it and was angry about it. He said you must eat NOW to help heal your problem like you should have always been eating before the health problem occurred . There will be no eating anything you want. You must make it priority from now on. Helped most to record what you eat and time of your symptoms. Triggers will be evident-- then they should be avoided for one month. You can try introducing a very small amount and determine if it was worth it. Hope you feel better Kind regards. (No sneaking of the troublesome foods until you have avoided them for one full month --healing progresses during this time. ).

what the future holds for gerd treatment??lifelong ppis are so dangerous for kidneys...will they ever find a cure?

I can help i had my Gastroesophageal valvuloplasty procedure in December of last year. I'll read your comments and answer some of your questions. I just read Dr Gee's write up in Celebration Hospitai in Florida. Robotic surgery is a part of a whole department. I'm impressed.

Okay I've read a lot of comments. I'll tell you my story.

I went for a EDG last year because I have a hiatal hernia and in 2005, I had a stricture. I have follow up EDG's at least every two years for a dilitation and to ensure there is no cancer. My mom passed away from gastroesophageal cancer, and she never had heartburn.

i had twins 7 and 8 pounds for a total of 15 pounds of babies. I have had a hiatal hernia ever since. Over the years, I've suffered from bad heartburn until I was on Asephex twice per day. Something changed in me this time. I was getting major heartburn, pain and regurgitation. Something had to be done, but I was uncertain as to how to proceed because, like you, I knew the Nissen procedure eventually failed. Well, let me tell you. I found a site on FB that has recovery support with people who are s/p Nissen procedure, and another site full of people who had a takedown. After this surgery, your life changes. Many individuals can't eat steak, no French fries, small meals and so much more. It sounds like they had gastric bypass surgery.

As you get older, your hiatal hernia increases in size and causes all kinds of problems. I went looking for a different procedure. As it turned out I live near Celebration Florida where Dr Gharagozloo is located. But I would have gone to any state to have this done.

I had my surgery in December, robotic-assisted gastroesophageal valvuloplasty and Vicryl mesh repair of my hiatal hernia. Postoperatively I had lots of pain, but by the time I went for staple removal, I was better. I was on regular food. For the first two weeks, I had to eat mushy food. Basically I could eat anything but steak or food that was not easy to chew. My only postoperative orders was not to gain weight or lift for six weeks. I gradually increased my exercise.

By 7 months postoperatively, I had lots of pain, chest pain. It wasn't from my heart because I had tests, but I could figure out what it was. I went back to the GI doctor who did a repeat EDG and I have a return of my hernia with Grade D (out of A-D) Inflammation of my esophageal and stomach. He put me on Cafate, and I feel much better.

MY GI doctor wants me to take a look at the Nissen procedure, but I've pretty much ruled it out. I'm going to see Dr Gee next Thursday to see what he says, but I know I need more surgery. I am hoping that my hernia reopened and the rest of my surgery is intact. I'll know better next week. After all I've been through I still have a "virgin"stomach. In the other procedure, the surgeon takes your stomach and wraps it around your esophagus. It isn't natural and has so many problems. Ive communicated with people who have had their stomach wrapped too tight, too loose, can't belch and have a distended abdomen. Go on FB and join some of these support groups to speak with them.

I'll let you know how I make out.

yellow1955, WOW...you have been thru so much, so sad! i was one of the lucky ones...i was living a very stressful life being a caretaker and got very sic for months. they didn't find the cause of the GI problems, so i felt lucky and felt that maybe in time as i relieve the stress, i might get better! and i did everything and ate everything i was suppose to do! it took 6 months for me to feel well enough to go on vacation...but did get better and better every month. now, it's almost 9 months and i could say that i'm 98% - 100% feeling better on a daily basis. i still eat very will...but can eat almost everything and can drink wine as long as im not doing it on an empty stomach!! so, i am sooooooooooooo lucky! thank you for your update...and please continue to do so. thanks!

Hi all,
First time posting, I am 18 days post op from robotic laparoscopic Gastroesophageal Valvuloplasty. I have had problems since childhood. Gallbladder attacks at the age of 11, gallbladder out at 27. Continued to have pain and a variety of issues. After 21 years of nausea, vomiting, severe reflux, IBS, etc. I am hoping to recover. Saw Dr G in Celebration, awesome DR. Time will tell if this was right decision. My esophagus may never heal, my vocal cords he said 6 months. My stomach was herniated and twisted up through diaphragm. I have had more tests over the years than anyone I know, it took this surgery to find and hopefully correct it.