2 weeks post op Nissan

Hi there,

Thought I would share my experience so far and also have a couple of questions. So happy I found this site! I wish I had found it before surgery as alot of my questions would have been answered. At least I have this going forward. I have had acid reflux for 12+ years and was on PPI's and Ranitidine for the duration of that. With the complications that the medicine has and does to your body and the PPI's not really working anymore, I decided to go ahead with the Nissan hoping for a great outcome. I also had a 3 cm hiatal hernia that wasn't helping my problem. Surgery went well, I was in the hospital for an overnight stay. Only pain I had was in both of my shoulders, left being worse, and my neck. I only had the pain meds in the hospital but did not take them at home. Tylenol a few times but that was it. The pain lasted for about a week. Felt like I had alot of gas trapped perhaps.

First week I was on a complete liquid diet. about 4-5 days after surgery I had a bit of heartburn. I immediately thought this had failed. I was looking over my discharge papers at this time, and found that the doctor said to continue to take the Ranitidine which I had completely stopped night before surgery. I had stopped the Nexium a month prior to surgery as it was not helping me anymore and honestly when I stopped it, as weird as it sounds, my reflux seemed a little better. I then called the doctor office as I thought he had told me that after surgery I didn't need meds anymore and they said that yes, while I was in the healing process that I was to continue on that so I started taking the Ranitidine again and my heartburn symptoms completely stopped.

The second week I have been on a soft diet, mostly blended scrambled eggs, blended potatoes and carrots, broth, applesauce, yogurt and ice cream. I found that butter and salt are not your friend. If I added a tiny bit to have some flavor I had a stomach ache. I was a big water drinker before this, but honestly, now I have to force myself to get a couple of tall glasses in a day. Just don't feel much like drinking. I also have this foul taste in my mouth from the beginning. Hoping that goes away. After I drink my tea especially. I tried my decaf coffee which I normally love, but that doesn't taste good at all. I am amazed at how little one eats now. Today, I start my soft diet for the next 2 weeks. I just ate part of 1 scrambled egg without it being blended and it tasted really good and seemed to go down OK. So far so good!

I did have a little bit of setback tho. I am a mail carrier and so I tried to go back to work 12 days after surgery. The way I sit in my car which is kind of in the middle and reaching out to the boxes plus steering with my left arm is all upper body movement. about 1/3 of the way into my 350 box delivering my chest started to ache and through my back between shoulder blades. I really felt like I did day 2-3 after surgery. I was hoping that I hadn't put to much strain and overdid it so that I would have done damage to what had been done with this surgery. I felt exhausted. I had felt so good before this and I thought I was ready. I immediately knew that I wasn't ready. It was too soon. I am hoping I can go back to work in another week. My job is a contract position so when I don't work I don't get paid so that is why I would like to get back as soon as possible. My doctor had told me that I could try and I would know if I wasn't ready and boy he was right! I knew! I go for my post-op on 1/16 so I'm hoping the next day I can go back to work which would be exactly 3 weeks after surgery. I am definitely not one to sit around but I do realize that my body has been through alot and I need to give it the time it needs to heal. By putting strain like that on your body, could it do anything to your wrap? It ached for a couple of days and my swallowing seemed to be more difficult. Was thinking the irritation probably cause some swelling to occur and that's why swallowing is a little more difficult? Seems to be getting better this morning.

One thing that started 10 days after surgery is hoarseness. I have been that way for 4 days now. Not sure what this is. I have no signs of a cold at all. I am thinking it is from the tube down your throat in surgery but not sure why it would be so delayed. Anyone experience this after surgery?

Also the "dumping thing" has happened to me twice since being home. Yikes! That is unpleasant and thanking god I was home. Any information on why this happens? Is it something I eat not agreeing? Does this last forever or is this during the healing process? Also stool is yellow. Am thinking that is the diet I am on with this whole thing. Been like that since home from the hospital.

All in all, so far, I believe things are going well. I am 62 so the healing process will be a bit slower the older we are. I feel so much better tho with no heartburn and I am hoping that this a complete success and the doctor will give me go ahead to go off Ranitidine. So far I am thinking I should have done this years ago.

Thank you!
Shanon

Thank you Dencha for the information and your tips and journey. I appreciate it! I could relate to alot of the same things I am experiencing with your experience. I'm so happy you have so much success with your surgery and I am hoping for the same. So far, I feel so much better. I just tried a cup of decaf coffee again and my stomach just doesn't like it! Decaf tea really isn't agreeing that well either. I miss a hot drink tho! Oh well perhaps in time. From what I'm reading I wasn't expecting the healing process to take so long, as when you look things up about this surgery online it will say, 2-3 months. I'm only 14 days in so I definitely have a long way to go, but like you, this really hasn't been that bad so far. I regret putting it off for years, that's for sure.

I am so glad to have found this forum of real people's experiences to know what to expect. It is so helpful! I didn't ask alot of questions to my doctor pre-op but I have a long list going for my post-op.

Thank you again!

Shanon

Hi Denise,

I am sorry to hear that you have hurt your skin from steroid use for asthma. That is awful! I sure hope that now you don't have your reflux anymore that you are getting a lot of relief. My Dad suffered with asthma awful. My whole childhood I remember my Dad always struggling to breath. I would feel so bad for him. He died at age 68 and he suffered with it right until the day he died. That stuff is awful!

I still have my hoarseness, day 5 of it. I just don't get it. I read that it can be from surgery but I don't understand why it was delayed 10 days. I also read that it can be caused from damage to vocal folds when you have the breathing tube which it sounds like it is permanent. of course, my mind goes right to the worst case. I hope it's not a sign of acid coming up in my throat because I drank that little bit of coffee and that this is a sign something is not right down in there. I used to have acid do that and my voice would get like this. Hopefully, it gets better soon because it's straining to talk. My chest/back is aching a little today. I wonder if it's because I sleep on my sides all night. I wasn't told that I couldn't so I do. I am not a back sleeper. It hasn't hurt my incisions at all and I feel comfortable sleeping. I just wonder if it gets to scrunched up in there. I read on here somewhere that the swelling is the worse right about the 2 week mark and I'm 15 days today so maybe that's it. Oh well!

I have been having trouble swallowing pills. I didn't at the beginning but now I am. They seem to get stuck and its painful trying to get them down. I am going to get a pill cutter today. I also read that I shouldn't be drinking cold water and I have been so that may not be helping. I am doing room temp today and see I that's easier.

This is a trial and error recovery for sure.

Take care,

Shanon

Sharon,

Thank you! I hadn't thought of that. I will give it a try today. Yes, I think that is my issue with the swelling. I am so glad I found this forum. You are all so helpful!

Shanon

Hi Denise,

Thank you for making me feel better! All that your saying makes perfect sense. Sometimes we just need someone to give us a little reassurance that this is the normal process of healing. I have been worried about hoarseness, but my husband says, your whole area has been through alot and it affects everyone differently. You guys are right! Thank you very much! I appreciate it!

I have been feeling good and started to eat soft foods a couple of days ago. It seems nice to get some tastes going in your mouth for sure. So far so good!

Thank you again! ;)

Shanon

Hi Rosie

Glad to hear you have made the decision to move forward with the surgery. I wish I had done it many years ago honestly! I suffered with acid reflux for 12 years and was on Nexium the entire time. Unfortunately, the meds took a toll on my body causing osteoporosis in my hips and spine. The meds deplete the calcium from your bones and I could not take calcium as it caused horrible constipation. You take one med to help one thing and it hurts another. The past year my body was getting used to the Nexium and it was not working like it had been. I knew I had to try this surgery. I could no longer live like I was!

So far I am happy I did. I am 3 weeks post op tomorrow and honestly the recovery for me has not been that bad so far. I have had some swallowing issues, and right now, it's weird. I can swallow soft foods fine, but water seems to not like going down. Also my pills don't like too either. It's odd with the water but I feel if it's the least bit cold it must cause spasms or something as I feel a big lump in my esophagus for a few seconds and I will burp a couple times and it will be ok. You would think water would be the easiest to go down.

I still am a little hoarse. I go to the dr. for my post op appt today so hoping he can shed some light on why I am hoarse starting at day 10 and continuing on. I have a mucus feel in my throat a lot but we live in a cold climate and have a wood stove and even tho I have a humidifier it still is a little dry in here and I have been in the house pretty much non-stop for 3 weeks so perhaps some is sinus related too. I have had sinus issues for years as well.

I am a mail carrier, so I am hoping to try back to work again tomorrow. I tried day 12 and the twisting and reaching for boxes did not work with my chest. I was afraid I was going to hurt something with the wrap area as my chest ached a lot. It's been another 9 days so I am hoping tomorrow will feel differently. I also bought a special tool to assist in reach boxes so I don't have to reach much. Hoping that works. I have to get back to my job.

From the day of my surgery, I felt no pain, with my incisions or with my chest at all! I have been very lucky. I took just Tylenol right out of the hospital which I only stayed 1 night. The only pain I had was in my shoulders and neck area for a few days but nothing Tylonel wouldn't help.

I wish you lots of luck and look forward to hearing of your recovery too. I know it will be quite awhile before the healing is complete but it's definitely not as bad, so far, as I thought it was going to be. Good luck and if you ever have any questions along the way, your in the right place. This forum has been a godsend to me.

Best of luck

Shanon

Hi Rosie,
What you’re experiencing is normal. The first few weeks post-op are challenging. Your brain interprets all pain as reflux, so it’s likely that it’s pain at this point. Your esophagus can get irritated at the wrap site when food/drinks/medication gets held up by a swollen wrap.

Hang in there—it gets better!
Take care,
Denise

Hi Shanon and Denise
Yes I think all you say is right my surgeon also said it feels like reflux but it’s not and has to do with pooling saliva.
I agree with you re coffee I went out yesterday with my girlfriends and I only had a few sips of decaf and I didn’t enjoy it at all it tasted horrible and didn’t go down well! I’m loving milky tea so I think that’s my cuppa of choice at least for now ☕️ 😊
Thanks again so good to be here!