1 Year Post Fundoplication Update (good and bad)

Long time since I have posted...

The Good:

Well I am at just about a year since my surgery and until about a week ago things were much better. I have been very glad that I had the surgery done and was back to eating a wide variety of things I couldn't before.

I was still having trouble here and there, but after a Bravo test about a month ago my demeester score went from a 30 before surgery to a 2. Basically my troubles were being caused by functional heartburn and sensitive esophagus. I felt pretty good about that. The wrap was looking good and I had some answers. I could deal with the odd bit of heart burn here and there. Was really happy with that follow up and by and large had been feeling great.

The Bad:

A week ago after coming home from work (office type work) I began to have an ache behind my breastbone. No big deal, it happens from time to time, but it was much more persistent and I also began having discomfort in the same area while swallowing. Every day since then I have had discomfort swallowing and a return of my pre-surgery symptoms. I am going to give it a few more days, but am concerned. I didn't lift, pull or push anything heavy. I didn't get the ache after working out...it just came out of nowhere. Don't know how I could have damaged the wrap (especially since the endoscopy showed that it looked great) I have had a couple bad days before since surgery, but not a full week all day every day. My gastro is going to think I am nuts, but something doesn't seem right.

Anyway, wondering if anyone had any similar experiences and even with my current situation I would recommend the surgery to those who need it. Also, thanks to everyone who has shared their stories here and those who have replied to me in the past.

SharonZ said...
Emmons:

It could be an isolated incident - have you tried taking something like Pepcid for the symptoms? Have you been under more stress lately? Has your diet changed recently? Hopefully, your symptoms will shortly subside.

Sharon

Took a ranitidine this morning. Not a fan of having to go back to the meds, but perhaps I will take them for a few days. I want to stay away from the PPIs as I haven't had to take them since the surgery. I have had a few incidents since surgery, but at most they have only last a couple days. This has been a solid week. No unusual amounts of stress and nothing out of the ordinary for my post surgery diet.

The ache in the chest and discomfort swallowing are problems I haven't ever really had...even before surgery. I always just had more straight heartburn, voice troubles and dyspepsia. I am still not having voice trouble so I guess that is good. So strange to go from a good Bravo/endoscopy to this with nothing remarkable in between. I have my 1 year follow up with my surgeon in a couple weeks so maybe I will just see what happens until then.

I, too, have to take them from time to time, but perhaps I will have to do 2 a day for a couple days. Seems to be having minimal effect today. Ultimately though I will see what the surgeon has to say.

Of course this happens before I am supposed to go away for a short vacation this weekend.

reena20 said...
How has your diet been? Maybe something you ate recently? Sometimes, if the bowels don't clear well, this can happen. See if some liquid fiber and Gas X helps? Occasionally, I'll pop a Tums or Pepto Bismol and that sensation goes away. Maybe scale back some to a simpler diet with easily digestible, softer foods and fluids. Hope you feel better soon.

My diet has been basically the same as it has been since I "recovered" from my surgery. Things had been going pretty well actually. Like I said, I don't understand what happened. Just came home from work one day and started having a pain/ache in my chest followed by discomfort swallowing. I have had the discomfort swallowing and some degree of heartburn every day since. It is all very strange as the wrap looked great a few weeks ago during my endoscopy. I can't imagine the wrap would come undone out of the blue less than a month after surgery.

As I write this I have the ache in my chest again shortly after eating a snack.

I am not currently taking PPIs nor do I want to get back on them. I have not had one since the surgery and would rather not ever take them again. They didn't do much for me before anyway.

I go back to the surgeon next week so I will say what they have to say.