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After the op.....

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 10/28/2008 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
I had my operation thurs 23/10 and since coming home i've had a struggle....not just with food but even drinking.
I spend most of the evening burping and with that comes bubbles and lots of phlegm...is that normal? Plus when i drink anything it feels like its stuck in my chest. Anytime i eat anything whether it be jelly or spaghetti i hic-up non stop.
Is it something i'm doing wrong??
Also i got discharged from hospital with out opening my bowels...having gone to the doctors yesterday i was given laxatives...i've taken 2 doses of 15mls and still no movement.
I'm glad not to have reflux but the pain in my chest and the pressure in my bowels is driving me nuts!!...Anyone have any ideas??
Posted 10/28/2008 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
It's not even been a week yet, give it time, give it time.  You will have symptoms lke this for the next month or so.  Have patience.

Posted 10/28/2008 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
I had my surgery on the 9th and i am still having some of the same problems. Try some gas x for the burpping and the gas it will help and dont try and force nothing down you will regret it later. Try some warm cream of soup, broth, jello. It took me several days before I felt like eating anything, and even now its hard I have to eat slow and chew, chew chew and if I over eat it hurts. Try a fleet emema for your bowls its not pleasant taking it but it works and will give you quick relief. Feel free to ask any more questions or email me if I can be of help. [email protected].
Melissa
Posted 10/28/2008 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
Having major surgery will completely disrupt your digestive system and with the in and out surgery system, most people don't move their bowels at first. At Cleveland we had to do a bowel prep as well as being on a liquid diet for a couple of days prior to surgery...there was nothing in my system to move!! Drink warm fluids and only eat soft, very soft foods; ie: pudding, yogurt, cream of wheat, jello and soups. It's too soon for pasta.

Melissa gave you good advice; chewable gas-x is a life saver; not only will it help the gas, but also the pain the shoulder (go figure). Extra phlegm and bubbles are a part of the healing process as well; your esophagus is swollen and inflamed; your body will create extra phlegm to counter-act the issues going on there; force feeding will only make it worse.

Take things slowly, eat (drink, sip) gently and give everything some time.
Feel better, stay with us, we'll help you through..
Janice
Posted 10/29/2008 8:39 PM (GMT 0)

Although I didn't have any complications with this procedure, it still did take a while for my bowels to get up to speed.  At first I was a little concerned and took some milk of magnesia about 72 hours after surgery.  I still didn't have a bowel movement, but the gas that was released was quite remarkable...never experienced anything like it before.  I don't believe I had my first bowel movement until at least 5 days after the procedure. 

I've been fortunate to not have any problems with swallowing food at all.  I'm currently 16 days post-op and I can eat everything again.  I've had pizza and tacos with no trouble at all...but, I do still have trouble with some liquids (go figure).  I'm not sure why, but when I drink water or anything too fast I get that "feeling" in my throat...I'm sure you know the one.  It's uncomfortable for about 15-20 seconds, but everything returns to normal...I'm not sure why I don't get this when I eat though. 

I can also relate to the hiccups...the last time I had hiccups was four years ago (no lie...it was immediately after a surgery).  I woke up in the recovery room with them.  I went into surgery this time thinking about that, wondering if it would happen again.  My wife told me there's no way that will happen again...but it did.  Woke up in the recovery room with hiccups...couldn't believe it.  Its certainly not a pleasant experience to wake up after having surgery in your abdominal area with the hiccups.  I had them again another 3 or 4 times over the next 24 hours, mostly after eating or drinking something...haven't had them since. 

Hang in there...it gets better.

Posted 10/29/2008 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Rangel

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you on your first visit to Healing Well!

You have come to the right place to find great information from members who have had the same surgery as you and they are very kind and caring.

 

They will share with you their recovery and the good and the not so good.

 

This is where you really learn to be patient, through the recovery phase.

 

Take care and I will be following you recovery.

 

Kitt 

Posted 10/30/2008 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your replies....What is gas x???
I know it hasn't been long since my surgery but any advice i've had from medical staff has been useless!! I guess US hospitals are more informative!!
My father had the op 3-4yrs ago and the info he was given has been totally different to mine.. he began with everything pureed....i was told to eat tinned spaghetti porridge...scrambled eggs etc...told i can have caffeen i,e coffee n tea..Not cola or fizzy drinks. No bread till week 4 unlss crusts cut off and no potatoes...only mash
Can anyone tell me what i should be eating/drinking at this point as when i left the hosp they refused to write any food or drinks down as people tend to stick to it as a 'diet' plan
Has anyone had their wounds glued together?? That is another problem i have...they told me they would dissolve by themselves but i have one where most of the glue is gone and i have a huge hole left in my navel....spoken to the Dr and with no joy has told me to ignore it...how do u ignore something that weeps Constantly??

Edit: I took out your email address and ask that you put it into your profile as we do get scanners that pick up email addies from the forum. 

15. Do not post offline personal contact information (ie. your home address, phone numbers etc.) and do not ask for personal information from others.  Modify your member profile in the Control Panel (VIEW IMAGE) at the top left corner of the forum to set privacy settings for your account.  Use of full names (your first and last name) is allowed but strongly discouraged.  This is to protect your security and identity.

Thank you for your understanding.   Kitt


Thank you :) nice to feel ur not alone!

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 10/30/2008 4:46:34 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2008 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Rangel, oh my where to start:
1. hole that weeps; if your surgeon won't help you get to your family Dr. This must be addressed immediately!
2. Diet: I had my surgery at Cleveland Clinic and the diet for the first several weeks was what I described above: soft mushy foods that included mashed potatoes, yogurt, pudding, soups etc. Soft, overcooked pasta...for me this was a real problem because of a motility issue. Bread is off the table for a long time as is lettuce and anything that has a husk (beans, corn) these items cause more gas.
3. Advance your diet as tolerated, but slowly; because I had trouble with motility the softer the food, the more difficult time I had swallowing...Ritz crackers became my salvation by around week 3!
4. Alchohol and carbonation, both bad things; the tissue in the esophagus is very fragile during healing and these things can damage them...stay away from tomato products too.
5. Gas-X is an anti-gas product in the US; they should have something similar in Great Britain; it may be called something else, but the product you buy should be chewable at least for the first two weeks.
6. Drink warm fluids, especially before and with meals; it helps the swallowing and the relaxation of the the LES to accept the food through to the stomach.

Stay with us, we're here for you and good luck!
Janice
Posted 10/30/2008 9:13 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Rangel, I am in the UK. Complan was my saviour. There are several flavours and you can drink it hot or cold. Also custard, smooth yoghurt and ice cream. I know some people say not to have anything too hot or too cold but it worked for me. I usually had it with cream for the extra calories.

Ditto everything Janice has said. I had Wind-eze chewable tablets for the trapped wind and bloating.

I also didn't have a BM for 2 weeks and still had trouble after that for about 2 months. So don't worry too much.

And don't forget to get that wound seen to! smilewinkgrin

Posted 10/30/2008 11:06 PM (GMT 0)

I am so sorry you ran into a physician that appears to have his own book of Standards of Care. You should be taught how to do wound care for your open incision. 

Wish you were here in the states. I am truly sory for your problems.

Keep posting.

Kitt

Posted 10/31/2008 12:23 AM (GMT 0)
I had a brief lesson in wound care Monday...boil the kettle and once the waters cooled clean the wound with the water and some cotton wool!!
I'm taking a trip to the Dr in the morning and demanding they stitch the wound up.....will let u know how i get on.
Other than that today has been a relatively good day...my mothers birthday...the day u indulge in the things u shouldn't...i was told no chips (fries) but today i tried them...with plenty of gravy to soften and had no trouble at all..i chewed and chewed with no problems in swallowing..I ditched the spaghetti based foods as people suggested and realised they're 50% tomato..thats deff where i been going wrong..
I'm just about to go to bed and it's this time of night i have problems. ..last night i thought id choke to death...i had a kind of indigestion that was like something stuck in my wind pipe but somehow managed to get to sleep..... ..but tonight ive realised i can be sick (in a strange way)...but no food is coming just lots of saliva and bubbles?!
Posted 10/31/2008 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Had a follow up call from the hospital today and found it very reassuring.
I asked about the bubbly saliva....I've been told its nothing to worry about...it's mucas in the gut which is created to help any food that is stuck to get through..but its created even if nothing is stuck so not to panic.
I also mentioned my wound..and thank god.. it's been stitched on the inside! i did go to a nurse to get stitches but only got paper ones...she believes its too late for it to knit back together, but wants to see me again Monday. If only my Dr had done something last mon all would be ok.
She also told me...not just to concentrate on eating little often...chew lots and stick to soft diet but also DO NOT LIFT OR BEND!...it's the 6th week where that can be done without doing any damage.
I've been feeling very low but today i'm better...getting there as they say...but its still early days.
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