HITIAL SURGERY

Welcome, GreyGhost.
Please turn off your caps. It's hard to read your typing when it's all caps. Plus to some it looks like yelling which is not allowed here.
I know you're upset about your outcome. Did the doctor do a motility study on you (aka: monometry) before the surgery? A 270 degree wrap should not be rebounding like that.
Most surgeons expect the GI to do the followups after the surgery, but the GI thinks the surgeon should do it. It's like "it's not my fault something went wrong".
First ask for a EGD, barium swallow, and then a manometry. Something sounds out of sorts and it needs to be address now.
Please keep us posted on the results.
((((((((gentle hugs)))))))

Thank you Joy. i did have a EGD and barium swallow plus all sorts of other tests. The biggest thing wrong, was the huge hitial hernia that he had to put back into place. The stomach wrap around my escophis was a 270 degree and i really believe, something is wrong on the inside of me not to be able to eat any soft foods at this time without them wanting to come back up and make me vomit, of which i have not done as of yet. The pain i get is very hard to understand and the belching of the food in the process of coming up is even worse for the fear of the stiches coming apart on the inside of me. I am to see my doctor on the 28th of this month, and believe me, i really have a lot of questions to ask him about all of this. Thanks I shall keep you posted. Mr. Jillich

Hi Greyghost,
You're certainly not alone in not receiving proper preparation for what your recovery would be like. I'm finding that it's not the exception, but seems to be the rule.

If my calculations are correct, you're just a little over 3 weeks post op. Having difficulty with swallowing is not at all uncommon at that point in your recovery. It is not right that your surgeon did not prepare you for what to expect, but at least you've found this forum, where there are many people who have gone through the surgery, and know exactly what to expect.

While every recovery is unique, difficulty swallowing is very common. You most likely aren't vomiting up the food, but rather, it's getting held up at the wrap site, and you're regurgitating it from there. Some here have compared it to a cat coughing up a hairball. I think it's a pretty apt description.

There can be a lot of swelling in the early stages of healing, and it's likely that your wrap is swollen, and therefore it's holding food back.

I was started on a liquid diet, then soft, then solid foods that could be chewed to a complete liquid. I was warned to take small bites and chew to a liquid each time before swallowing. My surgeon said that soft food wasn't necessarily the answer, because as he said, "A bolus of mashed potatoes could get held up in your esophagus."

I think it is jumping the gun to go right to an endoscopy at this point. I was told by my surgeon that my esophagus would become progressively more swollen until about the two week mark, then begin to go down. As I said, everyone is unique, and our bodies respond differently to surgeries.

Keep in mind that your upper GI tract underwent a complete revision, and it will take time for things to settle into place and swelling to subside.

Please don't assume that because you're having trouble now, that you always will. In the early weeks, I could only nibble small amount of food (my son said I acted anorexic), so it's not abnormal to have difficulties with eating in the beginning. I can tell you that I can now eat anything I want, and although I am still careful to chew my food, enjoy food thoroughly.

Try to be patient, and don't panic. Things will get better. You're at the very beginning of your recovery, and you've still got a long road toward full recovery. A more experienced member of the "Wrapped Club" told me that most of the healing takes place in the first six months, and the rest over the course of the first year. I went on vacation at the four month mark, and enjoyed eating whatever I liked at restaurants we visited.

Better times will come.
Please stick around, and ask whatever questions come to mind. We'll do whatever we can to answer them, and support you through your recovery. I wholeheartedly agree that surgeons need to give more information regarding the recovery process and what to expect.
Hang in there! Things will get better!
Denise

Hi Greyghost,
I don't want to get you into trouble with your swallowing, but have you tried eating something like a cracker, etc, that can be chewed to a complete liquid?

If you take tiny bites, and chew thoroughly, I don't see any reason that your chewing of solid foods won't be superior to soft foods, because you can chew then to a complete liquid. You can even follow whatever you munch to a liquid with water or tea.

You'll have to experiment with what can truly be chewed to a liquid, though, and if something doesn't...ditch it in a nearby napkin.

If you have a slow cooker, you can cook beef, potatoes, carrots, and a little onion (with a little liquid)--cook it for hours until everything is flavored through and very soft. Chicken is very easy to chew to a liquid, but if you're a beef person, even the flavors in the carrot will satisfy.

I was told to just eat the vegetables, because they'd be so soft, but I found the meat to be just as easily chewed.

You know yourself best, and how you feel--but I definitely understand why you are sick of liquids. Others here have remained on liquids for weeks, but I started solids that can be chewed to a liquid within the first week.

My caution: Tiny bites, chew, chew, chew, wash it down with a liquid. Perhaps this won't work either, but I suspect it just may. Just take it very easy, and as I was told, if something feels stuck, don't panic...just follow it with swallows of liquid. Eventually it'll go down. Many swear by warm drinks like tea. I found that to be very helpful. If you've truly chewed to a liquid, and take tiny bites, I don't see how it'll get stuck and come back up.

You don't want to challenge your wrap at this point, but there is nothing about soft foods that is better than food that is chewed to a liquid. My surgeon thought solid food chewed to a liquid was superior to soft foods, and easier to get down.

Certainly don't try this if it goes against your better judgment. If you like, check with your doctor first. I just know that I would go crazy if I couldn't chew real food for that long.

Good luck! Remember, TINY bites to start with, and chew COMPLETELY.
Denise

Stkitt, Dencha and Couchtater - More news today from my doctor and it is not what i wanted to hear. There is a possibility that i might have some scaring around my wrap of which as of wednesday morning, i am to have a barium swallow test done so that they can see how this liquid and soft foods might be going down. My doctor told me that the wrap might be a little to tight and still swollen causing the food to come back up. Once this is done, he will acess my problem and i shall see him again in 2 weeks. According to him, he might have to do another egd and he might have to expand the area he worked in. Until then, still liquids and soft food if i can handle it. No mention about the belching of liquids or the soft foods - only unless i am eating to much - too fast. I shall keep in touch and thank you all for your help - ITS APPRECIATED!!!