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Two weeks post paraesophageal hernia repair and nissen fundoplication

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Posted 10/3/2011 4:27 AM (GMT 0)

Hello

Tomorrow it will be two weeks since the repair of my giant paraesophageal hernia and nissen fundoplication.  I am feeling pretty good considering the difficulties I had in hospital with atrial fibrillation and some lung restrictions due to adhesions. 

I saw the surgeon a couple days ago, they elevated me to a soft diet at any time I am ready.  Staples out. He  said I do not need to come back in for recheck as only I will be able to report on any difficulties or issues as exam won't reveal much. Does this sound right? Seems after such a big surgery that I might have to go back in?

I saw the cardiologist in follow up as I am on heart meds to control the atrial fibrillation and for recheck. All is going well - EKG, echocardiogram are normal. Have to continue meds for 3-4 weeks to be sure no reoccurrence in the healing.

My chest xray shows my right lung (where the adhesions and pneumothorax (resolved) were) is less expansive than the left side but the surgeon and the cardiologist said normal after amount of work they did in my chest and lung and time for the

anesthesia to work its way through.

I'm bored with this diet (doing full liquids still and slowly trying to add an item or two on soft diet such as noodles, mashed potatoes). I am sure I am not meeting my nutrition requirements. How do all of you find yourselves following diet restrictions and adding nutrition such as protein as needed?  Surgeon and nurse said no meats (ground only), no fresh fruit, veggies, salads, breads of any kind, cheese, etc. What are most of you adding (or what did you add) on your diets at full liquids slowly moving to ? I get full quite fast and with having to take heart meds 2 x daily in applesauce (doesn't come in liquid form and cannot be ground), I get full with those items.  I get bloated and feeling full easily. Yesterday with only full liquids I woke up in middle of the night feeling like something was stuck in my throat yet I didn't have anything that would have caused that. Very odd, uncomfortable feeling.

I overdid it a bit yesterday and went to college football game with family. Too long sitting at one time and felt cramped up and had to get up and go walk around 2-3 times. By the time we got home I was wiped out.  How is each of your activity levels (or were) at this stage of two weeks?  Trying to walk twice a day but not always easy to get in more than once.  I am limited to lifting, carrying five pounds for another week or so and they told me to only lift up to fifteen pounds adding little at a time only as able and comfortable to. Sound right?

Thanks for responses, assistance, advice.

Posted 10/3/2011 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hello

Congratulations...your surgery is over now :-)

Your surgery seemed to be bigger than mine and there, in your op, has been some difficulties.

The heart problem...I don't know how it is linked to this PEH or how normal/rare problem this is in the PEH-surgery.
The day before my surgery, they took the EKG. I never asked, was it normal. I think it was, no-one said anything of my heart before or after the op. 3weeks after the op, my own doc started with me my asthma exams. Then she took sinus & thorax x-rays. Otherwise it went ok, but my thorax x-ray showed large heart shadow. I asked...could this possibly be some kind of "after op shadow", because there has been 10 cm PEH in thorax area. My doc said to me "no". Then she sent me to cardiologist's. He took the heart ultra-sound. It was normal. I asked the same question from him. He answered nothing, just said to me, relax the heart-US was ok and your heart is normal. ( I never thought, I would have some heart problem immediately after my op). Now my asthma exams has continued after Finland's pollen period is over. I am going to visit my doc next week. I'll ask this x-ray question again. (positive points in this thx x-ray was no marks of my 20-year smoking time and no marks of the PEH-surgery).

That's very good your cardiologist wants you recheck when the time is right to stop these heart meds.

I have understood the surgeons will recheck only those patients who have problems after the op...the others can just continue they normal life. In my case, I haven't had recheck in the hospital. Everything is ok with me!

You know it best, when you are ready to take next step to soft diet. Just try it. You can always take one step backwards, if you have too much drive. We just few weeks ago discussed this food-question after PEH-surgery in Alleycat's thread ( There are lots of good advice wink). Is Alleycat still hanging on here?...how are you today?

Just live very easy life now and enjoy everyday feeling better and better...
Remember to walk-walk-walk...

Happy recovery time!
Posted 10/4/2011 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hi meandonlyme,

Welcome to the Healing Well yeah yeah yeah Wrapped Club! yeah yeah yeah At two weeks you're at peak swelling of your wrap, so don't be surprised if you have some swallowing issues until the swelling begins to go down again. 

I totally understand why you're tired of the diet...Each surgeon is different, but mine turned me loose to use my own good judgement at Day 5 or 6.  His only caveat was that I eat only things that could be chewed to a liquid, and that I stay away from steak and bread.  Actually toasted bread is easily chewed to a liquid...not the soft untoasted type.  Also, be sure to take tiny bites and chew, chew, chew.  If whatever you eat doesn't chew to a liquid, don't swallow it.  Have a handy paper napkin ready for depositing your rejected mouthful!

I remember an acquaintance who'd had the surgery two years prior to mine, and she wisely suggested using a slow cooker to cook veggies and meat.  If you cook it 10-12 hours (recipes online) with some liquid, it will cook both veggies and meat to an easily chewable consistency. 

I've been dealing with this topic with several forum members recently, and have found a good resource. 

This link with some great post-Nissen eating information. I think it might answer some questions:
slhhn.org/docs/pdf/keystonesurgical-fundoplication%20diet.pdf
(This link will have to be cut and pasted into your web browser to work. I couldn't get it to work with a direct link. Sorry!)  This PDF will provide a lists of things you should and shouldn't eat.  Of course, if you have any questions at all regarding what you are eating, be sure to check with your surgeon's office...that's what they get paid the big bucks for!

Again, glad you've joined us! yeah yeah yeah

Take care,

Denise

Post Edited (dencha) : 10/3/2011 6:06:20 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/4/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Meandonlyme

Welcome to the WRAPPED CLUB!!!
You should take Denise's advice and get out your slow cooker.. that is a great way to get all the nutrients you need. I used it and also my blender..I did not eat any fresh fruit until about 8-10 weeks, I tried most fresh fruit and found that the only thing I could tolerate was watermelon recently I tried grapes and strawberries and they were fine.. I just had to wait a bit longer than most do.. But, I am one person and I have found that some progress more rapidly in their diet than I did. Hopefully you will too.

That said.. my advice to you is... Listen to your body, it will tell you if it approves of what you are doing to it or not. while you are still filling up so quickly, try to eat 5-6 small meals a day.. if you can only eat 3-4 ounces at a time, you need to eat more often. If you think about it, you probably have a hard time telling if you are hungry or not. It is also probably difficult to tell if you are full. Both of those things are pretty normal. Also, try 1 or 2 foods to introduce at a time. That way you will be able to figure out what is not agreeing with you when it happens. Last advice is listen to Denise.. chew chew chew and take small bites.

This forum has been a blessing for me. Please stay with us and let us share our experiences with you and in turn you can share your recovery with us and others who come here seeking help.

Reach for the Sunshine.. Rainbows will follow
Sandi
Posted Today 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
I am new so please bear with me.  I am scheduled to have a paraesophageal hernia repair. The UGI report said it was a sliding hernia, but none of the symptoms match a sliding hiatal hernia and the ph study and manometry study the surgeon had me do doesn't show acid reflux so he said sometimes the readings can be wrong and not show a paraesophageal hernia that well. any way. I have pain a lot and am suppose to call him if it persists for any length of time because he said I would have to have emergency surgery if it does.  The surgery is scheduled for new years eve because I am my mothers caregiver for alzheimers and he is giving me time to get coverage for her and my work. I read a lot of scary stories about air trapping and inability to vomit from this surgery, but the surgeon said that was because they used to wrap them too tight and he puts something in my esophagus to prevent that during surgery. He said I would be out of work for 3 weeks.  Is this information correct? He seems very knowledgeable and I feel he is very competent, but I always feel better if I hear from people who went through it.  I feel my anxiety growing the closer I get to the procedure. in april, when I had my UGI the hernia was 8 cm in size and I guess that is suppose to be big, but the discomfort has only gotten worse. I used to be sore after eating, but now seem to have soreness by the way I sit sometimes.

Thanks

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