Feeling like Nissen Fundoplication surgery has failed after 11 weeks - unsettled stomach

Welcome to the Healing Well Wrapped Club! Don't worry...you're not always going to feel as badly as you do right now!  You're at the three month point in a healing process that takes a full 6 months for the majority of healing to occur, and a year for the rest. 

It's very common for post-Nissen patients to feel well and progress just fine until they start eating a larger variety of normal foods.  It's easy to forget to continue to take small bites and chew, chew, chew, and some foods can irriate the wrap.

You are right that if you're getting some of what you're eating and drinking(or even medications)held up at the wrap site it can create irritation that mimics reflux.  It's also possible to actually get reflux, as a Nissen is only aimed at creating a "normal" amount of reflux (everyone gets some--just not GERD levels).  If the surgeon created a wrap that allowed zero reflux, you wouldn't be able to get food into your stomach.

Relax.  Surrender to your recovery and follow its lead.  If your stomach is rebelling against what you're putting into it, back off and stick to easier, less stressful foods.  After it's had a time to heal and get feeling better you can begin to introduce that fun stuff back into your diet.  Listen to your body.  It'll tell you what you can and can't do. 

The thing is...it's a laproscopic procedure and your outsides heal very quickly.  It's easy to forget that your insides underwent MAJOR surgery and still have a lot of healing and adjusting to do.  You can't rush this process.  Really, you don't want your surgeon to mess with you during this healing process if you don't have to.  Let your body heal in its own time...you can't rush it.

Don't worry about the coughing. Believe me, you couldn't have been coughing more than I was.  I had a lung infection both before, during, and after my surgery, and also have asthma.  I coughed severely throughout the first two and a half months of recovery.  In addition to that, my internal tissue was very fragile because of the steroid use that was necessary prior to surgery.  My wrap weathered the storm and remained intact.  I understand the worry, as I had it as well, but as I proved, the wrap repair is very strong.

The one thing you DON'T want to do is vomit, or even retch, so be sure that your doc gives you a script for anti nausea medication and always keep it handy, just in case.  That is one thing that can cause wrap problems.

Good luck!  This will get better...just baby that stomach and wrap for a while.

Take care,

Denise

A simple one-gag reaction to something like that won't cause a problem.  It's when you have a stomach bug (or food poisoning...go right to the ER for that to get your stomach pumped) and you're retching severely and repeatedly that can cause some real damage to a wrap. 

Take care,

Denise

Tell your mum that you need to listen to your body and that eating solids right now is not the best thing for you.  Your inclination to move back to soft/smooth foods is a good one.  I know it's not what you want to do, but it will help you get feeling better. 

As far as where you are in recovery...remind your mum that this recovery takes 6 months to a year to complete. There is a lot of healing and adjusting that your body has to do.  I have a sensitive/reactive stomach, and still have times when my wrap gets irritated and I have to be careful.  (Keep in mind that the wrap is created out of the stomach, so that's to be expected.) 

You've had an unnatural barrier created to back up your LES and keep acid in your stomach.  It creates more resistance, so when certain foods or drinks go through, they can irritate it.  It's just a fact of life post-Nissen.  Some are probably bothered more than others.

Unlike me, you're still at the healing phase, and these types of ups and downs are expected.  Surrender to your recovery.  If your stomach is being irritated by the foods you're eating, give it a break and back off for a while.  It's not forever.  The fact that your stomach is not accepting much food is indication of swelling, and irritation.  Back off to easier foods and maintain that for a week or two.  When I've had gastritis, my GI doc told me that I should wait until my stomach feels perfect for two weeks before adding more challenging foods.

You can do this!  It's all worth it...once you're healed you'll be back to eating and drinking the way you always did (except you'll always have to eat more slowly and chew your food more carefully).

Good luck!

Denise

You can do this!  It isn't forever.  As you hea