Hi everyone! I'm a 28 year old average weight female here, and 17 days after my first nissen fundoplication (partial wrap) surgery. At this stage I am very pleased with the procedure. For five years I had chronic reflux, bleeding ulcers, hiatus hernia, esophagitis, inability to burp/uncontrollable belching, loud gurgling sounds, trapped gas pain, and severe heartburn. It's early days but at this stage all these symptoms are gone
I still have a feeling of tightness and minor discomfort in my chest that increases with exercise but I expect that this will ease as my body adjusts to the wrap (fingers crossed!). I also have an infected incision wound due to doctor removing stero-strip too early, but am now on antibiotics and the wound is beginning to heal again. The minor inconveniences after surgery are nothing compared to the years of daily pain associated with GERD!
I have several questions about
post-op particularly relating to food:
1) The nutritionist put me on a full liquid/vitamised diet for 4 weeks, then a soft food diet for another 2 weeks after that. She was quite adamant that I could only eat vitamised foods for the first month, nothing with any lumps in it whatsoever (eg: mashed potatoes). However on reading this forum I was surprised to read that most people advanced to solids within days. Must all soups be strained until the second month? Also is it okay to eat tiny portions of smooth peanut butter from a spoon, or is this considered a solid? What about
strawberry smoothies with those little bits of seed in them? I ask this because I'm really struggling with a diet of juice, strained soup, vitamised veggies, smoothies and yoghurt. At 2 weeks I'm itching to try new things even if it happens to be soup with tiny vegetable flecks in it
2) After the 6 weeks post-op diet, at what rate should I gradually introduce other foods eg: bread back into my diet? Salad rolls are my favourite food, when can I introduce these back into my diet? Also I am going to Japan in three months, is it safe to expect that by then I will be able to eat what I did before the surgery?
3) Are there any foods I will have to avoid permanently after having this surgery?
4) The nurse told me not to lift anything heavier than a milk carton and to avoid any rigorous exercise including walking for more than 20 minutes a day. When I do my daily walk to the train I do notice I feel puffed out and my stomach is sore. At what stage can I begin doing more walking and household chores such as vacuuming again?
5) How likely is it that I will have to have my wrap re-done later down the track?
6) Every day I do diarrhea several times. I have had IBS for many years and trying to figure out whether the diarrhea is just the IBS playing up or if I should be worried about
dumping syndrome.
7) Is the tight pain in my chest normal for 17 days post-op? It is in between my breasts and I assume it's where the wrap is.
Thanks everyone in advance
Also I would like to say good luck to all those on this board experiencing GERD and considering Nissen surgery. Everyone is different and surgery is not for everyone, but at this stage I have been very happy with my procedure and feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It feels so good to eat soup and have it stay down afterwards, rather than making a surprise appearance 45 minutes later! Let's hope it lasts, hey?
Post Edited (Jinx77) : 3/1/2013 8:48:23 AM (GMT-7)