Having Partial Wrap 15th May 2013

Take care,

Denise

I have also had one glass (200mls) of pear juice this afternoon ........Hopefully it will send me to the loo by tomorrow!!  Haven't been since the op!!!

But feeling quite good....

I haven't coughed much today...what a blessing and I can now lay down as well!!

To anyone contemplating this op......DON'T BE AFRAID.......ITS NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!!!!  As I said, I am 67 years of age and I have come through it very well....I was also apprehensive but now would recommend it if you have health problems in this area. Please feel free to ask any questions and I will answer all. A positive attitude certainly helps your recovery! I will continue to post my recovery on this site!!

Believe & Receive.....By His stripes I am healed!!!  AMEN

Welcome to the Wrapped Club! Glad to hear you came through the surgery with flying colors!  Hooray!  As I've mentioned many times here on the forum, the recovery isn't easy, but its very manageable.  A positive attitude is extremely important, and will help you more than anything. 

If you can surrender to your recovery and follow where it takes you, it'll go much, much easier.  Just go with the flow.  Your body will heal in its own sweet time and in its own unique way.  While some experiences after this surgery are universal, others are unique to each person.  People who fight the recovery and try to rush it, have lots more problems and find the healing stage extremely frustrating and difficult.  It is as it is...acceptance of that is key. 

Glad you found the walking helped the shoulder pain. I found the more I walked the less my shoulder hurt.  That is really the worst pain of the surgery in my experience.  My left incision rib area was painful for quite a while because of my coughing irritating it.  Ice really helped that.  I have trouble taking medications as my stomach is very sensitive, so I rely on ice a lot.

Be sure to have anti-nausea drugs handy, as it's not good for your wrap to retch or vomit...especially during the early healing stages.  Did you get your doctor to provide them?  Zofran works great for the low level nausea.  I've had 3 stomach bugs since my surgery four plus years ago, and Compazine suppositories worked best for that, as once my stomach was that far gone, I couldn't keep anything in it. Be sure to ask for a prescription if you don't already have anti-nausea drugs.  I carry them with me at all times, just in case.  I was able to vomit, and vomited once on each occasion, but the meds kept me from repeated assaults on the wrap.

I'm so glad that you're keeping a journal of your recovery.  It will definitely help many others!

Happy healing!

Denise

Wendy,

It is well-established that GERD patients swallow air out of habit.  They don't know why, and surmise it's an attempt to swallow down reflux.  At any case, your frequent burping could be related to that fact.  If you have lung issues that are affected by reflux, run, don't walk, to your surgeon's office and get yourself wrapped.  Reflux and lungs don't mix!  Good luck with your decision!

Denise

It's always hard to get a read on those of us with atypical symptoms.  It took me six long years to finally get the surgery, and my lungs suffered greatly.  I was on far too many steroids at high doses to keep me breathing.  I wish you lots of luck in finding answers to your problems.  It's always hard when there are complicating symptoms that contraindicate the surgery.

I wish you all the best!

Good luck,

Denise

Last year, from April, I had a lung infection called "Pseudemonas" not sure about the spelling!!I couldn't shake it for 8 months until my lung specialist got me to sleep sitting up at about 30 degrees. She said the hiatis hernia was draining into my lungs at night and feeding the infection.  I took so many antibiotics that I almost turned into one!! I really thought I was never going to get better......Some days I just sat down & cried!! And for me, who is usually very positive due to my christian beliefs, this was most unusual. But it got me so down being continually sick every day for 8 months. Once I stayed upright at night tthe infection finally healed but left me with these constant coughing fits, as I call them, coughing up clear but sticky mucus every time. 

 So if I sat up for the rest of my life at night I probably would have been ok. But I then got no sleep and after 6 months of that I decided to go with the wrap. Even on sleeping tablets I would be lucky to get 3-4 hours sleep per night. I am still coughing up that sticky mucus but am hoping in time it will cease. I am not having the coughing fits as bad as they were and they don't last as long either.

the wrap I had was called a "TOUPET PARTIAL WRAP" From my understanding the Hiatis Hernia is wrapped about 3/4 around your esophagus. A full wrap is wrapped all the way around. You need to consult a specialist in this area who would explain all this to you. Make sure you find someone who knows what they are talking about...they need to be a specialist in this area. My surgeon gave me paperwork with all pictures that explained everything. He actually teaches in this area and all he does is this op and Gastric banding....these are his specialties!! I do hope this has helped please feel free to ask anything else, Wendy.

Believe & receive......By His stripes I am healed!!  AMEN

Still staying positive no matter what!!! 

Believe & Receive.......By His Stripes I am Healed!!!!!