Posted 12/11/2013 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hello forum, some of you might remember me, I posted quite a lot some time ago with my persistent throat issues and struggles with diagnosis and so on. I had multiple diagnostic tests but nothing really flagged up, and I was left with a dreadful lot of symptoms which constantly worsened. Anyway, last summer I had some awful personal problems in my life which left me unable to eat all but the very smallest of meals. Not good since I'm already thin! However, during this time my throat symptoms improved beyond measure. So since September I had hardly any issues...and then...
I was offered the surgery! Ohhhhh what to do! I agonised right up to the morning of the op, toing and froing...but I ended up going and having a360 wrap.
So here I am, all wrapped up and three weeks in. I thought I would share my experiences since they are a little different from what others have posted.
All round I would say the op went well. I was under for around 3 hours and woke up in considerable discomfort for which I was given morphine and anti emetic. I had a nasogastric tube in to drain bile and keep the stomach empty. So I was told I could drink water but nothing else and was drip fed for the first day. I have to state here to anyone going in, please be strong and make sure the after care team know about this surgery. i told one nurse i felt like i was going to be sick and she just handed me the cardboard hat and told me to support my incisions. i had to ring for another nurse who knew i should not vomit after nissen and gave me anti sickness meds.
The doc came to see me the next day and said I could try yoghurt which went down ok but I could only eat a tiny bit. The second night was horrendous. I couldn't even swallow my own saliva which I had to spit out constantly. I kept waking up with my mouth full and chest all damp lol! I've looked better! Next day I was given tramadol which made me nauseated, so more anti sickness meds! Doc came and removed ng tube which was a huge relief. I went for a stroll down the corridor which felt so weird! Because the surgeon mobilised the stomach during surgery, I could almost feel it swinging around...really unnerving! Again, make sure you know your stuff, I was offered pasta or gammon for dinner that day hahah
As I was still in pain the doc told me to stay another night and I was discharged the next day.
I live two minutes from the hospital so I stupidly decided to walk home...half way I couldn't go any further and hubby had to go get the car...lesson one...don't rush the recovery!
So, my take on recovery. Well I found eating the liquid diet ok, and transition to lumper soups etc ok. Until day ten. On day ten I found swallowing became ridiculously difficult. I couldn't even get liquids down, it would hang around in my chest and keep jumping out into my throat. I also got huge pains around my upper body from the spasms. From researching I knew that swelling can cause this so I had to be patient. Three weeks in and I'm still getting this, depending on the food or drink. I have my follow up soon so I mean to ask about this.
Also, I could burp by day three, and have burped loads since. I'm slightly troubled by this because belching was a big issue for me before the wrap and I saw a definite correlation between burps and throat inflammation. I had hoped it would at least be reduced, but actually I know some cant burp at all so I'm evidently one of the lucky ones who can get rid of the gas this way.
My biggest worry is my weight. I can't easily eat and when I do I can't eat a lot, and feel stuffed for ages after, so I can't seem to eat little and often as I would like. I'm looking haggard!
Some things I can eat are soup, roast veg like butternut squash,carrot,parsnip. I can eat fish as long as it has sauce and is well chewed. My favourite discoveries are digestive biscuits dipped in tea til soft, and jelly babies. Jelly babies have saved my bacon, specially when pills get stuck! I can Not eat noodles, I found the hard way today. Ouchy!
So since coming home, all my LPR symptoms have returned with a vengeance. I have had heartburn sensations, which I put down to swelling, I'm hoping that's what caused the throat to start acting up again. I am handling this with patience, as I know three weeks is early days, and also I was taken off all acid meds after surgery which could have given me nasty rebound acid so I will have to wait for that to normalise. All bets are off til things settle down.
So there we have it. Ladies and gentlemen, that's a wrap!
Love,
Liz xx