10-30-14 Nissen Fundoplication

Hi Jason,

Don't even give a second thought to the "residual reflux". I so remember being almost afraid to even think about my "reflux" symptoms during recovery. It's natural to fear surgical failure.

Having this surgery is a big deal, and the decision to have it wasn't made without lots of thought and trepidation. During my early weeks I even called my surgeon to report "reflux" symptoms, and he told me that "pretty much anything [was] possible during the early recovery period", and wasn't a bit concerned.

The esophagus is a dumb organ, and it interprets all pain as reflux. The wrap is swollen and becoming more-so by the day. The swelling can make the wrap misshapen, and so it can become harder for it to create a seal--thus making it more possible for some reflux to slip by.

That said, my guess is that you're getting some residual fluid/mucous/saliva sitting at the wrap site, and it's migrating "north" to cause choking sensations.

I remember repeatedly burping up liquid "reflux" and the only indication that it wasn't directly from my stomach was the fact that although there were food fragments in the mix, it wasn't really acidic. It was a good amount of liquid coming up each time it happened. I can imagine that if it had happened while lying down it could have caused some frightening choking.

Be sure that any medication you're taking is making it past the wrap. You can crush bigger pills and mix them with yogurt or applesauce. Medication can be very irritating if it sits there. Some people have absolutely no trouble swallowing pills. I'm not one of those. I've switched to liquid calcium, and had my doctors adjust my dosage/meds to favor smaller versions of tablets. Capsules, smooth tablets, and caplet shapes work best for me.

Hang in there...glad to hear you're generally doing well. Try to go with the flow...surrender to what "is", and give your body time to heal in its own sweet time. If you can do that, it'll make it all work better!

Happy healing!
Denise

Hi All,

Just thought i would give everyone an update on how I am going. I am now at two weeks since the surgery. I have to say that as far as my physical recovery goes, it could not be better. I basically feel as fit and well as i felt before the surgery. No shoulder/gas pain, no incision pain, the pain from deep breathing is gone, no nausea. My bloating has subsided somewhat, but its still there, and i have increased flatulence at night, but nothing too troubling. On day 11, i was out with my family and children at a local fair all day (I did get a bit tired at the end of the day). I am also now back at work! (I was quite fit before the operation, so perhaps this helped my physical recovery)

My only concern so far has been my night time choking which seems to be continuing despite the surgery. Denise and Bill have been so encouraging and I'm doing my best to keep the faith with them, that this is due to my swelling at the site. I have to say though, that when my choking happens i become despondant and fall into a negative spiral that "the surgery has failed". I need to be patient.

Pink: As far as my swallowing goes, its not too bad. I have been eating poached eggs and avocado in the morning without any trouble. Yesterday i had soft pasta in a white cream sauce for lunch which i had to chew thoroughly attack very slowly. I mostly have thick soups for dinner. Iam actually feeling it is more difficult to swallow water than it is to swallow solids...apparently thats common for people with poor motility. Taking one mouthful of water at a time is fine, its just went i try to chug down a few mouthfuls in a row, i start to experience some difficulty.

I will keep you all updated as to how my choking problem goes, probably i a weeks time (at week 3).

Best wishes to all
Jason

Hi Jason

I have been reading these forums for the last couple of weeks and each day that's gone by, I have been wanting to say my piece but have resisted till now.

I guess when I read your story, I had an increased level of comfort because I to am experiencing reflux but more importantly, I am in my 30's, live in Sydney and sometimes find it hard to locate really good information about symptoms, causes and remedies.

So....I saved my first post on these forums for you :)

Firstly, glad to hear you are recovering well from your surgery. I can only imagine the anxiety and angst you must have been feeling in the lead up to the surgery. Whilst my story is somewhat different from yours, I was panicking just going in for the endoscopy.

I won't go into to much detail on my first post but lets just say that I have experienced almost no symptoms of reflux and yet the outcome of my endoscopy was

small hiatus hernia
stomach polyps
some reflux damage that doctor thinks may be Barrett's but still waiting on the biopsy results

Hearing that word..... Barrett's...well lets just say that it has brought about a significant increase in my stress levels and plenty of sleepless nights. Reading up on all the documentations about Barretts and the road ahead was not a pleasant experience. At first I was in denial because as I said earlier, I have had almost no symptoms of Reflux. This in itself is almost scarier than having actual symptoms because at the moment I don't know what to look out for and what to avoid and more importantly, if any measures I take will improve my situation.

I will find out my results on Tuesday 18th Nov but in the meantime, it was great to read your story and know that there are others in their 30's are experiencing this dreaded disease. Perhaps you could share a good Gastroenterologist that I can go and see to discuss my results and to provide clarity.

All the best

DNAT

Hi All,

Just a quick update. I am now at 3 weeks post surgery. As far as physical recovery goes, i certainly did experience bouts of fatigue in the last week. I had to have a couple of afternoon naps. Perhaps i went too hard in the second week. This along with the restricted diet is finally catching up with me i think.

The main issues I have been having are with my stomach. I developed severe constipation. After finally relieving myself of it (enema, stool softener and prune juice) I started to experience sever gas pains one night. I almost decided to go to emergency it was that bad. Ever since i have been very gassy and my stomach is not very happy with almost anything I eat. Flatulence is now ongoing throughout the day, with constant stomach churning and rumbles.

The good news is that my choking problems seem to subsiding. I only had one bad choking episode in the last week, with the rest being either very mild or non-existent. I hope this positive trend continues.

Will write again next week.

Best Wishes to all
Jason

Thanks Jason, I really appreciate your response. Very insightful and informative and gave me a different perspective on how to view the diagnosis of Barrett's.

I have taken the time to look up the Sydney Heartburn clinic and will give them a call this afternoon. Looks promising.

All the best with your continued recovery....remember small steps and a positive mindset :)

Hi All,

Just writing with a 5 week update. Doing very well with recovery, the fatigue i reported last time is mostly gone. My stomach has also settled a lot. I have found the bloating and flatulence has subsided considerably in the last week. I am also starting to eat a lot more. Also the variety of things i eat has increased. I can handle toast very easily, as well as any pastas and rice. As long as its chewed well of course.

My swallowing has improved a lot too. I have no dysphagia to solids at all. Water was my main problem. I can now swallow about 3-4 mouthfuls in a row without a problem.

The only issue i have is with my choking problems. They go through a phase of getting better then coming back again. I have to say that the severity of the choking is not as bad as it was pre-op. It is now a sensation of waking up gasping for air, rather than choking. Nevertheless it still wakes me up. The only thing that could possible explain it is that I am weaning off Nexium which i have been on for 1.5 years. When i cut my dosage from 40mg to 20mg (from week 3 on) then from 20mg to 10mg (from week4), I have noticed that my problems get worse around those times. Cutting from 40 to 20mg, I felt reflux in my throat, and had a lot of throat clearing going on, which went away after 1 week. Today i have stopped Nexium completely on the advice of my Dr, so i expect problems. But lets see how it goes.

Happy healing to all.
Jason