nissen

hi all going for ph mam and camera on monday(all which should of been done BEFORE surgery).Im hoping something will be found and regret having this surgery(but did feel good 2weeks out till i stuffed it up).My heads a mess at the moment and have thought of calling it a day.Can I come right with a redo or would it be better to get wrap taken down.I got pushed too quick for this.Mental health have been busy.Any thoughts please.Thanks

hi why did they do surgery before they got all tests done ? whats happening to you now ? i am having the procedure done end nov should i be scared

If you are a good candidate for surgery then i wouldnt be scared.I was pushed into the surgery by surgeon i feel.I had reflux osophigitis and regurgitation.I felt a million dollars for the first couple of weeks and then i did some physical exersise and has loosened the wrap i rekon.(tests on mond hopefully will show this).As long as you have good head space and are doing this for the right reason(Denise will vouch for this)then you will be fine.I am ready to fly to the uk to have this undone thats how im feeling.At the moment im having acid taste and my back is sore and bowels a bit tight which is causing me to sleep 4 hrs a night as it wakes me up unless i take lorezapam which docs only give out 5 yes 5 pills at a time(too addictive).I read Rocko (google rocko reversal) had the same issues and he was dam persistant in takin down the wrap and he was better afterwards and had no reflux(id be interested how that is now?0 as it was 2yrs ago.I just feel NO ONE is listening and this is goin to shorten my life as god gave me a perfectly good body and i ruined it by the stupid mistake. and i used to eat healthy and bike(seems a waste of time now).What it has shown me is the ten yr relationship i am in at present is finished (Ive not been that happy anyway so thats a positive)as she wont even talk to me about it so sad.Life doesnt seem the same anymore (but hey redo could be grand again?????)any thoughts will be appreciated thanks

Brian-
Those test should have been done before they even thought about recommending surgery. Here in the states I haven't heard of any surgeon who will do this without the tests first. If the wrap has been damaged these tests should show it. It is too hard to tell which route you should take until the results are back. Keep your head up and take it one day at a time my friend.

Take care,
Bill

Hi Cowboy22,
This is Marie.
Sorry to hear about your 10 year things.
Hey - Cowboy22, take an EZ - It is not the end of the world.
I am sure they will find something and will have a fix for you.
I am also have sour/bitter 7/24 after surgery. I also have burn throat too.
My sour/bitter/burn thorat had been over a year already - and I have no relief - it is painful.
I don't know why - but my bitter taste is so so so so so bitter like 2 or 3 times bitter after surgery.
Before surgery, I don't have bitter taste as much, but only very very sour.

Thannx  Kitt Bill and Marie Always nice to hear kind words.Im off to the hospital now being friday for my tests on monday.4hrs away.I will stop off at a friend shouse who has 2mths 2 ayr to live(hes 51) and is SMILING how it puts our own probs in a small box.Good luck marie I know the feeling of utter despair.My new gi doc will be through the roof  with original nissen surgeon im sure .I cant take any zantac till tests are over so head is spinning.Im really thinking of a take down at this point like rocko had.Ive already contacted a surgeon in the uk and he said he can put me back almost to where i was (I hope).Who knows I may be on a 22hr plane trip in a few wks lol.Have to wait and see what new doc says  before i RUSH this time!Pot luck though I suppose take down or redo??????  well good luck all and i hope the bitter taste goes Marie.I will post on wendesday when I get back(private hospital so may have net access i hope) anyways take care all and you are all in my thoughts and prayers.     btw wheres Denise shes always a breath of fresh air......

Brian-
Good luck and have a safe trip. I didn't make my 3 hour trip to see the pain doctor. Rescheduled for next Wednesday. I hope you have a good visit with your friend also. Time with friends is precious.

Take care,
Bill

Hi Cowboy (is it Brian?),
Sorry I haven't been around much lately. First there was the selling of our house and the packing and moving, then it was the beginning of the school year (I'm a second grade teacher.) I keep thinking that things will quiet down, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Right now we're in the middle of parent conferences and report cards. My apologies for my absence--I've been with you all in spirit!

So sorry to hear that you're still struggling. I hope that you find a great GI doc and get to the bottom of your problems. I can tell you're at the end of your rope, but if you can take a deep breath, and try to take your time with whatever decision you make, it will make things more managable. I know it's hard to be patient when you're in pain and worried about your health, but if you can just take it a day at a time and give yourself time to figure out what is best for you, it'll be better for you in the long run.

Just get your tests and talk to the doctors--see what you find out. Try to go into it with an open mind. You sound like you're in panic mode--frustrated and wanting to get things fixed yesterday. This is not a quick fix. I think you're smart when you say you don't want to rush into anything.

I hesitate to have this conversation without mentioning that my Nissen (done 2/27/09) has improved my health and quality of life 100%--allowing my lungs to heal and relieving uncontrolled asthma. So many people are searching the Internet for information about this surgery--trying to find a reason to move forward. If I had found any positive information, I might have gotten my surgery done a lot sooner and wouldn't have the permanent health damage that was done because I waited too long.

Yes, I get gas sometimes and at those times Gas-X is a big help. Sometimes I have stomach dumping, and sometimes things are totally normal. Sometimes I get a loud gurgling in my stomach, and other times it is as quiet as can be. I can handle all those things. I never thought that the surgery would put me back to the way I was before GERD. I just wanted to be able to breathe--and now I can!

My wish for you is that you find the right answers to your problems and get straightened around so you can go on with your life. Everyone here is rooting for you! Best wishes, and I hope your tests go well. It's nice that you can get together with your friend. If you have to travel, have a safe trip. Let us know how things go.
Take care and know that we're here for you! I'll try to get on the forum as much as I possibly can.
Denise

Hi all .Hope you are all are ok.I saw new gi doc (Physician)and once the old notes of ANXIETY were scattered around the med notes I think i was put in a box(just my thought).My endo was worse than 6mths ago.Im no doc but I could see some imflamation for sure spreading out more than before.All ok no probs was what was written down on report for my doc (I have  a copy).manomatry test showed marginal los(DOc said it is closing?). 24ph test was almost always refluxing food with acid 5 minutes or so after finishing eating then up to 15 minutes then all ok.Gi doc did mention he saw a surgeon who if i am still troubled in a year they can go back in there an sort.The gi doc was not a surgeon he was a physician.
One question for you all please am I entitled to the full mam and ph test readings as im worried my doc is going to get a "its all ok in his head". The main reason is when i see another gi doc to get this finally sorted I will need the readout results.Do they have to give them to you (Ihavent paid them yet lol)...    im a lot more setlled now on lorezapam ansd sleep pills at night until i get my life back .Cheers for any advice......

any ideas thanks all .ps hope u are all well

Brian-
You definitely are entitled to have a copy of the complete test results. Since you are planning on seeing another doctor I would get a copy to take with and you also might have them send the new doctor the results also.

Sorry it took so long to reply. My body is adjusting to a couple new meds and isn't liking it just yet. Got the same sde effects I had when I first started the lyrica. The worst is the blurry vision.

Take care,
Bill

Cowboy -
What are the "sleeping pills?" A lot of people use benzo's (lorazepam is one) as a sleeping pill. It's an anxiolytic, but also a muscle relaxant - so it loosens your LES. Not great for GERD. I take temazepam (another banzo) as a sleeping pill, but only twice a week max. It stops working if I take it more often and I don't want to up the dose.

If you are refluxing, maybe the surgeon didn't make the wrap tight enough. They needed the man and pH studies to get it right - at least my surgeon did! I only got a partial wrap because my swallowing isn't strong enough to pass a tight wrap. Mine's recent, but seems to be enough to hold back the acid.

Bill - I didn't tolerate Lyrica either. It made me gain 1/2 lb a day. I DO tolerate its cousin gabapentin (Neurontin) in small doses. 300mg puts me to sleep and lasts 12 hours. I'm trying 100mg now, starting just in the evening, may add morning and afternoon if I get used to it. I have pretty bad fibromyalgia, made much worse (fibro-flare) by the fundoplication pain. I need to get off Clinoril because it's hard on the kidneys and don't want to start Vicodin again. I was building a tolerance to that. It seems we build tolerances to all the pain meds that work!

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Alcie

Bill i hope the blurry vision is going away i really do.My test results are not in yet.Alcie im taking lorezapam but doc wants me off this soon.My main pre surgery symptoms were regirgitating food and hhernia.Now my main symptom is bowel cramping which doc says is caused by anxiety I used to have a bowel movement mid morn now its when I first get up out of bed..This is causing me to wake up early in the morning which is annoying..My wrap was a 180 anterior fundo .Doc says cramping pain will go when anxiety is down ..Hope you are all well and healing .

Cowboy-
You had the same surg I had, the partial wrap. I don't know how many degrees I got, won't do any good to ask because the surgeon who did it doesn't even remember me. He told me when I asked they didn't put in any hemo clips, but he wrote in the op report that there were some and they show on xray. I wanted to know because I expect to need more MRIs for my spine problems. Now I have to find out what brand are used and probably get a written statement to carry with me.

I get bowel cramps too, triggered by meds, upper GI and maybe heart. I get them from senna, Rx for the fundo, so don't take that often. I get them from eating trigger foods. You might keep a food log to see if you can find a food connection. I had a real problem with them the day of my heart attack and am considering another angiogram because I have had chest pain and bowel upset for the last two days. I passed the stress test pre-op, but I passed one just before the heart attack too and another when I needed another stent 6 months post-heart attack. So I have absolutely no faith in that expensive radioactive test! So there's no way to non-invasively test if there's a heart connection, but you can eliminate meds and foods!

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Alcie

Alcie-
I was on Gabapentin for about 18 months and it quit working. That's why I am trying the Lyrica.

Cowboy-
f you only had the partial wrap that could be why you are still having the Gerd issues now. The 180 isn;t as strong as the 270 or full wrap.

Take care,
Bill

PS, the blurry vision is mostly gone now. Just dealing with the tiredness.

Bill glad the blurry vision is neally gone:) Im still waiting for test results to return.So do you think if a redo will they most likely do redo 180 or as you say Bill 270 or 360.Im almost through with this whole thing.Hope you are all well and relaxed...

I would think if the 180 isn't working they would go wit the 270 at least, but a 360 may be what you need. I am not sure why they only did a 180 in the first place.


Take care,
Bill

Did they do the 180wrap for less side effects?Ive been thinkin a take down would put me in a worse position living with this for good.I felt like a new man the first few weeks until i stretched things by physical work and was praising the surgeon so it was the right move just have to get back there.This one has to be right and im thinkin i will have to travell to usa where all you lovely people are and have a redo there. with more experienced docs.What would the cost of this be please.I think the top one here in nz has done 8 redos thats prob not enough for me.but my med insurance would cover it as overseas they may not?.My doc wants to see me tom for results of ph and mam.I hope there is a problem there!!.Heal well people .Take care Bill and co thinkin of yaz.

Good Morning Cowboy,

Stopping in to say hello and I hope you soon have the answers to which procedure your physician is going to recommend for you.



Also want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday and know I am always here to support you.



Gentle Hugs,



Kitt

Ths hospital bill alone for my op and 3 days was over $70k.  Then there was doctors' bills, anesthesia, meds, etc.  So figure a top university hospital, which is where the top docs go for the $1-2m+ salaries, could cost $100k or more.

Thanks Kitt you are a real support Thanks for all other support too.

I believe Rick paid for his and I think he had it done in Florida. Maybe he will see this and chime in here on the cost. I know the original bill for my redo was around 73K and my insurance paid about 12K to the hospital and about $1800.00 t the surgeon. The hospital is under contract with my insurance company, so I only had to pay $100.00 to them.

Take care,
Bill