TheSixness Nissen

It's official. I have found myself a decent surgeon who has done over 1000 nissen's and is comfortable operating on me with the prior tif. My surgery date is set for 10/9/13. I'm hoping this will help me fight back against the reflux getting to my nose, ears, throat and causing a lot breathing issues and asthma. Just a recap on everywhere I've been... I've been to various local places, UW-Madison, Medical college of Wisconsin, Mayo Clinic Rochester, New York University, Voice Institute of New York.

I'm hoping my journey around the states are about finished and I can finally start getting ahead on my medical bills lol... I'm anxious and excited, hoping life is better after the nissen.

Good news! Where are you going?

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Laurie
GERD (Nissen Fundolplication Sept. 2013)
Chronic Pain caused by Degenerative Arthritis,
Asthma, Chronic Sinusitis, Allergies,
Chronic Kidney Stone Disease, Depression/Anxiety

A doctor out of Green bay.

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-TheSickness-

Yay! Very best wishes, Sixness! 

Thank you Denise and everyone!

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-TheSickness-

Sixness,

Hi TheSixness, that's great news! Im sure youll be much better with the Nissen,the TIF never seems to have worked for a lot of people. Good Luck! Barry

Yeah, I've heard plenty of bad things about the TIF also, I'm excited to find out myself how effective the nissen will be.

DOGGBONES,

The Dr is Dr Geocaris out of baycare. She does 2-3 nissens a week and she told me she has been working for 14 years. She seems like she's a decent surgeon. I think she's proof you don't need a university medical center to get good care.

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-TheSickness-

Sixness,

Thinking of you!

Im post op right now. I have to saw, i disnt notice large improvements right away. But my breathing my nasal congestion have had an improvement already foe sure.

My doctor is great, so confident and experienced. Im annoyed i didnt find her and jamie koufman sooner. The largest thing i can say is that compared to the tif...
The nissen recover is a breeze... holy cow. Im still functioning. The tif was clearly the wrong way to go for me and i thought that right when i woke up.

I can breath :)

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-TheSickness-

Wonderful!

I'm happy to hear you finally had the surgery you really needed. I hope do well!

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Laurie
GERD (Nissen Fundolplication Sept. 2013)
IgG, IgM Deficient
Chronic Pain caused by Degenerative Arthritis,
Asthma, Chronic Sinusitis, Allergies,
Chronic Kidney Stone Disease, Depression/Anxiety

The recovery has slowed down quite a bit. My breathing has improved slightly, but I still have a long ways to go. I was expecting more of a immediate outcome from this surgery, it's hard to tell this early on if it was a success or not.

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-TheSickness-

Be patient!
Its a rough go, but have faith that you will come out on the other side feeling really well.
Its easier said than done, I know that for sure. but you will be ok. be easy on yourself.

Well, it's day three. I have a little more energy, but still very much sore. I noticed my nasal congestion came back after eating and my breathing has bean up and down. Taking my inhaler has been helping more than usual. I have been doing the breathing tests and it hurts my chest to breath in the 2000's. I have to really push it, but I have the ability to max it out...my chest is just super tight.

I have spasms that will really hurt, I think its when I swallow air that it happens. Not sure how long it will take to see the results I want, but we'll keep waiting, I just hope there is some improvement to my condition in the long run, as of right now, it doesnt seem like there has been a lot of change. I wanna say that the medication traamadol that I was given really helped relieve inflammation. Which helped me breath great after the surgery... But I have been avoiding my pain meds because I know they make my reflux worse. I'm stickinng to tylenol. My throat hurts a lot and my voice is painful, will see how long it will take for this to improve. As for heartburn, I dont feel any.

Breathing was hard and painful for me. My lungs were messed up to begin with, but I think it was the messing around with the diaphragm during surgery that caused it. Are you sure your pain med causes reflux? Maybe if it's an NSAID, but if it's a narcotic with tylenol added, it shouldn't have that side effect. Tramadol has a lot of different side effects, some do affect the stomach. Is that all you were given as a prescription?

Taking care of the pain sure makes it easier to breathe. Most doctors I have encountered are very good about helping with pain management.

Now, it is the weekend, but I'm sure you can still call the doctor to get a different pain med if needed.

I know it's hard now, but each day does get better, I know how you wish the days would go faster between now and then.

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Laurie
GERD (Nissen Fundolplication Sept. 2013)
IgG, IgM Deficient
Chronic Pain caused by Degenerative Arthritis,
Asthma, Chronic Sinusitis, Allergies,
Chronic Kidney Stone Disease, Depression/Anxiety

I have tylenol with codine and also vicodin. Im scared to take them. My pains been getting better and its seems like the over the counter meds doing it ok for me. Just dont want my breathing to get bad by taking them.

I had those weird spasms. They are pretty painful at first. I still get them occasionally. the good news is, they will start to get less and less painful.
They are worse when you are gassy...but really, its painful because of all the work they did on you and only time and healing will help with that, even my percoset didnt help the spasms

Are you using a lung exerciser? My surgeon and pulmonologist wanted me using it often. I'm finally at a point that I don't have that pain anymore (at 1 month post-op). My lungs still have mucus in them, though - which sucks, but will take time.

By Sunday (are you a football fan?) you will be doing much better than today. :)

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Laurie
GERD (Nissen Fundolplication Sept. 2013)
IgG, IgM Deficient
Chronic Pain caused by Degenerative Arthritis,
Asthma, Chronic Sinusitis, Allergies,
Chronic Kidney Stone Disease, Depression/Anxiety

Yeah. I do the lung exercises... they hurt my chest a lot. Hopefully! Cant wait to feel decent like everyone else

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-TheSickness-

TheSiXness-

If you have pain use the pain meds you were prescribed. That won't cause you any reflux. You had surgery to fix that.

Remember it is a marathon recovery, not a sprint. It takes patience and time to heal.

Take care,
Bill

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opnwhl4
Moderator: GERD/Heartburn, Kidney disease

Nissen 6/06 and 5/09
#3 8/24/11

Day four. Been laying down on my left side without waking up at night, which is nice. Woke up though with a lot of chest tightness. The day has been up and down so far. Nasal congestion, breathing, sour throat are worse today, but feeling more mobile. Still on my meds at this point. But have been instructed to get off of them by my doctor. Dont know about that with my breathing being unstable. I have noticed that stuff goes down easy and i can still burp with ease. Was expecting more restrictions there.

It's hard to think that this is my second surgery, I had the tif feb 2012. I did relatively well after that, than at about a month everything changed and my symptoms came back worse. As a result of that I can kinda compare how I feel now to how I felt after my TIF, but everything is different. I felt more of an immediate effect after my TIF. Although there was no way I could lay flat... Just couldn't breath if I did. So far with the nissen I can lay flat on my left side flat. Rolled on my back in the morning and my mucus production shot up, so I'm thinking thats a no go.

Post Edited (TheSiXness) : 10/12/2013 2:00:20 PM (GMT-6)

Thank you so much for giving us updates. I live in Miami but I'll go to Green Bay to have surgery if this doctor seems as good as you say. 1000 surgeries is a excellent amount of practice.

Thinking about you and wishing you a quick recovery.