Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

For successful fundoplication members.

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic locked
1 2 3 45 6 7 8 9 10 11
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
Retired Seabee
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 129
Posted 12/16/2014 4:03 AM (GMT -7)
I was reading over the submissions on this thread and thought I would added to my previous post that appears on the first page. Diet.

I am probably one of the oldest members who have had the wrap--73 at the time of the surgery. I knew that I could live out my life without it, but I was sick and tired of the nightly reflux. As I said in my first post, at my age one of the few pleasures in life was eating, but even that had become a chore. For months prior to my surgery I resigned myself to the fact that it would require a major lifestyle modification to compensate for all of the things I could no longer do or eat after surgery. No this or no that.....

In the consultations in the months leading up to surgery the Surgeon told me that I would be on a clear liquid diet for two-three weeks and then a soft diet for months afterward. He warned me that his Brother-in Law had the surgery and had tried to cheat on his diet afterwards by eating pasta with bad results. So I took him seriously and I prepared for the worst. I bought all of the liquids in advance and got mentally ready.

Several hours after surgery the Surgeon came to my room to check up on me and told me that I could eat anything that could be pureed!!! I don't know what caused him to change his instructions but I took him at his word. The first morning after surgery they brought me a regular tray of food plus coffee and juice. I cautiously sampled small amounts of everything except the solids.
Two days later, I returned home and really put the blender to work. I still ate frequent small meals but I blended everything ranging from vegetable beef soup thinned with chicken or beef broth to other foods that could be liquified and thinned with broth. A friend brought me a pitcher filled with home-made tomato soup. I cautiously ate that for many days.
The end result of cautiously trying various foods and drinks is that after three weeks I began adding solid food to my diet and within a few months I was back on a regular diet of frequent small meals. I now eat and drink anything I want without really thinking about the possibility of reflux. And, there has been no long-term life style changes at all.
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 12/16/2014 7:24 PM (GMT -7)
Npoolstra. I'm betting we will see your future comments here.

Retired Seabee. Thanks for the update. Goodness that offers hope to so many. What a great Christmas present to your self.
profile picture
1039smooth
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 2177
Posted 12/18/2014 8:10 PM (GMT -7)
I could use encouragement. Lol
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 1/13/2015 7:43 PM (GMT -7)
Gewarn and Trotters. Look forward to your comments. It helps so many, especially in the area of deciding to proceed to surgery.
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 1/17/2015 8:53 AM (GMT -7)
Im bumping this topic for those that are on the edge regarding surgery. It is a huge decision and we need to read about good outcomes. It helps to not feel alone and that there is hope---➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️
profile picture
JanPeg
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2015
Posts : 113
Posted 1/22/2015 12:03 PM (GMT -7)
A big Thank You for all of you for posting your stories. You give hope! This is all very new to me as I was told two days ago to have the surgery so your comments are very enlightening. I hope to go in as well-prepared as possible and due to your input I think I will have a realistic idea of what to expect.
profile picture
Spoonz
New Member
Joined : Jan 2015
Posts : 2
Posted 2/4/2015 10:34 AM (GMT -7)
Hello,
I am 9 days post op NF and very greatful to have found this forum. My recovery has been pretty good so far. I am following my doctors instructions 100% on diet restrictions. Liquids only for now...I did read some pretty scary stories from others that tried to do too much too soon. So I'll definitely take the long road to recovery. And I might add how nice it is to NOT have the acid reflux anymore. No more waking up with the rush of acid choking me in my sleep was well worth this surgery. I will continue to read more of the blogs in this forum to see how others stories compare to my experience. And to take the advice of others who've had this surgery. To all considering Fundo surgery...if you're well prepared beforehand and know what's expected of you afterward you will benefit from this tremendously. Happy healing to all 😊
profile picture
StephanieJean
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 500
Posted 2/16/2015 4:59 PM (GMT -7)
Hi all! I would love to be around more, but two puppies, full time work, full time school and lots of travel mean I have to pick and choose what few extras get my attention right now. Did I mention I am also house hunting? Whew!

So I had my nissen August of 2013, I was 29 years old. It was terrifying and recovery is still happening for me I think as I get back to the level of fitness and flexibility I enjoyed prior to the surgery. Shoveling snow still hurts and my wrap swells, and sometimes I eat chipotle and have heartburn and sometimes when I drink too much water too fast it doesn't go down properly, but my life is so much better now.

I can do yoga, I can sleep laying down, I don't take heartburn meds unless I abuse myself with foods that would take even an iron stomach down for the count, I can swallow steaks and breads and giant multivitamins.

I had an awesome surgeon, and awesome support group here and at home and it was a lot of learning how to treat my new body, but I have no regrets. My lasting symptoms are so minor and I only notice them when I am careless about how I eat, how hard I work out and all that jazz.

I hope everyone is well!
Stephanie
profile picture
Linda Sue
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2014
Posts : 465
Posted 2/18/2015 1:08 PM (GMT -7)
StephanieJean,
I've been hoping you'd come back to the forum so I can ask you who your surgeon was? I believe we live in the same area in Michigan. I have had awful GERD and am scheduled for yet another endoscopy with dilation.

I NEED a consultation with a top-notch surgeon. Will you email me, please? (email address in my profile). Thank you.
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 3/7/2015 5:49 PM (GMT -7)
Bump
profile picture
Candin
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2015
Posts : 37
Posted 3/8/2015 2:51 AM (GMT -7)
I am so glad I found this forum. I am looking at all options. I have B.E., GERD and LPR is the worse now. I was told by my G.I that surgery is not recommended for those with B.E. because it cannot be monitored.
profile picture
tom t
New Member
Joined : Feb 2015
Posts : 10
Posted 3/30/2015 9:44 AM (GMT -7)
Age at surgery = 35
gender = male
date of surgery = 3/11/15
would you do it again = YES
would you recommend it = YES

pearls of wisdom = do your research including making sure that you qualify for the surgery with your insuarnce plan FIRST

how you arrived at your decision to have surgery = to many drawbacks with the medication long term and only partially worked anyway.

how long it took you to arrive at decision to proceed with surgery--scary thing. = It took me about 8 months to truly decide to go forward with the surgery. Thats mostly because I was concerned about being able to drink beer afterwards which seems silly now.

I would do this again 100 out of 100 times.
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 3/30/2015 10:47 AM (GMT -7)
tom t, welcome to our forum. Thanks for your comments. Please keep us posted on your progress and especially what you are eating at this stage of your recovery. It helps so many, Especially during the decision making process to proceed or not.

Candin, how are you doing.
profile picture
Bella01
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2015
Posts : 80
Posted 3/30/2015 1:20 PM (GMT -7)
Hello everyone!

I haven't read through the entire thread so forgive me if this has already been brought up - but were any of you suffering from excessive belching before surgery (or after, I guess)?

My hernia is fairly small, but the extreme belching I suffer from is making me consider it. I'm not entirely certain whether surgery is effective for that particular symptom however.
profile picture
tom t
New Member
Joined : Feb 2015
Posts : 10
Posted 3/30/2015 1:50 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks Pat!

I eat a lot of soups, pudding, crackers/chips, pancakes eggs, oatmeal, BOOST, cheese, cheese curds, some pastas, ice cream...

I havent really tried any meats or hard breads yet. Honestly I don't feel like I am missing out at all. I am just so happy that I have literally gone almost three weeks and haven't had burning acid in the back of my mouth even once!
profile picture
Brianala
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2014
Posts : 91
Posted 3/31/2015 11:44 AM (GMT -7)
Hey everyone! I haven't checked in for awhile, but as others have said it's important to share success stories so I wanted to lend my voice.

I had my surgery last August, so it's been almost 8 months now and so far things are going well! I still do have occasional flares where my wrap site or esophagus will get irritated, and I will have a temporary sensation of heartburn (but never any reflux back into my throat).

I'm 34 and fairly active, and within a couple months of surgery I was back to running and doing pretty much everything I used to do. My diet is almost completely back to normal, including alcohol and carbonated drinks. Every now and again I'll get a sensation of something getting stuck if I am eating something very dense like bread, or if I eat too quickly. I try to take much smaller bites and make sure I wash everything down thoroughly.

I can still burp, perhaps better than I could before! My scars are healing very nicely. They're still visible, but much less prominent than they were before. I have no residual pain or problems of note.

I'm still very happy that I made the decision to have the surgery. And thanks again to everyone here that shared their stories, good and bad, to help me prepare to make my decision!
profile picture
Sweetie UK
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 213
Posted 4/1/2015 1:58 AM (GMT -7)
Hi!
Just thought I'd add my experience on here. I had a toupet fundoplication & hiatal hernia repair 3/12/15 and have not taken any acid reducing or stomach meds since. I have eaten food that would have made me ill in the past - without any discomfort at all. It is early days for me - I am still not eating bread and hard foods (like nuts) - but I have been enjoying fish pie, shepherds pie, cheerios well drowned in milk, well cooked veg cut into small pieces - anything that can be swallowed easily, I've even had some shredded meat in gravy that I made sure to chew a bit - but it went down well too!
I am a 46 year old woman, and I would do this again. I did have a very good surgeon - and that is the key to a good out come!
I have found the best thing for me has been eating smaller portions, eating more often, and when I have my main meal, eating it a lot slower than I used to. I actually enjoy my food more now than I ever did, as I slowly chew and savour the taste! It also means I don't get too full - as that does cause discomfort!
Here's to a happy tummy!!!!
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 4/9/2015 7:42 PM (GMT -7)
Bump up for Fundrider
profile picture
DanaR
New Member
Joined : Apr 2015
Posts : 5
Posted 4/14/2015 6:47 AM (GMT -7)
Good Morning All!

Well I had my NF monday March 30th and I must say I'm feeling great! Still on the restricted diet, I go back to my surgeon on 4/21 for follow-up. Overall this was a very positive experience for me. I suffered with intense heartburn, breathing issue and pain for many years before finally getting it checked out. I admit i had to force the issue with my Gastro doctor, I kept telling them that something wasn't right, I shouldn't have pain and pressure up in the upper left side and that it felt hard to breath normally. Finally I was referred to a local surgeon who decided that not only did i have a HH, but I also had a bochelek (sp?) hernia and that I needed to see a thoracic surgeon. I met with Dr. Macke at UW Madison and he was wonderful - took a lot of time explaining what exactly was wrong and how he was going to fix it. Both my husband and I felt extremely informed and comfortable with him.

Surgery was performed on 3/30 using the davinci robot. All went well, incisions are healing well and there is still some internal pain, which I'll call healing pain - much different from what I had been experiencing. I've read that many folks lost lots of weight after this surgery, I am not seeing that so much, I'm not eating as much, being on the restricted diet, not a lot of choices at this point, which concerns me since my calorie intake is relatively low, I'm drinking lots and lots of water and starting to walk more. Maybe the weight loss will come - this is only 2 weeks post op.

I'm glad to have found this forum - so many good posts!

Thanks for letting me share!

Dana
profile picture
SharonZ
Forum Moderator
Joined : Mar 2014
Posts : 2388
Posted 4/14/2015 9:51 AM (GMT -7)
DanaR

Congratulations, glad to hear that you are doing so well just 2-weeks post-op! I also had the NF and hernia repair done via Davinci Robot, and I think that procedure really helped limit the amount of gas pain after surgery. As far as weight loss, some people do lose a lot of weight initially, and eventually gain some of it back, I've heard some people say that their weight didn't change. I had my surgery done last year, at age 53 and lost 35 pounds and have not put any of it back on. I needed to lose a little weight, but didn't think I would lose that much. I think it has a lot to do with my eating habits when I was experiencing stomach issues. Everyone is different, as far as weight loss and their recovery. I suffered from GERD most of my adult life, this surgery was definitely a life changer for me.

Sharon
profile picture
Pat Tall
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 950
Posted 4/26/2015 12:41 PM (GMT -7)
Fund rider please consider adding some comments. So helpful to others. Thanks. Pat
profile picture
Fundrider
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2015
Posts : 40
Posted 4/26/2015 6:11 PM (GMT -7)
Hello to all!
So glad to be able to post here with my success story. I had a full nissen fundoplication and hiatal hernia repair on March 23, 2015. I had a very large hernia that was about 1/2 way up my esophagus which was causing major regurgitation/burping with almost anything I ate or drank. I was a glutton for punishment as I lived with this for many years. I was prescribed and took all kinds of different medicines but found I wasn't responding positively to any of them. I went thru a few different doctors who would ignore my symptoms (hernia) and just write scripts for more medicine or procedures to tell them things they were already aware of (Hernia 9cm large). Each doctor would tell me the hernia wouldn't go away but wouldn't recommend fixing it because I had a "curvy" esophagus. I finally consulted with a doctor who recommended a very skilled surgeon that could help me. My gastro doctor and surgeon worked together and discussed all new test results ( endoscopy, manometry, barium swallow) and came up with a plan to fix my hernia and provide some relief. Most people with a large hernia get a partial wrap but they both felt a full wrap would benefit me the most. Based on my manometry results, I had great upper esophagus sphincter results but lower sphincter wasn't working so well. They believed the cause of the lower problem was because of the hernia and felt the full wrap was better for me to keep the hernia intact. I didn't want to use any mesh (biological or otherwise) so fixing the hernia with stitches and doing the full wrap was the best option for me. I discussed with the surgeon my concern of having a wrap that would be too tight and he assured me that he wouldn't do that. He's done over 1,000 surgeries of this kind and currently does about 3 a week. He said they would test different size "bogies" to ensure the proper size wrap. I did interview another surgeon but decided to go with the referred one because he answered all my questions, explained the process and went over all my test results and explained how the surgery would work to fix my problems. He was very informative and I liked his bedside manner. He was very reassuring that I would be okay. He had another doctor assisting him and they both provided me with information I hadn't thought of. They mentioned I wouldn't feel much pain in my internal abdominal area and the stitches and shoulder pain would be the worst. I was puzzled but they said the stomach area they would be working with didn't really have many nerves and therefore the healing around the site wouldn't be that painful- Bonus--- I thought with all the moving around of internal parts and internal stitches I'd be miserable. They were so right. Shoulder pain was a minor discomfort compared to what I set myself up for. I was able to walk the night of surgery, passed my swallow test the next day and went home. I took it easy for first week, starting eating more foods week two ,along with walking 2+ miles a day. After my two week checkup, my doctor asked me to start eating things I couldn't eat before surgery (tomato based sauces, breads) to see if I would experience any reflux. I've done just that and I can say I feel my surgery has been extremely successful, I can eat without things getting stuck or coming up (wrap is not too tight or too loose- just perfect) , I can burp (bonus) and I feel better than I have in years, all without medication.


As you read this post I hope you feel some comfort in knowing things will be okay. I'm one of many that have had great results from this surgery. The best advice I can give you is to be informed, prepared and follow doctors orders. I researched everything I could, interviewed my doctors with all the information I had gathered, and decided on the surgery despite all my FEARS. Being prepared really helped a lot.

This site is such a wonderful gift and I couldn't have even begun to know what I was getting into had I not "saturated" my mind with all these informative posts. I learned as much from the people posting concerns as I did from successful posts. It's all useful information.
Good luck to all that are on the fence about surgery and thanks to all that have posted.
profile picture
teapot01
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2015
Posts : 31
Posted 4/29/2015 4:03 AM (GMT -7)
I had my NF surgery on 4/7 and I am 75 years of age. A feeling great. Today is three weeks and I can stop crushing my pills which was the worst thing for me. The food thing does not bother me. I have been either blending my food or cutting in small pieces. Today I can try solid food to see what agrees with me. That worst part is I have to slow down when eating. I have been pretty good about chewing. Yesterday I had toast for the first time. Took small bites. Not looking for any trouble.
profile picture
Linda Sue
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2014
Posts : 465
Posted 4/30/2015 5:24 AM (GMT -7)
teapot01,
Wow! I'm impressed! I'm 67 and will be having my LNF on July 7th. So glad you've bounced back so quickly! Gives me hope and encouragement. Keep up the good work!
profile picture
teapot01
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2015
Posts : 31
Posted 4/30/2015 6:32 AM (GMT -7)
Good Luck Linda Sue. I am sure you will not be sorry
✚ New Topic locked
1234567891011

More On GERD Acid Reflux

Everything You Need To Know About Acid Reflux Disease

Everything You Need To Know About Acid Reflux Disease

The Truth About Proton Pump Inhibitors

The Truth About Proton Pump Inhibitors



HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter InstagramInstagram PinterestPinterest LinkedInLinkedIn
© 1997-2021 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.