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Post Fundo Activity Expectations vs Reality

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Posted 4/7/2021 12:39 AM (GMT -6)
Hi All,

First off, what a relief to have stumbled on this forum. Huge thank you to all who contribute and share their experiences here. I just spent the better part of two hours reading others' posts and have already noticed my anxiety level drop learning that my symptoms are not uncommon.

I am a very healthy, active and fit 40 year old man who is four weeks post-Nissen. I am having similar experiences to may folks on this forum such as chest pain, occasional difficulty swallowing/esophageal pains while eating, and lots of minor burping when drinking most liquids. The after care that I have received has been borderline non-existent (almost useless) and I am unable to reach my surgeon (only his nurse) to discuss my personal experiences. I was told that my procedure and recovery would be a breeze and I would be able to resume normal outdoor activities around the 10 week mark. I am an avid mountaineer and alpine rock climber, both physically demanding endeavors, that feel a million miles away as I type this post. Can anyone provide any insight into when I will realistically be able to begin intense exercising and get back into the rock climbing gym to get my body back into shape? I have a trim frame have lost way more weight than I am comfortable with. Summer/climbing season is just around the corner and my heart aches to think about the possibility of missing the brief yearly window to pursue my passion/addiction to the mountains. Thanks in advance for any comments and insight that folks here can provide.
Posted 4/7/2021 5:14 AM (GMT -6)
Welcome Matt:

Unfortunately, I can't give you any answers about when you can resume your outdoor activities. That's something that your surgeon determines, everyone is different. If you are uncomfortable with just speaking to the nurse, make a follow-up appointment, you shouldn't have difficulty swallowing or the spasms. I had multiple follow-up visits with my surgeon. Believe it or not, you are still fairly early in your recovery journey and the side effects that you are experiencing are very common. You should have been able to advance to soft foods - scrambled eggs, cream of wheat, soups, etc. If your surgeon didn't give you a diet to follow, look up UPMC post-Nissen diet. From my personal experience, I didn't feel much better until around 6-months post-surgery, and the new me around 1 year. Keep in mind that the recovery process is unique to each person. As far as losing weight, most people eventually gain it all back when they move to solid foods.

Let us know what your surgeon says.

Sharon
Posted 4/7/2021 12:37 PM (GMT -6)
Thank for the reply, Sharon. I will be making an appointment with my surgeon soon to discuss these issues with him and to get a better sense of where I am in terms of returning to activities. I should have specified in my post that I was not looking for any specific answers, but just insight from others on when they were able to return to their chosen activities and what experiences they may have had when they did. Thanks again and I will circle back when I get some answers.

Matt
Posted 4/8/2021 4:49 AM (GMT -6)
Matt:

You'll find that the Boards are very slow, and there is a possibility that you may not receive any responses.

Good Luck with your appointment.

Sharon
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