I'm Back

[blk-betty]

Thanks for the kind words.

Everything went Ok.  Now just trying to figure out how to eat again. 

[MrClean]

Blender and a straw? 

[Dennis The Menace]

Good to hear, Mark.  Rest up and get on the road again soon!

Dennis

[blk-betty]

Blender and a straw? 

That's exactly right - but it inlcudes all foods and beverages, not just the adult variety and about 1-2oz is max allowable for the next several weeks.

[JamLazyAss]

Welcome back!
What the heck did you have done?   

[hdjax2]

Welcome back Mark. I dont know what you had done but if your serious about the blender and straw deal I've seen it done. Pops got his jaw broken in a bar fight way back in the day and had his jaw wired shut. One night I watched him BBQ a New York steak and put it in the blender with a beer, blend it up and drink it with a straw. I Sheet you not

[blk-betty]

Laproscopic Nissen Fundoplication

Laproscopic - just means it was done with scopes so no large incisions - five 1/2 - 1" cuts over my belly.

Nissen - just the guy that first did the procedure of perfected it.

Fundoplication - dissect the esophagus and stomach away from the diaphragm and surrounding tissue, take the fundus of the stomach (the top portion) and wrap it (the stomach) around the esophagus where it meets the stomach and sew it back to itself.

The surgery is done from chronic gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn) that is not controlled by medications.  Funny thing is I rarely had heartburn but had a chronic cough that was caused by reflux.  Have had the symptoms for about 20 years but didn't know the cause until about 10 years ago.  At that time I met with a surgeon and he said, sure we can do it but don't know if it will cure the cough.  I waited a few years to see what would happen.  In the interim I met my wife, we got married and about a month before the wedding she started with a terrible cough and nothing other than narcotic cough medicine would stop the cough.  Whenever she was under a lot of stress it would get worse.  I suggested it may be from reflux and she had all the tests and docs told her the same thing, we can do the surgery but can't guarantee it will fix the problem.  She decided to go ahead and had it done in Dec 07 and has had no problems since and the cough is cured.  So I decided to bite the bullet and do it myself.

First few days is liquid diet only then soft/pureed foods for 2-3 weeks and slowly start eating more solid foods after 3 weeks with back to normal diet in 6-8 weeks.  Reason for the soft diet and small amount of food is the normal opening between the esophagus and the stomach has been tightened considerably and the the size of the stomach has been reduced so it takes a long time for food to get into the stomach and if you eat to much or too fast it builds up in the esophagus and hurts like hell.

Once healed, I should be able to eat anything I want with no reflux or cough.   

[hotham]

Hope you heal quickly.  I would fill up on 20w50 Synthetic.  Guaranteed to help on cold morning starts.

[Panzer]

Welcome back, BB.
I never tried it, but I think you can drink beer from a straw. 
And another thing, don't go yelling at the wife. 

[Fxstchewy]

Welcome back,  wondered where you had been. Chewy

[Faast Ed]

Glad it went well. 
(Now please excuse me while I barf). LOL   Gross description!

[Deye76]

 Bet your gonna feel so good, you'll wish you took care of it 10 years ago.  Here's to a quick recovery

[judybuddy]

Welcome back.  Hope the recovery is fast and complete.  In order not to hijack the thread and also to possibly help some one else with this problem, I'm going to start a ot thread with something that might help.  I don't know.  I have gerd and saw this in my research.  All i know is what this link o the new thread shows.

[judybuddy]

http://www.endogastricsolutions.com/index.php?link=EsophyX&src=gendocs

This is all I know.  So no questions to me please.

[CndUltra88]

BB, glad to hear it went well for you.
If you dont mind, I'll have a 12 oz Prime rib on your behalf for you this weekend,
Again, glad to Hear your home and in good spirits.
Rob

[CraigArizona85248]

Glad to hear it went well.  Rest up and I hope you feel 100% soon.

-Craig

[Clintster]

Here's to a speedy recovery            Clint

[wavlovr1]

BB, I have the same problem, only I am worried that all that acid in my sinus and throat is gonna cause cancer. The doctor just put me on a second medicine that causes the muscles down there to contract and keep everything down at night. it's working so far but I'm curious to see how the operation works out for you. please keep a record of your expierences and let me know how it turns out. I may have to do it before long, but I was scared because the last doctor told me I couldn't drink a pepsi afterwards because the gas wwould get stuck down there cauising a pain in the gut... I'm asuming they have worked out those bugs by now?

jim

[blk-betty]

Jim

Best to luck to you.  I don't know about the Pepsi.  My wife had the surgery a year ago and is doing great, however she hasn't drank anything with carbonation.  She and I were under the impession we could not drink soda or beer but the dieticen I met with on discharge said no carbonation for 3-4 weeks.  If I can't ever drink carbonation it won't be that bad, I prefer liquor to beer and really don't drink that much anyway.

The drawbacks as my wife and I see them are, you can't burp or only just slighty, you can't puke, and since that gas can't leave from your mouth it's going to leave from the other end.  My biggest fear was with the puking, not that I enjoy it but when your sick the sometimes the cure is to get rid of what's causing you to be sick.  My wife has had a stomach "bug" twice since the surgery and was able to go through the motions if you will (dry heaves) and felt much better just like if she actually got something up without actually puking.

She claims it to be life-changing and the best thing she did.  So I decided to do the same and used her surgeon.  We both had it done here in town where we have a Medical School and the Gastroenterology Department is listed as one of the top 10 in the country.  Our doctor specializes in laproscopic gastric bypass surgery so she is very proficient with laproscopy and abdominal / GI surgery.  I was talking to her before discharge and she said that being in a teaching hospital she sees a lot of patients in referral who had the procedure and have problems afterwards with inability to swallow heavy solid foods.  She attributes that to surgical technique and says some are wrapped too tight.  I think the key, with all of surgery, is finding someone that has done a lot of the procedures and has perfected their technique to the point that patients have little to no problems afterwards.

It will be a while before I try any carbonation but I'll get my wife to be the guinea pig and see how she does.  Before the procedure she drank 4-5 diet cokes a day - now it's 4-5 glasses of sweet tea.         

[wavlovr1]

Thanks Mark... I'll be sure to look for an expierenced doc when I have to get it done. Although it's not that easy to be picky when you have to rely on Medicare Insurance. Jim

[Scramjet]

Here is to a speedy recover.  Watch you diet carefully.  Balanced supplement shakes can be better than you think (although I am sure it will get old).

Maybe a Meal Replacement Drink supplement?  Ask your doctor.

B

[Panzer]

No carbonation..........none........nada..........nine ?  
          Ahhh....... is carbonated.
      That cinches it, no operation for me.
Here's to you, BB  fast recovery.

[someday69]

You will have much better health with Tea,,and there are so many different types you'll never get bored with it....I use honey with three different tea bags in a big four cup thermos....let it steep for a while and you got a great drink.....If you end up lose'in some weight from eating better food and getting in better shape...You will live a much more enjoyable life....
   I'm so glad you had the surgery and now you and your wife are on the same page.....You can find things that work well for each of you.....For now take it easy....don't try to much to soon.....the summer will be here soon and you'll be in the wind...
                     Good luck...and now you can look forward to the future of medicine that will be able to do even more.....someday...