Just a little note about me; my name is
Jess. I am a 36 year old wife and stay at home mother of three boys. I had a laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication on Friday February 24, 2012.
Several years back I presented in the ER with severe abdominal pain. I was diagnosed with gallstones and sent home by the PA who told me people live with stones for years with no trouble. I promise I will get to the NF part. Back in September I was admitted to the Hospital with severe abdominal pain w/ a history of gallstones. The doctors ordered every test imaginable to tell me I had stone and to almost send me home again. I begged and pleaded with my doctor whom I had never met before; we had just moved to a new area and I had not yet established a new doctor, to please order a surgical consult. It must have been the tears because he did. In walks my angel later that day. My surgeon asked in depth as to what I had been going through for the past several years. He stated he didn’t know if the pain was only from the stones or if there was another underlying issue that needed to be addressed, this was on a Wednesday. He ordered that I have endoscopy done so on Thursday morning I was on my way to discovering my fate. I had already had – x-rays, barium swallow, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, PET scan and some other test down in nuclear medicine what was one more. On the way back up to my room the nurse informed me that they discovered some irregularities and more samples are being sent off to be biopsied. On Friday I was stone free and what I thought to be healed. The test results came back with not so good new…so the past 6 months have been very difficult for me and my family. On a good note my last tests reveals the presence of only Barrett’s Esophagus w/ low grade dysplasia.
Prior to my surgery:
1st issue - See I have always had trouble swallowing even at a young age. My husband says I am the only person he knows that can choke on their own saliva. Which I did all the time, I can have nothing in my mouth and start choking. I choke and cough all the time. I always said it was from cheerleading cause I yelled all the time I must have damaged my throat. I have always felt like I feel like I have a cotton ball stuck in my throat.
2nd issue – this pain in my chest and abdomen, oh my lanta. I have it all the time and it gets worse. I know many others have felt it too. It lasts 15-30 minutes and feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife. I find myself only wearing loose fitting clothes now so that they don’t put pressure on my chest. I have been on acid blockers twice a day (two in the am and two at night) for 3 years with no relief. Until I met my surgeon no one believed that this could be.
3rd issue – this gas... See I was raised by a southern woman and you just don’t have these issues. I literally didn’t know how to burp till I was 25. I never fluffed in front of my husband or anybody else for that matter. Now, I have no control. My kids think it is the grossest thing ever. I am so sorry to right about this – that is enough about that subject you get the point.
My symptoms kept getting worse. So this angel I spoke of earlier my surgeon he just moved to my area and one of his specialties is NF. I did a lot of research online and we decided that this was the best option for me.
So onto more tests and more answers:
My Minometry revealed – my esophagus works overtime - but it works, I can swallow when I shouldn’t be able to, my esophageal sphincter does not work properly and to top it off I have a hiatal hernia.
Surgery Day - February 24, 2012 - Today is the day.. I am a little scared as I have been reading up on this procedure for what seems like forever. Kids up and off to school and I'm showered and dressed, off we go. 10:30ish I am in the pre-op room speaking with the nurses and my family (dad & step mom and hubby are all here) time to go to the next staging/ holding room as I call it. Kisses and hugs and here I go.. all the reading up is about to come true for me. It all happened so quick...In walks my anesthesiologist - hello I'm going to start a arterial line do to the position you will be in during the surgery. Just to make sure we have accurate readings.."ok"..line in, meds for my anxiety in and away I go..Operating Room - Everyone introduces themselves and I move over to the table and He says goodnight..Post-op; I don't see anything familiar to me, it's not the same as last time there is a lot more craziness going on. The nurse is talking to me but I don't see anything familiar. Wait I see "s" I always see him as I'm waking up. I'm ok I ask him to please tell someone that I'm ok and I made it through. He smiles - I think he thinks I'm crazy. The next thing I remember is being in my room with my family, my mom is here now. The pain is not that bad, I can handle this. My family and friends come and go I'm still a little groggy and not to sure whats going on. I know I should get up, my brother helps me up and to walk to the bathroom - no luck what is going on. Shift change a it's around 11 pm. What a crazy day...I can feel the pain and It hurts.. night shift is understaffed and not very friendly. They don't understand why I don't feel good. Ouch!!! I try to get myself up and i must have pulled something this new pain on my right side is killing me..push the call light no answer. I am so uncomfortable..stop it you just got out of surgery don't try and over so it. Push the call light again, he gets me up and I'm unable to use the restroom again. I'm in so much pain. Please send in the nurse - two hour past and no nurse, call light again - no nurse, call light again it's 5 am and I haven't been able to sleep. In walks another nurse from the floor - why do you keep pushing your call light your nurse is busy with other patients. I'm in pain and I haven't been able to urinate I tell her. She tells me that I am wrong and I have urinated 2 times. I thing I would know I tell her. So she does and ultrasound sure enough I have 600+cc's - me I told you so. Next time please listen to me. The next morning my nurse was great, she floated from another floor. She got me up and walking around, cleaned up and catheter out. It's a waiting game I have to pee on my own and she will send me home. It was all in my head I couldn't pee over the hat, once I removed it relief. It took me a couple of days to be able to use the restroom normally.
Recovery Begins: February 25, 2012 - released from the hospital and one my way home. When I got home my amazing husband had bought me my recliner (with heat and massage) What an amazing chair I spent almost all of my time in it. It hurts to walk upright these days. My pain is mostly gas pain, I think. My belly is tender and is in some pain. I am taking 2 - oxycodone 5 mg for pain every 4 hours. I have to crush the meds as I am unable to swallow any pills. I took my meds with a little bit of applesauce this seems to not bother my stomach. For the next few days I am in quite a bit of pain and having trouble sleeping. My pain level is about a 5 on a scale of 1-10.
Follow up: My doctor says everything looks good and my sites are healing nicely. Just a couple of little scars. I mention my pain on the right side it feels like I have pulled a muscle. He says it might be from him. But, I remember when I pulled it in the hospital so that ones on me. Other then that NO pain and things are looking good. No heartburn, no reflux and no cancer. Life is good...
Just a little Scare: The pain on my right side continues and my doctor sends me for a stat CT scan. Please let your doctor know if there is any change in your pain level or if new pain arises. He thought I might have a blood clot..I don't better safe then sorry. Not fun trying to drink the contrast 16 oz I have only been able to take in about 6 oz at a time.
Activities: Things are not back to normal yet. I am trying my best to do things that I did before. No lifting over 10 lbs, walking a little it still hurts my side and I get tired real easy.
Diet: Please see my page on my diet
Several years back I presented in the ER with severe abdominal pain. I was diagnosed with gallstones and sent home by the PA who told me people live with stones for years with no trouble. I promise I will get to the NF part. Back in September I was admitted to the Hospital with severe abdominal pain w/ a history of gallstones. The doctors ordered every test imaginable to tell me I had stone and to almost send me home again. I begged and pleaded with my doctor whom I had never met before; we had just moved to a new area and I had not yet established a new doctor, to please order a surgical consult. It must have been the tears because he did. In walks my angel later that day. My surgeon asked in depth as to what I had been going through for the past several years. He stated he didn’t know if the pain was only from the stones or if there was another underlying issue that needed to be addressed, this was on a Wednesday. He ordered that I have endoscopy done so on Thursday morning I was on my way to discovering my fate. I had already had – x-rays, barium swallow, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, PET scan and some other test down in nuclear medicine what was one more. On the way back up to my room the nurse informed me that they discovered some irregularities and more samples are being sent off to be biopsied. On Friday I was stone free and what I thought to be healed. The test results came back with not so good new…so the past 6 months have been very difficult for me and my family. On a good note my last tests reveals the presence of only Barrett’s Esophagus w/ low grade dysplasia.
Prior to my surgery:
1st issue - See I have always had trouble swallowing even at a young age. My husband says I am the only person he knows that can choke on their own saliva. Which I did all the time, I can have nothing in my mouth and start choking. I choke and cough all the time. I always said it was from cheerleading cause I yelled all the time I must have damaged my throat. I have always felt like I feel like I have a cotton ball stuck in my throat.
2nd issue – this pain in my chest and abdomen, oh my lanta. I have it all the time and it gets worse. I know many others have felt it too. It lasts 15-30 minutes and feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife. I find myself only wearing loose fitting clothes now so that they don’t put pressure on my chest. I have been on acid blockers twice a day (two in the am and two at night) for 3 years with no relief. Until I met my surgeon no one believed that this could be.
3rd issue – this gas... See I was raised by a southern woman and you just don’t have these issues. I literally didn’t know how to burp till I was 25. I never fluffed in front of my husband or anybody else for that matter. Now, I have no control. My kids think it is the grossest thing ever. I am so sorry to right about this – that is enough about that subject you get the point.
My symptoms kept getting worse. So this angel I spoke of earlier my surgeon he just moved to my area and one of his specialties is NF. I did a lot of research online and we decided that this was the best option for me.
So onto more tests and more answers:
My Minometry revealed – my esophagus works overtime - but it works, I can swallow when I shouldn’t be able to, my esophageal sphincter does not work properly and to top it off I have a hiatal hernia.
Surgery Day - February 24, 2012 - Today is the day.. I am a little scared as I have been reading up on this procedure for what seems like forever. Kids up and off to school and I'm showered and dressed, off we go. 10:30ish I am in the pre-op room speaking with the nurses and my family (dad & step mom and hubby are all here) time to go to the next staging/ holding room as I call it. Kisses and hugs and here I go.. all the reading up is about to come true for me. It all happened so quick...In walks my anesthesiologist - hello I'm going to start a arterial line do to the position you will be in during the surgery. Just to make sure we have accurate readings.."ok"..line in, meds for my anxiety in and away I go..Operating Room - Everyone introduces themselves and I move over to the table and He says goodnight..Post-op; I don't see anything familiar to me, it's not the same as last time there is a lot more craziness going on. The nurse is talking to me but I don't see anything familiar. Wait I see "s" I always see him as I'm waking up. I'm ok I ask him to please tell someone that I'm ok and I made it through. He smiles - I think he thinks I'm crazy. The next thing I remember is being in my room with my family, my mom is here now. The pain is not that bad, I can handle this. My family and friends come and go I'm still a little groggy and not to sure whats going on. I know I should get up, my brother helps me up and to walk to the bathroom - no luck what is going on. Shift change a it's around 11 pm. What a crazy day...I can feel the pain and It hurts.. night shift is understaffed and not very friendly. They don't understand why I don't feel good. Ouch!!! I try to get myself up and i must have pulled something this new pain on my right side is killing me..push the call light no answer. I am so uncomfortable..stop it you just got out of surgery don't try and over so it. Push the call light again, he gets me up and I'm unable to use the restroom again. I'm in so much pain. Please send in the nurse - two hour past and no nurse, call light again - no nurse, call light again it's 5 am and I haven't been able to sleep. In walks another nurse from the floor - why do you keep pushing your call light your nurse is busy with other patients. I'm in pain and I haven't been able to urinate I tell her. She tells me that I am wrong and I have urinated 2 times. I thing I would know I tell her. So she does and ultrasound sure enough I have 600+cc's - me I told you so. Next time please listen to me. The next morning my nurse was great, she floated from another floor. She got me up and walking around, cleaned up and catheter out. It's a waiting game I have to pee on my own and she will send me home. It was all in my head I couldn't pee over the hat, once I removed it relief. It took me a couple of days to be able to use the restroom normally. Recovery Begins: February 25, 2012 - released from the hospital and one my way home. When I got home my amazing husband had bought me my recliner (with heat and massage) What an amazing chair I spent almost all of my time in it. It hurts to walk upright these days. My pain is mostly gas pain, I think. My belly is tender and is in some pain. I am taking 2 - oxycodone 5 mg for pain every 4 hours. I have to crush the meds as I am unable to swallow any pills. I took my meds with a little bit of applesauce this seems to not bother my stomach. For the next few days I am in quite a bit of pain and having trouble sleeping. My pain level is about a 5 on a scale of 1-10.
Follow up: My doctor says everything looks good and my sites are healing nicely. Just a couple of little scars. I mention my pain on the right side it feels like I have pulled a muscle. He says it might be from him. But, I remember when I pulled it in the hospital so that ones on me. Other then that NO pain and things are looking good. No heartburn, no reflux and no cancer. Life is good...
Just a little Scare: The pain on my right side continues and my doctor sends me for a stat CT scan. Please let your doctor know if there is any change in your pain level or if new pain arises. He thought I might have a blood clot..I don't better safe then sorry. Not fun trying to drink the contrast 16 oz I have only been able to take in about 6 oz at a time.
Activities: Things are not back to normal yet. I am trying my best to do things that I did before. No lifting over 10 lbs, walking a little it still hurts my side and I get tired real easy.
Diet: Please see my page on my diet
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