Day 6-10
So I may be slacking a little but this last week was craaaaaazy!
Our poor 13-year-old pup Chelsea has had a week long panic attack and I went back to work on Monday. So this week was a blur.
But it has now been 10 days post surgery and some things are...well they just are. My burping... or urge started to decrease around day 6 and has continued to not be as bad. Maybe I am just coping with it more, I don't know. I will say... actually getting out a real burp is the most amazing feeling ever. It disgusts me that I feel this way... but no joke... it is amazing!
Day 8 was interesting. I experienced my first real bout of dysphagia.. which I had heard about. I had a bite of a waffle with banana. I apparently did not chew well enough because the food got stuck in my esophagus. It is pretty uncomfortable, borderline painful. I tried to drink some water but nope. There was not room so most of it all came back up. Good news I can vomit! Sorry for the TMI but helpful to know if you're dealing with this! This happened to me today as well but it didn't last as long... stupid waffles and bananas. I realized walking around for about 5 minutes or so helped to resolve the issue. But every day that passes I'm thinking less and less about the Linx, so I am getting back to old habits. I guess this is a good and bad thing!
Things that I find hard to eat: Waffles, bananas, crinkle cut fries. I don't know why... they just are.
Today was also my first day back exercising. The doctor said as soon as the soreness from my incisions was gone, I could start working out again. Today I did a yoga class. I tried to be careful not overdoing it, but overall I did everything pretty much as normal.
I am still dreading the week 4 mark as it looms closer and closer... it's like scar tissue is closing all around me... in my mind.
Overall, I am doing well and still have not had any reflux since day of surgery! Woo! No more morning sickness!
Friday, September 25, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
I've got to admit it's getting better... a little better all the time
Day 5
This has probably the best I have felt since surgery. I haven't really noticed my incisions, except when one my dogs steps on our cuddles up to my stomach. You can't help but notice then.
Still eating as normal. Still sleeping well. Still dreading week 4 mark. But I can't stop it now. I feel like I am climbing the roller coaster and once I hit week 4, it will all be down hill from there. I have read a lot of people are back to their pre-surgery diet and eating around the 12 week mark. So by Christmas I'll be good to go..... Christmas... so close yet so far!
The lump in my throat is not really an issue anymore. My neck is no longer stiff, which makes me think that was a result of the gas used during surgery. But my biggest problem and most annoying problem is still urge to burp. I drank a carbonated beverage and had no issue, but about an hour later, the pain of not being able to burp came back. Hot tea has helped to kind of suppress it for a period of time, but it just keep coming back with a vengeance every time. I am trying some gas relief to see if that will help.
I go back to work on Monday and I am pretty excited to get back to a life of normalcy. I am bad at letting myself recover because I constantly want to go, go, go. There is always something I need to do. But I just have to keep reminding myself that the to do list will be there tomorrow.
It's so hard for me to push this cuddle muffin away... until she steps on my stomach... then it's really easy!
This has probably the best I have felt since surgery. I haven't really noticed my incisions, except when one my dogs steps on our cuddles up to my stomach. You can't help but notice then.
Still eating as normal. Still sleeping well. Still dreading week 4 mark. But I can't stop it now. I feel like I am climbing the roller coaster and once I hit week 4, it will all be down hill from there. I have read a lot of people are back to their pre-surgery diet and eating around the 12 week mark. So by Christmas I'll be good to go..... Christmas... so close yet so far!
The lump in my throat is not really an issue anymore. My neck is no longer stiff, which makes me think that was a result of the gas used during surgery. But my biggest problem and most annoying problem is still urge to burp. I drank a carbonated beverage and had no issue, but about an hour later, the pain of not being able to burp came back. Hot tea has helped to kind of suppress it for a period of time, but it just keep coming back with a vengeance every time. I am trying some gas relief to see if that will help.
I go back to work on Monday and I am pretty excited to get back to a life of normalcy. I am bad at letting myself recover because I constantly want to go, go, go. There is always something I need to do. But I just have to keep reminding myself that the to do list will be there tomorrow.
I'm home!
9/17/15 & 9/18/15
Day 3 & 4
First full day home. My neck is killing me! It feels like my head weighs 30lbs! I literally have to lift my head up with my hands if I want to move from laying down to standing up. Other than that inconvenience, getting in and out of bed hasn't been an issue... not that it ever was.
For breakfast I had yogurt, no problem. Lunch was leftover Mexican food, no problem... just need to eat smaller bites and chew more. Dinner was pizza. In the time it took my husband to eat three pieces, I just barely finished one... and my husband is not a super fast eater.
The good news about eating slower is that you eat smaller portions. So if you don't practice portion control... you will after this surgery!
Still have a bit of a lump in my throat but I haven't noticed it as much.
The swelling around the incisions has gone down a lot! So yay! Normally looking belly soon!
The biggest annoyance aside from my neck is burping. I keep having the urge to burp but then nothing comes up, and it's a bit painful when air gets stuck below the Linx. This is apparently normal too. I hope this resolves soon.
Day 3 & 4
First full day home. My neck is killing me! It feels like my head weighs 30lbs! I literally have to lift my head up with my hands if I want to move from laying down to standing up. Other than that inconvenience, getting in and out of bed hasn't been an issue... not that it ever was.
For breakfast I had yogurt, no problem. Lunch was leftover Mexican food, no problem... just need to eat smaller bites and chew more. Dinner was pizza. In the time it took my husband to eat three pieces, I just barely finished one... and my husband is not a super fast eater.
The good news about eating slower is that you eat smaller portions. So if you don't practice portion control... you will after this surgery!
Still have a bit of a lump in my throat but I haven't noticed it as much.
The swelling around the incisions has gone down a lot! So yay! Normally looking belly soon!
The biggest annoyance aside from my neck is burping. I keep having the urge to burp but then nothing comes up, and it's a bit painful when air gets stuck below the Linx. This is apparently normal too. I hope this resolves soon.
I decided to become a cyborg
9/16/15
So much has happened since my last post, but the main thing is that my RA is officially in remmission! Woo! So if it's not one thing... it's the other. This is just another reason why I feel like a 75 year old.
So my first meal was half of a turkey sandwich on white bread, cottage cheese and peaches, and mac and cheese. Like I said before, not a lot of problem. Just had to take small bites, chew throughly and wait for it to pass through. For a snack later that day I ordered some fries, which were a little more difficult to deal with. They just wanted to hang out in my esophagus. I drank a lot of water with those guys. For dinner, it was pizza, peaches and a chocolate cake. So yum... I am actually surprised how good the hospital food has been.
I have a little bit of nasal drainage this morning and a lump in my throat, which I was told is normal. I am easily about to get up and walk around, not really any movement restrictions.
My surgeon finally came in around noon to discharge me and I was out of there!
I have read and have been told I need to exercise my esophagus so the scar tissues doesn't cause the Linx to not be able to expand. So my goal is to eat at least a little something every 3 hours or so. I am the type of person that can go all day until dinner without food if I am staying busy. So eating on a schedule will probably be a little difficult for me. I have heard the hardest recovering time is between the 4 and 8 month mark. That is supposed to be the time when scar tissue forms, so... looking forward to that.
And here are some nice stills from my surgery. You are welcome.
Here's a link to the post I found before surgery that really helped me get a better idea of what to expect.
So much has happened since my last post, but the main thing is that my RA is officially in remmission! Woo! So if it's not one thing... it's the other. This is just another reason why I feel like a 75 year old.
Since about the age 3, I have dealt with GERD (gatroesophageal reflux disease.) Since reflux has always been something I've just dealt with, I didn't realize just how bad my reflux was until I went to Mayo Clinic in April 2014. After increasing my meds to little avail, the next option was surgery. So here I am today post op in a hospital room.
I opted for the LINX Managment System instead of the much more difficult and complicated but gold standard Fundoplication Surgery... aka a stomach wrap. I had to stay overnight but I understand some places hospitals consider this an outpatient surgery.
After scouring the internet for information and patient experiences with this surgery, I came across a guy from the UK who blogged about his experience. It was so helpful for me to read someone's firsthand experience, so I could know what to expect and gave me a better idea of questions to ask my surgeon before I went under. So I am basically writing this so maybe someone else who is preparing for this surgery can find this helpful and get a better understanding of what to expect.
After scouring the internet for information and patient experiences with this surgery, I came across a guy from the UK who blogged about his experience. It was so helpful for me to read someone's firsthand experience, so I could know what to expect and gave me a better idea of questions to ask my surgeon before I went under. So I am basically writing this so maybe someone else who is preparing for this surgery can find this helpful and get a better understanding of what to expect.
Day of surgery
Yesterday I checked in at 5a to get this party started. I was told the surgery would take 1.5 hour but I think lasted closer to 40 minutes. Before I knew it I was back in recovery waiting for my room to be cleaned. I woke up with no pain and just slight discomfort. I have 4 incisions just below my ribcage and one in my bellybutton. This is a laparoscopic surgery so the incisions were only about 1cm. My surgeon was able to use glue to seal me up instead of stitches.
After about an hour I was finally taken to my hospital room. I ordered some room service and ate with not a lot of trouble. I did, however, quickly discover that food gets stuck in your esophagus easily if you aren't careful. You have to figure out how to eat with your new, little device. I read this before and highly suggest to anyone having this surgery to remember to CHEW, SWALLOW, WAIT. I noticed water helped to push food through if I was having a bit of trouble.
Day 2
So here I am, day 2... still in my hospital room waiting to see my surgeon so I can be discharged. Still feeling good. The pain meds and anesthesia that I received during surgery have worn off a bit but still no pain, just some discomfort in the area of the incisions. The biggest pain has been a severe stiff neck. I am contributing it to the gas used during my surgery. It has improved with heat.
But let's get to breakfast, biscuit and gravy, peaches and a hardboiled egg. The egg was a little difficult to go down because it was so dry... and so is my mouth. So it just didn't want to go down. But overall again, not too bad. I had a little pain/discomfort when I swallowed too big of a bite, but it went down after a bit and with the help of water.
But let's get to breakfast, biscuit and gravy, peaches and a hardboiled egg. The egg was a little difficult to go down because it was so dry... and so is my mouth. So it just didn't want to go down. But overall again, not too bad. I had a little pain/discomfort when I swallowed too big of a bite, but it went down after a bit and with the help of water.
I have a little bit of nasal drainage this morning and a lump in my throat, which I was told is normal. I am easily about to get up and walk around, not really any movement restrictions.
My surgeon finally came in around noon to discharge me and I was out of there!
I have read and have been told I need to exercise my esophagus so the scar tissues doesn't cause the Linx to not be able to expand. So my goal is to eat at least a little something every 3 hours or so. I am the type of person that can go all day until dinner without food if I am staying busy. So eating on a schedule will probably be a little difficult for me. I have heard the hardest recovering time is between the 4 and 8 month mark. That is supposed to be the time when scar tissue forms, so... looking forward to that.
Here's a link to the post I found before surgery that really helped me get a better idea of what to expect.
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