I have been told that I have a hernia which in turn gives me acid reflux. I had a camera put down my throat, (that is the most horrible treatment ever) also a CT Scan. Now I have to consider do I have an operation, or not
MY QUESTION is do I have the hernia operation, will it help with the acid reflux?? Do I live with the hernia or not any advice out there please..
Hi
I am due to have the operation on 23rd September and I was exactly like yourself. I have also had an awful cough too and this is one of the main reasons I am having the op.
I have read loads of posts on here how people are feeling a lot better after the op. I know everyone is different but this is the last option for me and after ending up in A&E at the weekend due to the pain, for me the op can't come quick enough.
It's not an easy decision but reading some of the other posts on here will help with your decision.
Louise
Im on the waiting list for surgery and for me, too, it cant come quick enough.
Hi Jo - I had also the same but my grading was a little worse - Had H/H and Heartburn for 6 + years been on PPIs for this time too - been to hell and back but i'm 4 weeks after fundoplication and feel great!!
Hi Scorr
It's good to hear you're doing well after your op. I have had the same for 8+ years and have my op 23 sept.
It's always good to hear people are doing well after the op as I think it's a hard decision to make.
Do you mind me asking how long you was in hospital for and how is eating afterwards?
Thanks
Louise
Hi Louise, I was in hospital for 1 day, i was told i'd stay for 2 but being scottish we are as tough as old boots!! with that said if i didnt feel right i'd have stayed longer, Happy to answer any questions you have to help alieviate anything that worries you . . maybe i should write a little piece on my experience
Hi Scott
I was hoping one night but I guess I will see how I feel.
How was the pain afterwards and what was you like eating? I am giving myself 3 weeks off work to make sure I get right but am lucky as I also have the option to work from home.
I guess my main worry is it not working but I have read a lot of positive comments about the op which is reassuring.
Thanks
Louise
Louise,
Somthing that helped me was somthing my surgeon said " you will hear horror stories on line as the successful people dont tend to go back a write good things" and that i totally agree with, hence why i'd like to make a positive post
Firstly the surgeon is key - I was lucky enough to have the 3rd best surgeon in the UK and the 1st in this field (Dr Hardwick,Cambridge) H
He explained fully what would happen and how i'd feel. I was scared that i wouldnt be able to swallow and choke and wouldnt eat for weeks/months etc or even be able to burp - but i can!! (i will say the burping is due to the surgeons skill - i've been told if you can burp then the procedure is just right, if you cant then the procedure is too tight, although my burps didnt come straight away so dont panic!!)
So three posts on to answer your questions, i was off from work for 2 weeks, the pain on the ports for enter were not particulalry painfully, later on the one that does hurt is the bottom right hand side under your ribs - i've been told that most say this is the painful wound, the thing that did hurt was the shoulder nexk pain from gas they use to inflate you, i can only descibe this as a stich like pain but x 10 - again this does subcide
Eating wise my surgeon was adamant i ate the next day, wheetabix lots of milk and this pretty much formed my diet for 2 weeks, some soups and milky yogurt type drinks, 2 weeks on i was then eating watery scrambled eggs and soft cheeses, as of now i'm still very much on small portions but have baby sized dinners so for example pasta, i chop really fine and load the sauce on to make very wet dinners, the other thing i need to stress is chew chew chew your food. After the swelling goes after around 1 week, you are then very conscious of swallowing and yes it hurts sometime sbut bare with it and this is very normal
Can you write a piece about your experience. It would be helpful to those of us waiting for surgery.
Sorry,... this was supposed to go to Scott... we could do with a way to delete our posts or edit them!
Sure, so long as i'm not boring anyone but i am passionate about sharing what i felt then and now and how this really did effect me
Thanks that really helps Scott.
I have had my gallbladder out and didn't have any pain from the gas then so I am hoping this will be the same.
I had the pain on the right hand side again after I had my gallbladder out from a drain that ended up being stuck under my ribs and I remember the pain was bad.
Did you lose much weight after the op? I make juices and smoothies a lot and just purchased a soup maker to make things a bit easier for me she I am home.
I would love to only be off for two weeks but I went back after two weeks after having my gallbladder out and was really tired so will see how I go.
Did you have a cough when you had reflux as this is one of the main reasons for me having the op.
You have definitely made me feel better about it so thank you
Definitely I agree it would be a big help 😀
So here goes . .
After being diagnosed with H/Hernia (4cm) and Grade C burning in my throat i was placed on PPI's, Initially all was ok but PPI's made me have the worst health anxiety and depression ever - not good.
After several trips to my GP who was only ever happy to chop and change my PPI's i realised the problem was being masked and not repaired, god made you with acid in your stomach so why take it away!
Fast forward 2 scopes and a 24 hr hearburn measure (this was awful!!) i was refered for a surgical consultation.
My surgeon really was ace, showing me examples of his work (a little gory) but he made my mind up about surgery and as he was a gastro specialist he was super frustrated as to why GP offer PPIs to basically anyone.
Ok so day of op i should up with PPIs in hand, first comment was -"you can throw them away" my surgeon explained he was basically fixing a leaking tap (i didnt share his confidence, why should i , i was 6+ years of pain)
Op was around 2 hrs, I came too and the first thing i noticed was the stitch like pain in my shoulder and neck, also very pressing - this i was told would go away but it did take around a week - Pain meds do help.
I loved the fact that i was fixed and maybe a mind thing but i immediatley felt better, wounds hurt a little but very bearable, I was sipping water immediatley after my op and had no pain with this.
I went home after 24 hrs and i did have little panicky moments in my mind about not being able to swallow - this was all me and i could totally swallow, i did make the odd mistake and drink a gulp or eat too big a bite of food and not properly chew and you know about that!!! but it really is a matter of taking your time and chewing.
4 weeks in, ive prob a lot to go as the outside heals way before the inside but my heartburn has gone as well as the weird chest pains and rustic breathing i used to suffer from - oh and no more pillows proping me up in bed!!!
Thats about me and what i found, would i have done this again if i could turn back time - yes i would!!!
Oh that 24 hour text was awful I have had that.
Did you lose much weight and did you suffer from a cough with the reflux?
Louise, I didnt have a cough as such but a raspy throat, my main other issue was upper right back pain, shoulder blade pain but i was told (gp ) this was me and stress- they love a stress!!! weight wise i was 17.5 stones before and 4 weeks on i'm down to 15.12 - i dont miss the extra weight - fingers crossed im back to playing sports in 2 weeks - ps should mention i'm a 36 year old so you know
wasnt it just - that 24hr PH test was one of the worst things i have ever had, was then the op!!! so if you've done that, you can do this
Thanks for doing that. Did you lose a lot of weight post op?
The problem Im having at the moment, is not being able to speak to my surgeons secretary. I tried a couple of weeks ago but was put through to a temp as the permenant Sec was off sick. She told me that the waiting list had moved from an initial 6 months to a mammoth 40 weeks.. making my surgery, not until Spring next year. I want to confirm this, Also my GP sent a fax and as yet we cannot confirm whether they have recieved this or if my surgeon has seen it. The fax is a request to move me up the list as I am now very unwell.
A bit of courtesy would be nice,.......