Hiatus Hernia Surgery

Hi all good to hear some positive reports post surgery.

It is coming up to 4 months since my surgery for 'Giant' Hiatal hernia (more than 1/2 stomach in chest cavity) and I'm experiencing a lot of pain under right side of rib cage - having looked for answers on this forum and others I came across this one which confirms that recovery can be very long and has some interesting and useful posts which may be of help to anyone having similar problems. It has helped me to remember that we are human and anxiety about post surgery pain even after 4 months is normal.

Here is the link if you are interested :- http://www.healingwell.com/community/?f=45&m=2023130

Good Luck and Health to us all

Hi Marie19160.

Unfortunately what a pain management doctor can do for me is take the edge off all the discomfort (pain) I experience on a average day. Nothing to make an accurate diagnosis. My luck here with doctors here in Florida has been awful. In 2004 I went for a simple cataract surgery and ended up with a cornea transplant.

Hopefully you like pasta... so many ways to prepare it without tomatoes and even then with lots of sugar one may be able to tolerate it...(lots of calories though) I've been thinking of leaving it all behind and using medical tourism to at least diagnose myself. Wishing all the best and very happy that my location hasn't turned anyone off. May tomorrow bring us all more healing.

Ron351

Hi, I see things have been a bit quiet. As for myself, been ill again mostly in bed. The pain I experience just gets the better of me. It's been going on for almost eight years now and I must find an answer soon. My third marriage (fourteen years) is failing because of it. My wife had the bad fortune of me becoming ill after a short taste of freedom. Her son had been born ill and never wore anything but diapers until age thirty-one. We weren't married five years when I took ill and she lost that newly gained freedom. God certainly works in strange ways...

Bless you all.

Ron

Ron, Sorry to hear you have been ill. Hopefully you can find some relief. Have you had an upper GI to show exactly how big the hernia is. I didn't experience pain in my stomach, mine was mainly the acid reflux and the hernia had gotten so big. I feel a lot better the last few days, but still having trouble finding solid food that doesn't make me feel nauseated.

Hello Marie and the rest of our members. Gee Marie, may I ask you how your appetite is? Seems like being nauseated would turn it off. When I'm at my worst (never really nauseated) Chinese Rice, Turkey (not chicken) and even the Pasta with a little extra light virgin olive oil (not red sauce). Just a thought! Hope that awful feeling soon leaves you.

Tomorrow I see my primary doctor so we'll see about me. Hopefully the rest of our friends here are on course to better health and healing. As we all know, good health is worth everything.

Ron

Ron, my appetite is not great right now. I eat mostly soft foods and haven't tried too much solids. I can eat baked chicken, but mainly mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and ramen noodles. Pastas and fried foods I have had issues with for so long I am afraid to try too much. The doctor told me to try one different food at a time and see what I can tolerate and there may be some foods I won't be able to eat anymore. Hopefully your Dr. appointment went good today.

Marie

Hi,

I am reading all kinds of messages and the problems that take place from either having surgery or not having it. I had my surgery 2 years ago. It was part of another surgery to correct my "plumbing" from a Bilroth II that was done 50+ years ago to a roux-en-y. I only have a 1/3 stomach so the wrap is not possible with me. I was not happy when I recently found out that I again have a moderate size hiatal hernia. But, one thing I seem to have in my favor is, I do not have any trouble eating and no pain from mine. Seems weird after reading the posts here. I can only think it has to have something to do with my small stomach of which has no bottom to it to hold the food in. I plan on seeing my surgeon in the next couple of months to see what should be done.Possibly to see if it should be repaired before it gets very large again.

Have any of you experienced extreme sneezing during meals? With my other hernia I experienced 6 sneezes half way through my meals. After I did the sneezing I could continue eating. I also had episodes where no food, or liquid would go down. I would have to lie down and lengthen out my upper body to relax it and then I could go back to eating. Very weird. I am now assuming that was when the stomach would go up through the hernia and not have any room for food. Also, maybe the sneezing forced the stomach back down where it belonged too.

Jeanette, I have not had a problem with sneezing. Although I did have trouble for about 4 or 5 weeks after surgery with the swallowing. I was told maybe I was eating too fast and the food wasn't going down due to the swelling from the surgery. I too would have to lay back and then it would go down. Not having too much trouble the last few days

Hello

Did or does anyone have the symptom of having to regurgitate (be sick) there food up every time they eat to relive a lot of discomfort / bloating.

Every time I eat, and it gets worse towards the end of the day, I have to throw up at least 70% of the food I just ate. Not even just food, liquids too.

If I don't, I have severe Bloating, discomfort and fatigue.

Also, Acid Reflux.....Eventually If I don't be sick myself...I would do it involuntary.

Hi everyone. Hi Marie, Peter and Jeanette. Peter, I feel terrible for you having to heave after each mean. You never mentioned what your doctor had to say so maybe you better see one. Maybe even a trip to emergency would be in order. As I said earlier, I've been around the block so to say and had a brother-in-law choke to death on his own vomit.

jeanette51306 you and I have a bit in common. Over 50 years ago I lost my spleen to parked car. Was running hard as I could to catch a football and never saw the car pull up and park double. Had two surgeries in 2013 to remove adhesions from that surgery and feel so much more mobile. Bending, stretching like putting sox on and even jumping off the ground in possible again. Maybe you have those nasty adhesions also?

I hope you continue to feel a little better Marie. It seems the older we get the longer it takes for things to mend. Missed texting with you but I've been so busy trying to secure medical treatment here in Florida where I live. My primary doctor gave been a letter to help me go find a surgeon.....do you believe that! Thought it was his job....oh well, I will find one.

Anyway over this week a doctor in Mexico who I mailed my latest C.T. Scan told me he didn't see any Hiatal Hernia? Looking forward to Monday when I send him my report from the last endoscopy stating that I do. Not to poke fun but to help him help me. We'll see and I wish you all well. Bye for now

Ron

Wow! Some good some not so good posts about your experiences. I don't have a hiatus hernia - just browsing. Mine is an incisional hernia following bowel cancer op. It seems as if a hiatus hernia is much more uncomfortable. Best wishes and quick healing to you all. I am seeing a specialist next week, can't bear to wait five months or so for the public system. But unless it is urgent, I can see a long wait coming up as there is no way I could pay to have it done privately.

Good luck, From NZ.

Hi All,

I was diagnosed with a sliding hiatus hernia December 2013 and since then it has progressively got worse with intense pain under my breast bone and a constant feeling of a lump in my throat. Just recently I have started getting a dry tickely cough and a hoarse voice.

I have visited my gp and have been given various acid suppressants which don't really do the trick.

I'm 27 and feel surgery is the way forward. How likely do you think this will be?

Of those of you who have had surgery, how long did you have to wait until this became an option for you?