Anxiety about Eating/Post Surgery Barium?

[Guest guest]

I understand where Jan is coming from. I'm also experiencing anxiety about

eating and doubting the degree of success of my Heller, 8 days post surgery.

However, I already know that my body is getting much more nutrition than it

was 8 days ago. I've been experiencing spasms/heartburn daily and haven't

eaten any of the biggies yet (no meat, no bread--still on a soft diet).

I'm trying to have faith that this too shall pass and be grateful for all the

good

which has come my way. It's difficult sometimes but I considered myself

extremely fortunate. Being negative is counterproductive; bringing on stress

and spasms.

My follow up with my surgeon is this coming Tuesday morning.

Question to the group:how soon after your Heller did your surgeon order a

follow up Barium ? I'd like to ask my surgeon to set one up for me next week

but I need a guidepost.

My best to everyone.

Gayle in SF, CA

[Guest guest]

Hello Gayle,

I think it is quite normal to have anxiety about eating after having

surgery. I was very cautious for a number of months. It will get better

and you will feel more comfortable as time goes on.

I wasn't given any orders to have another barium swallow after I left

the hospital. I had a couple of them while I was in the hospital, but I

had the perforation. My GI doc said that unless I felt that it was

necessary, I really didn't need to have one.

I had one a couple of months ago, a little over 2 years post op.

It's getting late and I need to get up early and go fight the crowds in

the city. They are having the bicycle race tomorrow and I need to try to

get over to Pier 35 to the cruise port by 9:30am.

Feel free to call me anytime! We'll have to get together again soon.

Sandi

Anxiety about Eating/Post Surgery Barium?

I understand where Jan is coming from. I'm also experiencing anxiety

about

eating and doubting the degree of success of my Heller, 8 days post

surgery.

However, I already know that my body is getting much more nutrition than

it

was 8 days ago. I've been experiencing spasms/heartburn daily and

haven't

eaten any of the biggies yet (no meat, no bread--still on a soft diet).

I'm trying to have faith that this too shall pass and be grateful for

all the good

which has come my way. It's difficult sometimes but I considered myself

extremely fortunate. Being negative is counterproductive; bringing on

stress

and spasms.

My follow up with my surgeon is this coming Tuesday morning.

Question to the group:how soon after your Heller did your surgeon order

a

follow up Barium ? I'd like to ask my surgeon to set one up for me next

week

but I need a guidepost.

My best to everyone.

Gayle in SF, CA

[Guest guest]

Gayle,

I had a barium swallow while I was in Mount Sinai Hospital, the

morning after my lap. heller myotomy. My surgeon was present in the

radiology lab to inspect the results and decided that I could be

discharged from the hospital. It actually gives me a lot of

reassurance to know that the barium swallow cleared my LES, and it

has made me more bold in my eating experiments. Eating popcorn and

drinking a soda at a movie last night (3 wk after surgery) was a

super big deal. I had experimented with cracker jacks at 2 week, but

real movie popcorn is softer. I am still very careful about chicken

and meat. I have been able to eat them since my first day after

surgery, but I am careful to cut up the pieces, put down my fork

while I am eating so that I chew them really well, and give myself

some rest times occasionally to make sure nothing is getting stuck.

I have to remind myself that I still have a motility problem and

probably a distended, sigmoid esophagus, so I am really not " normal "

and have to be nice to my esophagus by taking plenty of time eating

meat. Amazingly, apples go right down, as well as any other fruit or

vegetable such as cucumber, tomatoes, etc. I will probably never eat

raw carrot again unless it they are grated because carrots were such

a huge problem for me before surgery. I am starting to eat a little

bit of bread now, but little pieces. Every meal is an experiment.

Good luck on your recovery.

Ginny

[Guest guest]

--- Hi Gayle from beautiful San Francisco,

No barium follow-up for me. Everything I did post op was based on my

clinical signs and symptoms i.e., how is the swallowing? I stayed on

the soft diet for three weeks and ventured to the harder stuff one

month post-op.

The heartburn is hard. Are you on anything? I am on Prevacid once

daily. It took about a month for me to get that under control. I

also started Paxil asap, to control the spasms and post-op

depression. You should be close to normal--and I emphasize close

because everyone is different, depending on how adventurous you are--

by one month. I started exercising even before I got the all clear--

nothing hard just walking,

I am now 4 months post-op and I feel great. I eat everything. I have

a lot of spasms only when I haven't rested enough or under self-

induced stress. Otherwise, I feel great! I've been on two trips

including to your side of the country and beautiful North Carolina.

I am planning another trip to New York soon. Like likes to

say, Life is fantastic! I also like to think a lot of is depends on

your perspective. Think good, think positive, don't let anyone else

bring you down.

Jo from South Florida

In achalasia , " Holt- " <holt-smith@c...>

wrote:

> Hello Gayle,

>

> I think it is quite normal to have anxiety about eating after having

> surgery. I was very cautious for a number of months. It will get

better

> and you will feel more comfortable as time goes on.

>

> I wasn't given any orders to have another barium swallow after I

left

> the hospital. I had a couple of them while I was in the hospital,

but I

> had the perforation. My GI doc said that unless I felt that it was

> necessary, I really didn't need to have one.

>

> I had one a couple of months ago, a little over 2 years post op.

>

> It's getting late and I need to get up early and go fight the

crowds in

> the city. They are having the bicycle race tomorrow and I need to

try to

> get over to Pier 35 to the cruise port by 9:30am.

>

> Feel free to call me anytime! We'll have to get together again soon.

>

> Sandi

>

>

> Anxiety about Eating/Post Surgery Barium?

>

> I understand where Jan is coming from. I'm also experiencing

anxiety

> about

> eating and doubting the degree of success of my Heller, 8 days post

> surgery.

> However, I already know that my body is getting much more nutrition

than

> it

> was 8 days ago. I've been experiencing spasms/heartburn daily and

> haven't

> eaten any of the biggies yet (no meat, no bread--still on a soft

diet).

>

> I'm trying to have faith that this too shall pass and be grateful

for

> all the good

> which has come my way. It's difficult sometimes but I considered

myself

>

> extremely fortunate. Being negative is counterproductive; bringing

on

> stress

> and spasms.

>

> My follow up with my surgeon is this coming Tuesday morning.

>

> Question to the group:how soon after your Heller did your surgeon

order

> a

> follow up Barium ? I'd like to ask my surgeon to set one up for me

next

> week

> but I need a guidepost.

>

> My best to everyone.

> Gayle in SF, CA

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Gayle Hi,

My barium follow-up was day 3 and not after. I did not go back after the 6 week check till I found a good GI in February.

8 days post op is very early days so do hang in there you are still very raw and delicate inside !

Hugs,

Joan

Anxiety about Eating/Post Surgery Barium?

I understand where Jan is coming from. I'm also experiencing anxiety about eating and doubting the degree of success of my Heller, 8 days post surgery. However, I already know that my body is getting much more nutrition than it was 8 days ago. I've been experiencing spasms/heartburn daily and haven't eaten any of the biggies yet (no meat, no bread--still on a soft diet).I'm trying to have faith that this too shall pass and be grateful for all the good which has come my way. It's difficult sometimes but I considered myself extremely fortunate. Being negative is counterproductive; bringing on stress and spasms.My follow up with my surgeon is this coming Tuesday morning.Question to the group:how soon after your Heller did your surgeon order a follow up Barium ? I'd like to ask my surgeon to set one up for me next week but I need a guidepost.My best to everyone.Gayle in SF, CA