's appointment in Liverpool

[Guest guest]

Hello All

Just got back from my appointment. I just don't know what to say i am shocked

and suprised. I have to go back in 3 months after trying out some more

medication for the reflux. I must also consider more surgery. Yes more surgery.

It is not the thought of having surgery itself that is frightening me but the

type of operation that is scaring me a little and i must think carefully over

the next 3 months about whether it is worth having any more surgery done as the

surgeon today told me some facts that have made me sit up and think hard. First

of all they are reluctant to do any more surgery unless the reflux is so bad and

that medication cannot control it, only then will they consider surgery. But

what surgery. They said that after my having the myotomy and then the ectomy i

have a fair amount to say the least of adhesions and scar tissue so if i do

decide to go ahead with more surgery they would first have to cut out any

adhesions and scar tissue that i have. I mean they are talking about opening my

chest up again and removing my stomach tube and pulling up the small bowel and

joining it to what is left in my chest. This is where i get gobsmacked. I only

expected them to say if the medication does not work then they would do a

vagotomy of sorts and do a myotomy on the pyolorus sphincter to help food get

through.

If and if i decide to have this extreme surgery for my uncontrolable reflux then

they listed the possible complications that i can have and the effects that such

surgery can have on my body.

1.    I can get a blocked bowel.

2    I can have a perforation of the bowel.

3    The portion of bowel used in the pull up could die post op.

4    Very real chance that i could die on the operating table.

5    I could end up with an illeostomy bag.

6    I may never be able to swallow at all again after the operation.

Very frightening. Yes the reflux is very, very bad. I am now taking

Metoclopremide 3 times a day, Zantac 150mg 2 times a day, Pantaoprazole 40mg 2

times a day. This is just for the acid reflux! Even so i told them that i find

it difficult to swallow much of anything even liquid now and after about half an

hour the acid comes up to my the back of my throat burning it raw. I cannot bend

down for any reason even if i loose something on the floor or to bend over my

bath to wash my hair using my shower hose (my shower is over the bath as the

room itself is very small). I find it difficult sleeping now and here i must say

that the head of the bed is raised with bricks and i have to use a minimum of 5

pillows to keep me more or less upright and i still have problems with reflux! I

even have to resort to sitting on the side of the bed several times during the

night and drink sips of water to take away the acid taste from my mouth. But to

have such extreme surgery defies me at the moment but i must consider this as a

last resort as they say. We (the surgeon and i) will discuss things again in 3

months after i have given more chance for the antacids to work. My worry as i

told the surgeon 2 antacids and an antisickness tablet hasn't stopped the acid

reflux in the past what will happen when i next see the surgeon and they still

haven't worked as they should? All sorts of things are going round and round in

my head now. I cannot even bring myself to tell hubby the full extent of what

they have told me today untill i can get my head round things myself. Got to go

for a walk to clear my head a bit. Sorry for rabbiting on but i must admit to

being a bit worried.

from the UK