Hi, My name is Carrie and I wanted to add my story to your list so that people can know what happens when things don't go so well. I hope knowing the good and the bad will help someone make an educated decision, something that I didn't have the opportunity to do.

For years I had suffered from acid reflux, heartburn, and even ulcers. About four years ago I had my first gastroscopy/endoscopy, which showed erosion of the lower part of my esophagus. I was placed on several different medications, most of which didn't work. Finally I was put on a program of Prevacid twice a day, tetracycline 3 times a day and pepto-bismol 4 times a day (none of which could be taken with the other). The ulcers went away and so did the reflux and heartburn for about six months. Then it was like someone just turned the medicine off. The reflux and pain were back and getting steadily worse. The doctor I was seeing at the time did another gastro and kept saying everything looked fine and gave me new medicine.

Well, I moved, got new insurance, and a new doctor and a whole new series of tests. Those tests showed I had the acid reflux, hiatal hernia, and a nonfunctioning gallbladder. I knew the gallbladder was gonna go, and then the doctor talked to me about fundoplication. He said that as serious as my symptoms were and for as young as I was he thought that would be the best choice. He told me that although there was no guarantee that the surgery would fix everything, he had done over 100 of these procedures and none of them have had any complaints. In discussion of what to expect after the surgery the doctor told me that I would be on a liquid or soft diet for a period of time somewhere between 4-10 weeks, most people only for the 4. He said there would be some weight loss during that time, but that after that I could eat anything I wanted and would quickly gain the weight back. The only caution he gave me was that if I ate too much I would really know it. The pamphlet he gave me mentioned something briefly about not drinking soda because I probably wouldn't be able to burp for up to ten weeks. I was told to expect to be in the hospital for 1-2 days and that I could go back to work in a couple of weeks. Based on the information I thought I had found a miracle, I wanted the surgery as soon as possible.

Based on what the doctor told me, I had my surgery on 5-13-99. Nothing the doctor said prepared me for what came after. Here are my results and where I am almost a year later:
I was in the hospital for 5 days instead of two, and couldn't go back to work for almost a month.
The acid reflux has returned I now have regular spasms of the diaphragm (strong hiccups) along with violent burping after eating that can last for several hours.
I've lost over 35 pounds and am still having trouble keeping my weight steady (at 5'8" I weigh just under 115)
I get to drink lots of that lovely ensure and boost.
Bloating after every meal, I'm now a size four but after some meals the bloating is bad enough to be able to wear my old size 10s.
Of course the bloating doesn't go away until the gas pressure is released and isn't that a pleasant thought.
I spent two days in the emergency room when I had the flu because I didn't know I couldn't throw up and the doctors there didn't know what was going on they thought I must've had scar tissue blocking some part of my digestive tract, all the while I'm heaving and convulsing and no one knows what's going on.
I have no energy because I STILL can't eat right. No breads, no pizzas, no bagels.
No steaks unless it's coating in sour cream or salad dressing (something to help it slide down).
Everything I eat has to be runny or gooey or coated in order to get down or else my esophagus swells and I can't eat anything else for the rest of the day.
I could go on but I think you get the picture.

I admit before the surgery I was miserable, now I have all the same symptoms plus all these new ones. I used to take a daily antacid plus have to take tums or something in addition. Now I take aciphex daily plus usually something after a meal. I also now have to take medications to cut down the diaphragm spasms, medicine to counteract the side effects of that medication. I keep Raglan close at hand in case I ever go through those dry heaves again. And of course most of the medicine along with any vitamins has to be in nasty tasting liquid form. Would I have the surgery again? No Way!

Carrie
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.