2024 has arrived and I was initially underwhelmed. In December I had to be referred back to my gastroenterologist due to severe acid reflux. Despite maximum doses of PPIs and H2 blockers it was still intolerable. It was decided that I needed a redo of my hiatus hernia repair and fundoplication (a procedure where they wrap the upper portion of the stomach around the oespophagus). To allow this to be done they will have to remove the defunct gastric band that has never worked anyway. Our medical insurance took one look and this and decided that because it involved the gastric band they wouldn’t cover the expenses for me to have it done privately. If they had I would have had surgery on December 6th 2023. I therefore had to be referred to the NHS here in the UK.
When I received the letter asking me to call the hospital to arrange an appointment to see the same surgeon I was told that there was a waiting time of 70 weeks! I tried to explain that I had already seen the surgeon who had already said that I needed surgery and could I just be placed on the waiting list for the surgery I was told that I would have to see the surgeon again. To me this seemed a waste of an appointment not to mention time when I could be on the waiting list for surgery.
January is always a bad time for my mental health and this situation had me in despair. I thought I was facing over two years of worrying about bending over and regurgitating the last thing that I’d eaten or drunk; it really is that severe. Having spent over 10k on my skin removal surgery I just couldn’t put my family in debt to pay for the surgery privately. Then on January 5th I had a phone call from the hospital telling me they had a date for my surgery; January 30th! I just couldn’t believe it. My surgeon took one look at my referral and decided that my surgery was urgent enough to expedite it. To say I am relieved would be an understatement. I can now look forward to this year with hope that I will finally get well. If successful I will be able to drop two of my medications. Ever since coming off my painkillers I have been loathe to take any medication that isn’t strictly necessary. The only time I have taken opioid painkillers since 2019 is when I’ve had surgery and then only in the first 24 hours.
As with any surgery there are risks and as this a “redo” operation these are significant. The main one is that if there is a perforation of the oesophagus I could face months of healing and possible tube feeding. My surgeon is one of the best there is and I am hopeful that this will not happen. I do have an irrational fear of tube feeding but not for the reason a normal person would have. I don’t worry about having a tube up my nose and not being able to eat normally. I worry about being overfed and putting on weight. I don’t know if I can say that I only consent to a certain number of calories. I know my maintenance daily calorie intake is only 1500 calories but the average women needs 2000 calories. If they give me this much I will put on weight. Deep down I know I’m being stupid and as my elder daughter said, ‘Mum if you need a nasogastric tube your weight should be the least of your worries!’, that put me firmly in my place!
If all goes well I will be on a liquid diet for a couple of weeks and then over another month I will gradually build up to a normal diet, starting with pureed food and then mashed food. I have always loved Farley’s Rusks with hot milk so these will feature heavily in my diet for a while. It’s exactly the same procedure as when I had the gastric band operation in 2007.
Hopefully by March I will be fighting fit and ready for everything this year has to offer.
My Faulty Brain 