Heard back from the GI dr!

[momof3boys]

I called today to get the results of the Gastric Emptying Study I had done Last week. The dr himself called me back later this evening and explained that based on the results, I do indeed have GERD. They took that little piece of the esophugus from a a couple of weeks ago, and he said that came back saying I def had GERD. But that I do have a slower process when it comes to my stomach emptying. He said he's not too concerned, and recommended if I have any GERD pain, to take any over the counter medication to try to help it. If I had any pain that I couldnt get controlled with medications I can get at the store, like prevacid, or something like that, then he wants to see me again. He talked about a surgery that he would be able to do to help make things better. But there are some CONS about it. I cant recall what the name was of the surgery he said, but its where they take a band and put it around the area where the esophugus meets the stomach, to help with the stomach acids from not coming up into the esophugus, but by also doing that, it will not allow my stomach to hold alot of food. Kind of like that surgery they do for overweight people. But the bad thing with this surgery is, I wont be able to burp no longer, which can cause pain if I eat too much, or it could make you have discomfort in swallowing. Something I wouldnt want to go through.

So I told the dr I will stick with taking any over the counter medication to help with the chest pain that the GERD would cause. And I havnt taken any GERD medication since thanksgiving! So I think Im handling the pain pretty good. But he said if I had pain like I had where I had to go to the ER, then to give him a call to let him know. He wasnt concerned alot about the food still being in my stomach. He said the computer registered the results as slow, but not abnormally slow. Which is good. So because It doesnt cause me any pain or anything, he said its best to eat early in the AM, and not eat anything after 7pm. So I have to get use to drinking water at night, or something to fill up my stomach!

[Nakamova]

Isn't nice to have some answers? I hope you can control the GERD with OTC stuff and avoid the surgery. I think it's fundoplication surgery, if it's what my cousin had.

[momof3boys]

Oh its so nice to get the answers! Just this past week I had a hard time with my dad. He kept telling me it was all in my head! I got so angry with him. But now I know what I was experiencing was real, and to be able to take the over the counter medications to help it, is a relief for me. First thinking it was my heart, and that checked out all fine, is just a huge relief for me! Yeah, I couldnt recall what the name of the surgery was. He had called our land line phone, and for some reason, he was cutting in and out during our conversation. Im going to have to call the phone company up tomorrow and have them check our phone line. I hate when I cant make out everything a person is saying over the phone, especially when it comes to doctors calling you back!