Question:
I was diagnosed with an Hiatal Hernia yesterday by endoscope and now he has ordered a

upper GI. I am 22 months post op. Does any one know what I may be in for? Looking for your similar experiences and what happened in your case. Thank you.    — Tammy P. (posted on October 23, 2003)

October 23, 2003
Hi Tammy. I have had several Upper GI's, generally one a year to keep trck of my GERD. At my last one they discovered a small Hiatal Hernia. They said there is nothing to do now but we will keep a watch on it. As for the Upper GI itself, it isn't too bad, the worse part is the chalky stuff you have to drink. Honestly, I have tried protein shakes that are this nasty. It's tolerable and you don't have to drink too much of it. They will have you take sips at certain times and have you turn in different ways on a cold table while they move the x-ray machine around. What is neat is that you get to see what is happening. I thought it was so cool looking at the screen and seeing my "inners". Depending on who performs your Upper GI they will tell you what it is you are looking at and what they see. Good luck and don't worry, it isn't that bad at all! Tiff
   — Tiffany B.

October 23, 2003
Hi there. I had a hiatal hernia prior to surgery and it was "fixed" during surgery. I did however have an endoscope two weeks ago Friday. The dr. said he found something, possibly food, that was stuck in the non-dissolvable suture. He said he tried to break it up and was able to only break up a little of what was there. (Thank God he didn't have any "tools" (his word)to remove anything!) Friday night I was doubled over in pain so called the on call GI dr. at UC Davis Med Center. He admitted me around 10:30 p.m. where they did extensive x-ray tests to ensure the dr. who did the endoscope didn't rupture or hurt my little pouch. Dr. Ali wasn't happy that he had tried to break whatever it was up due to his inexperience of gastric bypass patients. He said the sutures are not the type that dissolve and are meant to hold everything together for life. I was thankful that even though he wasn't on call Sat. he came by the hospital anyway. Tests confirmed ulcer(s) but things are still passing through just the way they should and I was finally released on Sunday around noon. Have an additional med to take now to help with the acids. Not a fun weekend, but the surgery is still worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! During my hospital stay I had regular x-rays, an upper GI where I had to drink something like Tang. It didn't taste bad they just wanted me to drink lots and I couldn't. I probably drank about 12-14 oz. I belive they call it contrast. Anyway, it stays in your system for up to 14 hours. I also had a CAT scan where they put dye into my IV. That wasn't painful at all either. I also had another stomach emptying test where you drink the yucky barium to see if things are passing through. Good luck and I'm sending prayers your way.
   — Deanna C.

October 26, 2003
I am pre-op right now (only for 7 more days!!!!) and I have been having this INCREDIBLE pain when I eat. I'm talking "I would get up and go to the ER if I could move" pain. My PCP thought it was gallbladder, so I had an ultrasound and had my gallbladder removed in March. Well...I am still having the pains. TERRIBLE pains. It hurts to BREATHE!!! Well, when I had my EGD for WLS, I found out that I have a hiatal hernia that will be fixed when I have my surgery. Even if I wasn't having WLS, the Hiatal Hernia repair is reason enough to go under the knife. ANYTHING to get rid of that pain!!!!!
   — BeckyT

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