Trapped wind...no not that kind!

My Heller Myotomy was done with keyhole surgery – 5 incisions as I mentioned earlier and the anaesthetist explained to me that they would inflate my abdomen with gas (he didn’t say what kind but I didn’t wake up laughing so I’m guessing it wasn’t Nitrous oxide). Anyway, he told me that after the op some of it would remain inside me and would dissipate over the next few days but that it might get very painful in my shoulders once I started moving around as apparently it percolates upwards through the body until the muscles absorb it, process it and get rid of it. If you are flabby and have little muscles, this is a quick process, however, if you are like me and work out with JTG (Joe the Gym) and have dense muscles it takes longer. I dunno, I thought all this trying to keep fit lark was supposed to be good for you!

Anyway, just be warned, if you are faced with this aspect of keyhole surgery...it hurts...yes, worse than someone poking 5 holes in you!...

...and that’s another thing...after the op I asked the surgeon how it had gone:
“Ah,” he said, “Things weren’t quite where we expected them to be – because of the shape of your back” (no sh*t Sherlock!), “and we found that you were very muscular when trying to make the incisions”

Ooh, I thought, that’s good, my physio will be pleased, she’s had me doing core strength exercises for a long time, as soon as I was allowed after my scoliosis surgery (which believe it or not wasn’t until 12 months after!)...and then I thought – Drat! All that work and now he’s poked holes in it, I’ll have to start all over again!

I was a bit proud though...an old bird like me having a muscular stomach....you don’t get told that every day!