@faithann64
I am sending you a link to an outline of my history. Please, do not let it scare you. I am an oddball on somethings. There are no ads on my blog.
https://zarogasnook.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-long-time-passing.html . I probably need to update the post. I meed to start blogging again.. I keep saying it and don't do it for some reason.

I lost a lot of weight, but this year have managed to gain some. I need to go back to the Mayo Clinic on Jacksonville. I am having some acid I should not be having and the ongoing battle with swallowing. I now have achalasia and Barrett's esophagus. My NP said for now because of covid-19 outbreak that we need to hold off on my endoscopy... which I agree with. So I have had Pepcid added to my meds. Two pills and it does not seem to be helping. I can call and they would probably go ahead and set it up it gets worse. I live in Albany Georgia which is a very hot spot still for covid-19. Our Governor has said more businesses like hair salons and indoor dining at restaurants can open. Only a few have opened. The number of cases has declined a small amount, but deaths are still happening.

One thing I have learned is do your best to chose the best surgeon. My first local surgeon retired that did the Nissen. The surgeon for the repair I thought I had research him pretty well. He made the mistake of putting mesh in a place he should not have. I saw a different local surgeon. He told me many here will tell you they can do the surgery you need, but they cannot.. you need to go to the Mayo Clinic where great surgeons fix other surgeons mistakes. This is a great surgeon to tell me it is beyond his and other surgeons capabilities. My first surgery at the Mayo Clinic.. an undo of the Nissen and removal of mesh with repair of hernia... the hernia repair failed. Not the surgeon's fault... just a very stubborn hernia. The idea was to see how it was in a few months with a swallow test and make a plan. That surgeon left the Mayo and I was assigned to Dr Bowers.. another surgeon. The rest of story at the link above. Dr Bowers is an excellent surgeon.

My best advice for you is to eat soft cooked veggies and fruit.. or canned fruit. No raw fresh fruits or veggies. .. except ripe bananas. They will be easier to swallow and digest. Meats should be juicy and tender.. dry meats are very hard to swallow even with small bites. I eat mostly ground beef. Tender roast and steak I can eat sometimes.. I prefer meat juice over meat instead of gravy or sauces like ketchup or steak sauce. I can eat very moist chicken. My favorite is Chick-fil-A. I have problems with some breads. Sometimes it depends on the day. Pork is hardest for me. Pulled pork is moist, but it tends to be stringy and can stick with me. Believe it or not, but crisp foods like bacon or roasted nuts can be easy to swallow. Chips are trial and error.. not much nutrients, but can help with weight gain. I eat a lot of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies to help with my weight. They actually seem to settle my stomach when I am queasy and so do Ritz crackers. I cannot swallow a saltine.

I hope a little of this helps.
ZeeGee