Need advice after a stuck incident...

[adagray 1]

My last fill was a doozy. I went from 5.25 to 6.5cc in a 10cc lapband on Monday. Was on liquids until Wednesday afternoon. I tried a yogurt and it went down slow. Then, I had a solid dinner (chicken apple sausage, asparagus - overcooked, and pasta). I had very little of everything, cut it up real small, and chewed very well. No problem.

Yesterday (Thursday), I tried to have some leftovers for lunch and got stuck pretty bad. No PB, though. Later that evening, I was feeding the kids some of the leftover Pasta and dished up a little for myself. Big Mistake!!! I got totally stuck, in a lot of pain, PB'd for the first time, and my throat/esophagus/stoma felt sore afterwards. So, I have been on Clear Liquids since then and plan to be on Clear Liquids at least until this evening.

Now... onto my question! I have a wedding to go to tonight. Do you think it would be a mistake to try to eat again tonight? Or, do you think it would be safe to eat as long as I cut everything really small and take it really slow and chew, chew, chew. Ironically, I personally do not care about eating at all right now. With this last fill, I am not hungry ever. But, I worry about making a skeptical of myself either way. If I don't eat, that will be weird for people at my table. But, at least all my friends know I have the band and I've explained how it works so its not like I have to start from square one and explain the whole thing. If I do eat, I run the risk of getting stuck which would also be weird for people at my table (if I am suddenly getting up and running to the bathroom).

So, what do you think is the best thing for me to do tonight? :thumbup:

[Whillow 0]

I would not eat - everything is irratated from the pbing and being stuck - they say do 2 days of liquids after something like that ...

for tonight,, i would cut it up and move it around and pretend you are eating lol..but i wouldnt risk it.

[newdicarlo 0]

I'd agree. if they serve Soup, you could do that, but try to "share" with your significant other so it looks like you've eaten something...if you had a really bad stuck episode, you will be swollen and I've had days of stuck and lunch and stuck again at dinner (my surgeon never said to do liquids after a stuck episode, but I found out the hard way!)

[BetsyB 9]

If you plan to eat, I'd do a "trial run" at home, first. I would not make the food eaten at the wedding the first food you eat post-sticking incident.

[Spartan 4]

Ada, I would seriously avoid eating anything but liquids or food that you can "turn into" liquids in your mouth. You need to let your system heal a bit, and you really can do some damage if you don't let it heal....so please try and make that a priority.

A wedding is one of those unfortunate social situations where you kind of feel obligated to eat and you feel like everyone is watching if you don't eat. I recall that I was able to develop the art of "non-eating" where I would be able to make it LOOK like I was eating...but I wasn't....You kind of move things around on the plate, making it look like it was being eaten, and you continually move the fork up to your mouth like you are eating....it actually became kind of fun to learn to pretend that I was eating. My work involves a LOT of social eating, so it was something I actually became quite good at.

There were times, though, when it was not possible to do that, so I simply said that I was on a 24-hour fast for upcoming blood tests for a physical. And I didn't eat anything but sip some Water. It is important, though, to learn to place your own health above what anyone else MIGHT think, and just simply do what is right. And that might involve just sitting there and NOT eating anything.

Just enjoy the Wedding....weddings are usually wonderful!

S.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Spartan

[Cocoabean 430]

I have to go with the don't eat crowd. Eating in a group of people is always difficult for me. Too many distractions to concentrate on what I am doing. Add to that being sensitive from a bad stuckage....yes, I'd have to not eat at the event.

If they have Soup, try that. Much worse than explaining to someone why you aren't eating would be getting stuck and sliming in front of people.

Worse than that is urping in a public toilet, especially of the multi-stall variety, with people you know on either side of you. I even had one urp into a public toilet that splashed up and got me in the eye. Yeah, that was super fun!

"I am not hungry," "I already ate some" ...those work well. If it is a buffet, you have much more control. If not, move as much as you can off your plate when you can.

After my hubby eats his share, I'll move some over to his plate so it doesn't appear as so much waste. Less explaining to do to servers when they clear the plates. You can get some odd looks sometimes.

For cake time, just get busy taking pictures. Wander around and "forget" to be served any. Or take it and put it down somewhere and wander off.

I know that for me after a bad stuck episode, I'll take it very easy for a few days. Not always clear liquids, but mushies and the like.

Best wishes at the wedding, just remember to enjoy yourself!

[OnTheWay to Thin 0]

quick tip for the urping and splashing in the eye! Yup have had it happen too, now I grab a toilet seat cover and drop it into the bowl first, that keeps away splashes!

[Cocoabean 430]

quick tip for the urping and splashing in the eye! Yup have had it happen too, now I grab a toilet seat cover and drop it into the bowl first, that keeps away splashes!

That's brilliant! Thank you!!! Will definitely keep that one on file!

[adagray 1]

Update... I was blessed w/a buffet for the evening. I was so so happy after I saw the buffet setup and read the menu... hummus, mashed potato bar, two salads (salad has always been a slider for me). Yeah!!! Of course, there was a lot more than that that I stayed away from... lots of breads, pastas, beef wellington. But, I stuck (haha) w/just the stuff that I know as a slider for myself. So tempted to try the beef wellington. My husband told me it was so tender, but I kept all of your advice in mind and stayed clear of it just in case.

I took less than half a plate of food and nobody even noticed or commented. It was so delicious and so satisfying after being mostly on liquids this week. I can tell I have really healed since the previous night. Nothing even felt the least bit bad going down, but I was super cautious and took it slow and stopped as soon as I felt the least bit full.

I did notice how most everyone else got at least two huge platefuls, even all my skinny friends! I just don't have that kind of metabolism. But, I'm so thankful for this surgery so I can enjoy a meal like this (even just the mushy food), feel satisfied w/it, and still lose weight at the same time. Woke up this morning another pound down! Woohoo!!!

Edited April 3, 2010 by adagray

[Cocoabean 430]

quick tip for the urping and splashing in the eye! Yup have had it happen too, now I grab a toilet seat cover and drop it into the bowl first, that keeps away splashes!

Thanks again for this tip, it came in handy today. Got stuck at lunch and had to urp in the ladies room! Worked like a charm!

Adagray, so glad things went well for you, and you were able to have a great time at the wedding!!