Stuck On Getting Stuck

[jennibee 3]

I have been banded for over four years. Just last evening was the first stuck episode I've had in a really long time and it was horrible! I was having eggs for dinner and only ate a few mouthfuls. I was in a hurry and know that I didn't chew them well enough. And, I paid dearly for it because it felt like I had swallowed a bowling ball. WOW! It hurt!

When I get stuck it's usually on things that I shouldn't really be eating anyway. I tried one teeny tiny bite of a donut almost three years after my surgery and will NEVER as long as I live do it again. We were on a long roadtrip and I had to embarrass myself by asking to pull over as I paced on the turnpike to deal with the pain associated with being stuck. The excessive mouth watering isn't attractive either (unless you are a werewolf or something of the sort..lol) I also refrain from eating breads, pastas, and scrambled eggs, another no-no for me is french fries.

Anytime I have ever been "stuck" it has been because of a concious choice made by me. I have learned to make better decisions over time in order to avoid the discomfort.

[Kimmypoo38 5]

I am hard headed sometimes and have stuck episodes. Mainly its fries or rice. If they are Mcdonalds fries I may be able to eat 2-3 with lots of ketchup but if they are the Oreda from home, I can hang it up. They just won't go down. I have reluctanlty learned that thats one food that I have to give up. pineapple is another food I cannot eat. It makes me hurt really bad. Getting stuck is a bad feeling but you learn to avoid food that will cause it and learn to chew really well so that it doesn't happen often. It usually happens about 2-3 times a month. When it does, I stand up, raise my arms up and jump up and down. If that doesn't help, I will go and slowly regurgetate it up.

[ATL-Jen 1]

Holy CRAP! I could write a book on this topic. Apparently, I am either deaf, stupid, or just plain hard-headed because I am just 1 month post op and I have gotten "stuck" three times!! The first was the worst. I am southern so I use grits as a comfort food. Plus, its consistency meets the requirements for the post-op menu. I am guessing I was hungry and, per usual, I was shoveling that stuff down like I was afraid somebody was gonna steal it. Anyway, the grits made a nice clump which blocked off my band entirely. So, anything that went down after had no where left to go except back the way it came. Good lord! I am talking a fountain!! I was still recovering from the surgery and there I was purging so violently that I started cramping in my thoracic area which led me to believe I was having a heart attack. Cut to me being driven to the ER and 4 family members individually from all parts of GA violating all traffic laws to meet me there only to be told... "False Alarm! Fat girl got her grits on a little too fast!!"

Man! I was EMBARRASSED! And, lemme tell you, I ain't had grit one since. I am a fast eater and always have been. I used to swear I must have been in prison or the military in a former life because I could consume an entire plate of food in less than 5 mins. That is still a problem for me. That is the main reason I get stuck now.

My treatment: #1 is Prevention. I have to do multiple things while I eat. I need to be chatting on the Internet, working in the kitchen, folding clothes, and take a bite every now and then. #2 - if it STILL happens, I try a little Fluid to see if that will wash it down. If it is REAL stuck, that Fluid just comes back out. #3 - Sounds crazy but I hop up and down to try to jar it loose. (I am a real treat to watch in a restaurant).

I am going for my first fill next week, I ought to have GREAT stuck stories after that one. I am a real moron when it comes to medical stuff. I try to do what is right but it is like I forget until AFTER something bad happens. Anyway, don't be skeered. Stuck is temporary. Weight loss CAN be for a lifetime.

[54Shirley 105]

You was a fast eater in your past... That will change trust me !

I drink with all my meals. Take a bite chew a lot then swallow with a little Water, and for me it goes down.

I just make sure that I stay Lower then 1200 calories a day.

I go for a fill Thursday, So will see how I do after that. I been at 1.5cc in a 4cc band since October,

and I feel like I'm starving half the time.

But slow down, and you might want to try that, I don't drink after I eat, because it can come up.

[laddie1229 18]

I am really scared of getting stuck also, I love grits too and make them very thin. Last night I think I took my meds too fast with too much Water, cause now I know what slime is.LOL.

[bigmurray 0]

I guess I have the opposite problem of most here--I was banded 12-23-11 and it's not tight enough yet--I think-- the only way it feels li8ke it works is if I barely chew a large piece of dry meat(chicken breast, roast beef or roast pork) and then swallow it whole--I do this slowly on my first few bites and see if I can "feel" it hit the band and if I can I chew a little better but still leave it pretty coarse--it hurts a lot if it truly hangs but I am ready for this band to work--anyone else that does this?

[1shauna1 129]

Here I go again, asking a question on getting stuck. I just cant get passed this and I KNOW if I cant, it will be the reason I dont follow thru with the surgery. I realize that not getting stuck is pretty much in our hands. It's how and what we eat that will cause it. Still, I'd like to know, how many times per week or month would you say you get stuck? Is it a common occurance that you just comes with the band or is it a "do it one time and you'll never do it again" sort of thing? Thank you.

Hm. You probably don't need to hear from me then. But I will respond.....I get stuck a LOT. I was just stuck previous to coming on here about 10 minutes ago (thankfully it has passed, and you can definitely feel it has passed). I kind of consider myself a pro at it now (not something to be proud of I'm sure.....)

I felt the same way; it was the major issue before having the surgery. It sounded horrible. And the first time I got stuck I felt like I was dying (mostly I think because I had never been before, and was so nervous). I couldn't get it up for a bit (I think it was toast and tomato) and I was in such pain.

Above, I do NOT take any Water if I'm stuck, because it's just piling on top of a stuck pile. I do find the papaya enzyme pills help (in the Vitamin section); they are chewables and taste sweet. They helped me a lot when I was first banded, and I do carry some everywhere with me now.

HOWEVER - don't let it scare you too much. As you said, yes it is because I often still eat too fast/too big bites after 1.5 years. And now it is nothing, just lean over the sink and cough. The pros of the surgery outweigh this con, I think!

[GLove 44]

Thank you Shauna!

[laddie1229 18]

Since I posted 4 weeks ago, I have had my first fill. Not much restriction yet, but I have been stuck 3 times in the past month and each time it was my fault for not following the rules. I was so hungry Thursday night, I ate too fast, didn't chew thoroughly and took bites that were too large. I had to laugh at myself for being so dumb. After I "unstuck" myself I was much more careful, I have also found watching TV or reading while eating takes my attention away from the rules and I am more prone to getting stuck.

[1shauna1 129]

Since I posted 4 weeks ago, I have had my first fill. Not much restriction yet, but I have been stuck 3 times in the past month and each time it was my fault for not following the rules. I was so hungry Thursday night, I ate too fast, didn't chew thoroughly and took bites that were too large. I had to laugh at myself for being so dumb. After I "unstuck" myself I was much more careful, I have also found watching TV or reading while eating takes my attention away from the rules and I am more prone to getting stuck.

Glad it wasn't as bad as you thought! I think I was actually advised to not watch TV, read etc. while eating because as you say, it can distract you. But I do that all the time....maybe part of the problem too!

[Jenn1214 120]

I have been banded for 11 months and I have been stuck MAYBE about 4-5 times total. Each time it was because I wasn't paying enough attention to how I was chewing...it was always my fault, never the band. Being stuck is definitely a wake up call...once it happens you don't want it to happen again, so you tend to be more careful. My episodes have never lasted more than a few minutes at a time, but it was enough to make me pay more attention at mealtimes. Don't let it deter you from getting a band!