What Does Being "stuck" Feel Like?

[JennyBee 340]

Ohhhh chips and salsa is my favorite!!!

Hopefully instead of a whole chip basket at Chilis I can get away with a lot less!

Thanks for your experiences Smiley, I guess just one day at a time will be the way to go!

[judych 225]

Stuck feels like you just swallowed a rock. The rock is now sitting at the base of your sternum. It can be pain or pressure. If you experience that, STOP EATING. Wait until the sensation passes before trying more food. Putting more food on top of stuck food just increases the pain. Don't drink anything, that won't help either. If you swallow a couple big gulps of liquid, the stuck item is likely to come back up.

Your pouch grinds trying to force the item through. That can get very painful. Your body produces a very thick mucous in an attempt to help the item go down. As the way down is blocked the mucous comes up, and out, in the form of slime. The sliming will not stop until you are unstuck.

Ah the joys of banded life. But really, oh so very worth it.

this is interesting.. so thats where the ball of mucus comes from??

[ellendeette 1]

I believe the stomach produces the mucus and slime. Its like it is reacting to having something stuck in the stoma and its natural way to slime it to get rid of it. Coughing does help me sometimes too.

I liked chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad. Like everyone says without bread. Sometimes I can scoop it on very crisp crackers or sometimes when my band isn't that tight, I can put it on a very thin piece of toasted bread (emphasis on the toast). It also helps if these salads are chopped finely and not chunky. One time, I had a huge stuck with the eggs. eggs sometimes do not go down well no matter how much I chew, chew, chew, etc.. My band seems to be the tightest in the morning.

I have friends with bands that rarely (or never) had things get stuck. They are pros for taking very small bites and chewing alot.

One thing I have not heard enough about is that my band gets tighter when I get anxious or going through something very emotional. It doesn't matter if its something happy or sad (unfortunately). I actually have to pass on food and just drink liquids or Water during these times. I have use relaxtion methods to try to relax my stomach and it does seem to help sometimes.

I have heard that you can use these tablets that have an acid type of effect on the food that gets stuck. For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of them. People have told me that using pineapple juice without sugar helps dissolve certain stuck foods. I can't seem to find any pineapple juice without sugar added. Although, I just thought about it. Maybe you could use the chunks or slices of pineapple in the can that doesn't have sugar. This breaks the rule of drinking anything after something gets stuck. Water on top of food being stuck just makes it worse. There are people out there that told me they will drink and drink water over food that is stuck and it will help them get it up quicker by throwing it up.

When you do throw up (either being sick or being stuck), your band will swell. You can't just eat normally again. Its best to go to a liquid diet until it calms down.

People swear by these methods. The tablets never have worked on me. I eventually threw mine out because they were useless to me and expired. They were really cheap at Trader Joes. Maybe someone out there will now the name of these tablets.

[Cocoabean 430]

this is interesting.. so thats where the ball of mucus comes from??

What she said below. It is part of the digestive process of which we are usually unaware. Normally it would go into your stomach.

I have snipped the below quote, but ellendeette is referring to Papaya Enzymes. They've never worked for me either.

I believe the stomach produces the mucus and slime. Its like it is reacting to having something stuck in the stoma and its natural way to slime it to get rid of it. Coughing does help me sometimes too.

I have heard that you can use these tablets that have an acid type of effect on the food that gets stuck. For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of them. People have told me that using pineapple juice without sugar helps dissolve certain stuck foods. I can't seem to find any pineapple juice without sugar added. Although, I just thought about it. Maybe you could use the chunks or slices of pineapple in the can that doesn't have sugar. This breaks the rule of drinking anything after something gets stuck. Water on top of food being stuck just makes it worse. There are people out there that told me they will drink and drink Water over food that is stuck and it will help them get it up quicker by throwing it up.

When you do throw up (either being sick or being stuck), your band will swell. You can't just eat normally again. Its best to go to a liquid diet until it calms down.

People swear by these methods. The tablets never have worked on me. I eventually threw mine out because they were useless to me and expired. They were really cheap at Trader Joes. Maybe someone out there will now the name of these tablets.

[1shauna1 129]

I have heard that you can use these tablets that have an acid type of effect on the food that gets stuck. For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of them. People have told me that using pineapple juice without sugar helps dissolve certain stuck foods. I can't seem to find any pineapple juice without sugar added. Although, I just thought about it. Maybe you could use the chunks or slices of pineapple in the can that doesn't have sugar. This breaks the rule of drinking anything after something gets stuck. Water on top of food being stuck just makes it worse. There are people out there that told me they will drink and drink Water over food that is stuck and it will help them get it up quicker by throwing it up.

They are Papaya enzyme tablets; get them where you buy vitamins!

[smileyxo 16]

Ohhhh chips and salsa is my favorite!!!

Hopefully instead of a whole chip basket at Chilis I can get away with a lot less!

Thanks for your experiences Smiley, I guess just one day at a time will be the way to go!

I have talked to so me people and they say the same thing salsa and chips go down. Doesn't make sense!! Check my site I have a wonderful quote for us banders about one day at a time. So true and if we make a bad choice only we can change it. We are the ones in control!! Have a Happy Bander Kind Of Weekend!!

[smileyxo 16]

Here it is:

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry.Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a ...single word we said. Yesterday is gone. The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow. With its possible adversities, Its burdens, Its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.This just leaves only one day . . . Today. Any person can fight the battles of just one day.

It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's -yesterday and tomorrow that we break down. It is not the experience of today that drives people mad. It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Let us therefore live but one day at a time. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

[Cocoabean 430]

I have talked to so me people and they say the same thing salsa and chips go down. Doesn't make sense!! Check my site I have a wonderful quote for us banders about one day at a time. So true and if we make a bad choice only we can change it. We are the ones in control!! Have a Happy Bander Kind Of Weekend!!

Any junk food goes down the easiest. It is a Bandsters' Paradox. Eat good, solid, heathy Protein, and risk getting stuck. Eat buckets of junk that I know will go down easily and taste ooooh sooooo goood......

[smileyxo 16]

Any junk food goes down the easiest. It is a Bandsters' Paradox. Eat good, solid, heathy Protein, and risk getting stuck. Eat buckets of junk that I know will go down easily and taste ooooh sooooo goood......

Geez I Love it for someone to understand and know. I wish I had joined this site when I was first banded!!! It just doesn't make sense though the stuff bad for you goes down no problem, could eat it all day. Then when you try to eat nutritional you fight with. That is why I was sharing with people I have found a Protein Shake I Love.. so it has recently put me back on track, and looking at labels. Yeah!

[Cocoabean 430]

Geez I Love it for someone to understand and know. I wish I had joined this site when I was first banded!!! It just doesn't make sense though the stuff bad for you goes down no problem, could eat it all day. Then when you try to eat nutritional you fight with. That is why I was sharing with people I have found a Protein shake I Love.. so it has recently put me back on track, and looking at labels. Yeah!

Glad you found us! This is a great place for support. I found it shortly before my surgery. I don't do many shakes, my surgeon prefers that I eat my calories. But I do keep some around for if i am bored with my diet, or just too lazy to eat. Ever think I'd be too lazy to eat?? Nope, never!!! Another victory the band has given me.

[smileyxo 16]

Glad you found us! This is a great place for support. I found it shortly before my surgery. I don't do many shakes, my surgeon prefers that I eat my calories. But I do keep some around for if i am bored with my diet, or just too lazy to eat. Ever think I'd be too lazy to eat?? Nope, never!!! Another victory the band has given me.

You look Great!! How Long have you had band.

[smileyxo 16]

You look Great!! How Long have you had band.

So what all do your eat... without shakes, I do chili and shakes.. women of habit. LOL

[pattiwagon30 14]

I can't thank you enough for posting this question. I am 1 week out post op and so far had a small pill get stuck. It wasn't a big deal but felt just like someone described as a small rock. It passed through the night and since have learned to chew pills or do liquid. I have also been told about the bread issue but I actually prefer "crunch" so crackers and such should work ok. It's all an experiment I guess. Tomorrow I get to try oatmeal, and I am looking forward to anything besides Jello and broth. Any advise on the next phase of eating??

[Band. James Band. 5]

Stuck feels like you just swallowed a rock.

Imagine a rock stuck in your stomach with an unending stream of white slime growing out of it. Seriously, it's like re-enacting a scene from Rosemary's Baby... The funny thing is the inevitability of occasional experiences like this is actually worth it for the weight loss!

[smileyxo 16]

I can't thank you enough for posting this question. I am 1 week out post op and so far had a small pill get stuck. It wasn't a big deal but felt just like someone described as a small rock. It passed through the night and since have learned to chew pills or do liquid. I have also been told about the bread issue but I actually prefer "crunch" so crackers and such should work ok. It's all an experiment I guess. Tomorrow I get to try oatmeal, and I am looking forward to anything besides Jello and broth. Any advise on the next phase of eating??

I can't sleep till meds pass.. once I woke and thought I was gonna die heartburn so pain.. I am a cronic pain patient so have to take alot of meds... i do chili.. make you a large pot of Soup and freeze in little containers.. As far as meds something warm going down to melt them like green tea. Chew OMG I could not even began to try LOL