Lost my Virginity

[DonnaB 3]

I am no longer a PB virgin. What did you think I meant?

My husband and I made a wonderful Italian dinner together - ravioli with pesto and mushroom carbinara, tortellini in garlic and olive oil marinara, a Tomato and cucumber salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs, and a glass of rose wine. Mmmmmm, right? Well, I wouldn't really know. I took two small bites (aparently not small enough) of the ravioli and it stuck. I mean STUCK SOLID. Like I swallowed concrete or something.

I walked around and did the chicken dance, held my breath, swung my arms like jumping jacks (all while my delicious dinner getting colder and colder) for more than a half and hour, all the while sliming madly. I even heaved a couple of times but got no relief. Just slime. Finally I went out and walked around the block (carrying my wad of paper towels in one hand and my plastic 'spit' cup in the other). I noticed that it felt better the faster I walked so I kept up a pretty brisk pace and before I made it to the corner I felt two very distinct lumps pass through my band. Ahhh. Relief. It's weird how you can feel stuff moving through, huh? Not pleasant at all.

I went back to my house and asked my husband to get rid of the rest of my dinner, which he did, and I made a Protein Shake for myself. I guess I'm on liquids for a few days.

I'm really disappointed in myself. I really, really wanted to avoid a PB and I guess since I never got a "productive burp" I can technically claim no PB, but it was a PB for sure, technicalities notwithstanding. It hurt, I slimed and heaved. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck . . . it must be a PB. It really sucked and I never want to do it again.

I think I'll make that liquid diet a week - just to be sure.

[S@ssen@ch 745]

Oh Donna........that sounds aweful. I feel so bad for you to have experienced that and to have missed what sounded like a great dinner with your hubby.

Although I gotta admit, the thought of you doing the chicken dance and flapping your arms around created a great mental picture that I got a little chuckle out of.......this was no laughing matter I'm sure.

[leatha_g 4]

Poor thing.. I'm sorry. With the band there are two kinds of people.. Those who have and those who will...lol. Welcome to the fold..

[PhotoNut 7]

Man oh man, Donna. Sorry you suffered like that, but I appreciate the reminder of why I tell myself that breads and pastas are NO LONGER part of my life! I have not and will not even try them. I'm way too freaked out about the PB thing.

I've had two very breif and minor incidents with the golfball feeling and I don't even wanna take that feeling to a higher level of pain! I drank very cold iced tea during the meal - wrong move! My stomach shrunk up like a guy diving into a cold pool! LOL!

*hugs* I'm sorry about your nice meal. There are others to be had though. I'm just glad you're ok now.

[Yoda 0]

Poor Donna!! Well, thanks for sharing your experience...tho it did make me chuckle. As for me, I hope to NOT follow you down this path and I'm more than happy to remain a PB virgin. *crosses fingers* Here's hopin'!!!!

:straight

[Vera 7]

Noodles and cheese was my first PB! Now I just look at them and start to burp.....

Sorry the chicken dance didn't work.

[*susan* 1,709]

Oh Donna, I am so sorry your nice (and probably romantic) meal was interrupted and ruined like that. I did chuckle at the chicken dance visual too though. I am with Yoda and hope to remain a PB Virgin too.

[TIDGE 0]

Is it dangerous to PB? - how long do you wait for the food to pass thru or come up before you panic? Banded 3 days - lots 2 learn.

Can you PB on purees or liquid? I don't know what is full up and what is surgery pain but I think I need to eat a little puree as I feel sick - will I know when it's enough?

[DonnaB 3]

Is it dangerous to PB? - how long do you wait for the food to pass thru or come up before you panic? Banded 3 days - lots 2 learn.

Can you PB on purees or liquid? I don't know what is full up and what is surgery pain but I think I need to eat a little puree as I feel sick - will I know when it's enough?

Hi TIDGE,

PB's aren't good. PB (productive burp - nice euphamism for throwing up!) can cause your band to slip. If it slips it almost always has to be surgically replaced or taken out. Best case scenario the slip falls back into place on it's own but the way most band doctor's are now securing the band in place by stitching a portion of your stomach over the band, means that if it slips the sutures or the scar tissue keeping it in place have come apart - which means it will probably slip again. Sometimes a slip will keep you from even being able to get liquid down which means you have to have surgical intervention right away or you become dehydrated. Not good.

I think the chance of PBing and tearing out stitches is the most likely reason for doctors ordering long liquid post-op diets. You'll see lots of information and arguments, er, discussions on LBT about the length of the post-op liquid diet. You REALLY, REALLY want to avoid PB post-op for as long as possible to give your stitches and stomach and chance to heal and create scar tissue to keep your band in place.

Having said that, almost everyone at some point will PB. Not everyone. I really thought I'd be one of the ones who didn't but lo and behold, here I am post PB. I've been banded for just over 8 weeks now and feel pretty confident that my PB didn't cause any damage. My PB lasted for about 30 minutes and it was pretty scary. I felt horrible while it was going on too. I was sweating and sliming and had that burning golf ball feeling going on in my chest. I also have Irritable Bowel Syndrome - not the kind with Constipation - and the discomfort and panic of the PB brought on an IBS attack at the same time. It was awful. 30 minutes feels like FOREVER when you feel like crap. I don't know how long a PB can last - I've heard hours in some cases. Yikes! I do know that I was scared while mine was going on and I'm going to try like heck to never have one again.

I think the most dangerous time to have a PB is during the first few weeks post-op. Other than that I wouldn't worry too much unless it goes on for hours and hours (I'd be in an emergency room if it lasted much longer than the one I had - although I don't know what they could do about it) OR if you do it repeatedly during a short period of time. PBing causes your stomach to be irritated and can lead to another episode of PBing if you don't let the irritation and swelling go down for long enough. That's why I'm going back to a liquid diet for a week.

Hope this answers your questions. Welcome to LBT, I look forward to hearing from you how your journey is going. (I didn't scare you too much did I? Just enough to stay on your liquid diet and then chew, chew, chew to goo after you move on to mushies and solids? LOL You'll be fine.)

[hanrahh 0]

Oh, DonnaB, I,m sooooooooooo sorry u had to go thru that. I have never heard of PB till i got turned on to LBT. The descriptions I've heared lets me hope I never have one. I hope u feel better.

[Elisabethsew 50]

Tightly holding onto my virginity! I hope you're soon healed and feeling better.

[JanetC 2]

Awww, DonnaB! I'm sorry to welcome you to the club! It sounds like you have your initiation well under control. When you go back to eating, remember to space those bites out! :mad:

[PhotoNut 7]

About those PBs. They don't always mean a stitch is broken or that the band has moved. It is my understanding that a slip means the lower stomach has come up through the band a bit and by letting out all of the fill, there is a chance it will slip back out and after healing the fill can be replaced. Of course, broken stitches and bands moving out of place can and do happen, but nowadays I believe that a slip is referring more to what I just described. I'm sure that there is no textbook description of a slip, as we are all so different and each silp can result in different complications depending on the individuals circumstances and stomach shape/size.

PBs also cause irritation and swelling to the esophogus and over time can lead to more serious problems which would require the band to be removed. I'm sure that those who have experienced slips can give us more details... in fact they have on various threads.

Like Donna said, chew your food carefully. Do not swallow until it's practically goo in your mouth. Take small bites, and don't allow yourself to be distracted while eating (driving, tv, computer, etc). If you avoid foods which are most likely to be problematic to bandsters, and you are very careful to eat slowly and chew well... chances are you'll not have to suffer a PB.