IRRITATION FROM BEING STUCK QUESTION

[Susan58 10]

i am 8 weeks post op and have not had a fill yet and was doing fairly well until 3 days ago i was eating some string cheese and it got stuck. for the rest of the evening i could only take sips of Water. but it has been 3 days and i am only doing mushy foods like banana and thinned down mashed potatoes, but still every time i eat, i get the pain in my chest, start sliming and it comes back up. i even have to drink very slowly. can this still just be from irritation or does it seem like something more serious. i called my doctor but cant get in until next week. any suggestions??

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@Susan58 when that cheese got stuck, did you bring it back up or did it eventually make it's way past?

If you brought it back up by vomiting then I would say yes you could still be swollen. At 8 weeks out your body is still healing and adjusting to being banded, causing trauma by bringing up food could cause the body to react by swelling again.

When you have an episode like getting stuck the best thing to do is to go on liquids for a day or two before moving to mushy and soft foods.

Try going back to full liquids and Protein shakes for a day or two, try some ice pops to help with the swelling and hydration. If you are having a problem with liquids, then you need call your doctor to get in sooner than later and ask them to check the placement of the band for you to make sure that everything is OK.

Take care and let us know how you are doing.

[Susan58 10]

the cheese eventually went on down. what I don't understand is I can eat cheese crackers all day with no problem, but tonight I take 2 bites of scrambled eggs and start sliming and throw up. I did call the doctor back and they are going to see me tomorrow afternoon.

[bluegudren 156]

It took me about 6 months to learn what foods I cannot eat. Scrambled eggs where ok in the first months, then after I had my 5th fill and hit the green zone, they get stuck. So they are marked off my list now. Yogurt is a good Breakfast for me now. Fried and baked fish goes down fairly easily. Hamburger is a big no. Steak has to be filet mignon. Nothing else. Once something gets stuck, you know you have to be very careful with that food choice again. And I have to chew everything until it is the consistency of Soup in my mouth, or else!

[Susan58 10]

just to follow up... I went to the doctor today. I had a upper GI and evidently the stoma is swollen and tight. so now I am on liquids until Monday and then move back up to mushies and go from there. I am really getting discouraged. this is the second time I've been to the doctor will trouble swallowing. and I feel like my doctor is not really very supportive. he more or less accused me of eating a bunch of food and I can promise I hate to throw up so I eat very slowly and chew, chew, chew.

[hockeymother 178]

I am 1 year and 2 months with band. I am very happy with my new life. But I'll tell ya, I still have stuck episodes and after each one it takes me at least week to get back to normal. I get so swollen that the first day I can't even take Water. By about day three or four I can eat mushies and then eventually normal food. I mostly get stuck on foods that don't usually cause me problems. It's just because I don't chew enough or my bites are to big. I think of this as a reminder. Every now and then my eating gets out of control and then I get stuck. Kinda brings me back to reality. It's a painful reminder but it keeps me in line for the next few months. It'll get better. I promise, just don't rush the eating until the swelling is completely gone.

[B-52 7,113]

If you can drink Water, then you are probably not stuck. If so, the Water would have no where to go but back up and out...not to mention the sliming...accumulation of saliva.

I've had this many times, when I eat something too large or to hard, or both....traumatizes the area. can linger for quite a while. And anything I try to eat after only hurts more.....

Getting truly stuck never causes me pain....when I was still in the learning phase I could get stuck 2-3 times a day...I was a hard headed learner and many bad habits to break....

When this happens I stay with soothing things like soup...and even Ice Cream...

All part of the behavior modification IMO....FORCED to learn to eat differently, or else.....this is when the "Rules" start to make practical sense...

I don't eat cheese, for the most part. Some types, but not much......the more you chew, the more gooey it gets...not very band friendly for me anyway...another reason I cannot and will not eat pizza, aside from the doughy crust.

Edited July 20, 2014 by B-52