What does it feel like to be "stuck"?

[amonroy 0]

HI everyone, I have been reading alot on here about things getting "stuck". I understand you have to chew chew chew and take small bites and everything. I start mushies next week and i'm getting really nervous after all I have been reading to go on to normal foods when it's time. What does it feel like to be stuck? And what do you do if something does get stuck? What types of food get stuck most often? Lol sorry for so many questions, I think i'm starting to freak out about it.

[Insky67 2]

It feels like hell. When I get stuck it has been on a bread type item. Toast, pizza, cracker...it happened right away like after the first or second bite. I could feel it go down and get stuck right in the middle of my chest. It hurts so bad sometimes I thought I couldn't breathe and then the slime starts.

Mouth starts watering like crazy. Can't swallow it cause it hurts more so you have to lean of the toilet/sink and just keep spitting. Your body starts sending mass amounts of saliva and mucous to your pouch to either make the stuck food go down or come back up.

Usually for me I start gagging like I am gonna throw up and all of a sudden a huge amount of slime (mucous) comes out and then if I am lucky so will the offending food item.

This has happened to me 3 or 4 times now. It is awful so please be very careful when you start introducing real food back in. Eat SLOW and chew it to death.

Edited July 27, 2008 by Insky67

[Z430 0]

I also have been "stuck". chicken and ribs. I also had problems with chicken noodle Soup. I think the noodles along with drinking while I ate did it.

When it happens, I have had little problems getting it to come back up. I have yet to eat any bread. Getting stuck is no big deal so far for me.

I think this is what makes the laband special. Eat something you should not and it hurts you. Either way it does not last long. We were told upfront, no bread, Pasta or rice.

[Insky67 2]

Getting stuck last a different amount of time for everyone and it also depends on what is stuck. My first time lasted 45 mins, the times after that it varied between 20 and 30 mins.

My doc never said we could not have rice, breads or Pasta. But to introduce these things slowly and to chew them very well. I know people who have no problems at all with these foods and others who will never eat them again.

Just go slow. I think if you search this site for "stuck" you will find lots of stories on what to expect when it does happen.

[daisybug 0]

It's the most WRETCH-ed FEELING EVER! It's something I don't wish on my enemies. For me, It happened with chicken breast,, I ate it to quickly and didn't chew it up enough. It was like pressure in my upper stomach and all of the sudden my mouth started to Water (sliming) and then vomit. i was relieved after getting it out. One time, i walked around my house in pain for 15 minutes and all of the sudden, it went DOWN> instant relief... I think moving around helped.

I know you will read this a zillion times,, but take heed !! CHEW THE HECK out of everything and eat slow....

you will find out what foods don't agree with you..

best of luck

278/229/180

[jjsmiles 3]

I have been lucky in that I can eat almost anything, but I occasionally get "stucK' (it has happened on banana, chicken, beef and eggs, but only once or twice on each). I think it is mainly because I took too big a bite and or didn't chew enough.

For me, it feels like a golf ball stuck in the back of my throat - pretty painful. I am always able to basically "hoark" it up like a cat with a hair ball :tt2: almost immediately. It is not a true vomit as it requires almost no effort and there are no stomach acids involved.

As everyone else says - eat small bites and chew. Also, don't give up on a food because you get stuck once - what you can tolerate can and will change at different times.

[2BHealthE! 1]

I got "stuck" for the 1st time today. On a bite of string cheese. Yup...probably too big of a bite, not chewed well enough. I had a vision of that string cheese in my port like a drain plug. It felt like I had a rock under my sternum (breast bone). I got up and walked and walked, and sure enough after 15-20 min. it stopped.

Chewing 27 times takes a learning curve, I think. After all, I've spent 50 yrs. eating without such lengthy chewing....old habits are hard to break. Getting stuck is a good reminder!

MK

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

One thing that helps when you're stuck is putting your arms up in the air.

It seems to stretch things out and sometimes it will help it go through the band. I don't need to explain it because everyone else has done a great job. Just chew it up until it's literally liquid in your mouth, and you won't have a problem. When we say tiny bites, we mean the size of a pencil eraser. If you don't have a tight fill, sometimes getting stuck won't happen until you have good restriction.

[skinipete 0]

If you feel like a bite is not sitting right...stop eating, right then! Give it time to go thru the stoma then start to eat again. If you put more bites on top of it, you will surely slime. It may take you way longer to finish your meal but it's worth it.

OK y'all now don't laugh at me, but this is how I have been teaching myself to take smaller bites....I look at what is on my fork & ask myself if that bite looks ladylike & would I like to see a picture of me stuffing it into my mouth. Many times I take some off or I cut the meat in half.

Edited July 27, 2008 by skinipete

[eve529 0]

I have gotten stuck on scrambled eggs that were too dry. (I like my eggs very well cooked -- or should I say I used to like them tat way.)

I can get stuck on anything if I'm not paying attention to my eating. Sometimes even having a lively conversation is enough for me to go into autopilot and take a too-big bite or fail to chew properly. I once tried to eat a large hard pretzel while driving. (Stupid, I know.) Good lord, did that hurt. I had to pull over, and my mouth felt really wet. It lasted about 10 minutes. Then it was fine.

I have never thrown up from getting "stuck."

I agree that walking around slowly helps. It also helps me to relax as much as I can, once something is caught. I focus on breathing slowly.

One last tip: DO NOT drink Water to help move the stuck item along. It a natural instinct to want to take a sip of Water to push them item through, but once you have a band, drinking something only makes it worse. It actually puts more pressure on the stuck item and severely increases the discomfort.

Having something stuck hasn't been the end of the world for me, but it definitely gets my attention. On the up side, it really kills the appetite. Silver lining?

[vez 0]

I got stuck at a family dinner on a desert sppon size dim sim from not shewing correctly. Too busy talking. Knew something was not right went ofr 30 minute walk then went to bed. The next day tried to have a cup of tea and could not get it down. Was so sick, finally got it out but will never let that happen again. I have only had one thing stuck.

Tip bite, chew, stop, bite, chew, stop.

Thought I was going to die on the toilet like Elvis

[Bamagal 1]

I have been stuck a few times,mostly can just wait and it will go down

a couple of times I had to upchuck to get it out,since my last time I take time my time between bites I think that is the key.small bites, chew well .and say a sentence between bites.Oh word to the wise eat one nut at a time

[Sue Magoo 71]

Hi:

I just wanted to add something because I didn't know it would happen. I got stuck once. It was before I was filled, on the mushy stage. It was tuna fish that I must have eaten too quickly and it must have just packed up in my pouch.

When I got stuck the pain that was in my left shoulder was severe. I actually thought I might be having a heart attack because of the left shoulder pain.

So, be extra careful and hopefully it won't happen to you. But if it does, and it comes with shoulder pain, don't be surprised.

Take care.

Sue

[amonroy 0]

Thanks everyone, this gives me alot of help of what to do and not to do, also what to look for. Sounds pretty scary so I am going to somehow engrave in my brain chew chew chew lol.

[MaggiesMom1999 0]

Another online group that I joined recommends pineapple juice, room temperature, to help you get unstuck. Supposedly, when you have an episode you can take just a small sip or two of the juice and it will help to dissolve the "lump" so that it can move on. I have not personally tried this but several people swear by it and keep the small cans of pineapple juice everywhere---home, office, car, etc. I have only had one stuck episode and it was terrible but only lasted about 5-10 minutes. I will definitely try the pineapple juice next time.

Leigh