When was your first....

[lsprrnbr 0]

PB or sliming episode? I am currently on on my post op diet (full liquids) and I am so scared to eat b/c I dont want to PB or slime. When did everyone experience thier first? Was it on real foods or mushies, or even liquids?

Thanks for the input!

Meredith

[RestlessMonkey 7]

For almost all of us, it doesn't happen until we get restricted. So unless your surgeon put a fill in your band during surgery (and by all means call and ask since it is a special worry of yours) you won't need to bother or worry about it as you progress through the stages post op.

Then...it happens almost always due to operator error. We forget, or aren't used to restriction, or are distracted and either don't chew well, or don't take small bites, or eat too much.

Sometimes it happens when we try a new food that doesn't sit well. The only other reason would be if you are TOO TIGHT, in which case you need to get some fill removed.

I was banded 8/2008 and didn't have a PB episode until March of the next year, when I was pretty well restricted.

[Rutiglius 0]

I had my first fill on Tuesday, August 11. I was used to absolutely NO restriction, so wasn't paying too close attention to eating SLOWLY. I was chewing well, but eating too fast. Anyway, on Friday (the 14th), I slimed and PB'd a tiny piece of bread -- learned my lesson about bread!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I had my first fill on Tuesday, August 11. I was used to absolutely NO restriction, so wasn't paying too close attention to eating SLOWLY. I was chewing well, but eating too fast. Anyway, on Friday (the 14th), I slimed and PB'd a tiny piece of bread -- learned my lesson about bread!

Rutiglius, I hope you don't mind if I use this example to clarify something? (If you do PM me and I'll pull the post if it will let me)

You'll note she said "she learned her lesson about bread" Very smart...she didn't say she'd NEVER eat bread again. I think the point was she knew she would need to eat "consciously", paying attention to how fast, how well chewed, etc.

And that's important I think because for a lot of people, being stuck is at least unpleasant and can be, if it's a "bad" incident, scary and painful.

HOWEVER, unless you don't really LIKE the food that was stuck and don't mind never eating it, rather than avoiding it forever the smarter thing is to reassess WHY you're stuck.

IF you ate too fast, or too large a bite, or didn't chew very well or got distracted by company or some other thing and didn't pay attention, then it's possible that you CAN eat that food if you "do it right".

I've been BAD stuck on chicken to the point of thinking I had a heart attack. The problem was I didn't chew well enough. I KNEW when I swallowed it that I shouldn't have done so that soon.

My doc says to give it a while and then try again if you think you might have made an operator error.

So that's something to keep in mind too. A solitary stuck episode with a certain food doesn't mean NEVER. It may; but you need to do the work and figure out if it just didn't go, or if you just didn't follow the rules.

I think that may be one reason I CAN eat anything; I'm not a medical miracle LOL but just had a great surgeon teach me a lot.

So Rutiglius, at some point soon, as I think you meant you would, you'll re-try bread, chew well, small bites, and probably be fine. One "trick" I was taught about bread too is to alternate it with something of a different texture. That way it's not all in there where it can make a ball and stop things up! Toasting it also is helpful, I've heard.

Remember it takes babies a while to learn to eat (when they are young and their little brains aren't all full of stuff) so give yourself a break when you are learning how to eat with the band. Allow for some missteps, but don't let them scare you.