I was stupid...so now I need your help

[amylovescookies 8]

I have been banded for 2 years. I have been a pretty good bandster. I have only gotten stuck 4 times since I had band. When I get stuck I only slime. I have never chucked.

Last night I was really stupid for two reasons:

One: I ate white bread with cheddar, and mayo. My band did not let me eat very much. It was a no-no. I was gagging stuck.

Two: Since I was gagging stuck I took a swig of my daughter's grapefruit diet soda. I figured the acid, and the bubbles would work like draino on the sandwich.

When I took the swig it was like a bullet going down my chest. I had to grab on to my kitcen counter to bear through the pain. The goodnews is the soda did get the food to move and I did slime.

Shortly after my painful encounter with the cheese sandwich and the soda I got a dull ache right below my left shoulder. My band area felt okay. I have been drinking cold drinks, but I have quit my one time encounter with grapefruit soda cold turkey.

This morning I had a icy Protein shake. Now my band feels irritated. I will see my doctor on the 23rd.

I know someone out there has had a terrible stuckage. Maybe you haven't been as stupid as I was. How long should I be on liquids? Why does my left shoulder have a slight dull ache? Can people who have had their band this long cause long term perm. damage to their band?

[thinoneday 445]

Hi Amy, I've not been banded yet, but what I think could have happened might be that when you grabbed a hold of the kitchen counter from the pain and tensed up you may have pulled the trapezes muscle on the left shoulder blade. . . I've had that pain for ever in a day, but i know it's a muscle pain from my work outs . . . hopefully that is all that it is, see if ibuprofen helps with that pain or lidocaine Patches. . . I have found those things help along with icy blue and a good massage. . .

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Yes you can damage your band at any time but odds are one stuck episode won't do it.

I have no idea why you have pain but it's possible the agitation in your stomach agitated your diaphragm and THAT agitated your phrenic nerve and THAT is translating as left shoulder pain. That's why many bandsters have left shoulder pain post op.

However left shoulder pain can also be a sign of a heart attack. I don't know your age/status etc and wouldn't presume to diagnose over the 'net (or at any time actually! not a doc, just a brand new nurse! no diagnosis here, just some advice! ) but you know yourself best. It's probably the irritated diaphragm.

As to the other, buy papaya enzyme. It is chewable and works better than your home remedies! :wink: I've read that once you have a bad episode you should go to liquids for 24-48 hours, then mushies, etc (much like a fill, or like an accellerated post op diet) This allows your traumatized and angry stomach and esophagus to settle back down. Eating regular foods too early can re-irritate some.

If you stay on liquids till Monday and still feel unsettled, call your doc.

You MAY have slipped your band but I don't mean to imply that. It can happen and does happen in singular freak accidents, but usually one bad PB episode won't cause a slip unless it was already "in trouble" from earlier episodes etc. So odds are good you're just irritated (or rather your upper digestive tract is!)