getting stuck

As I was reading Cira's post about something being stuck and how it made her feel, I was trying to understand what happens. What I am relating to it is when I take a large vitamin and do not drink enough water to have it go all the way down. Is that the feeling? When I do this I usually try to dring something hot to help melt the vitamin. However, the hot stuff hurts really bad going down. I'm guessing it is because it cannot pass through quickly and starts to burn me. Just wondering...is that the feeling? Love...Gail

Hi Gail - Well, it's that feeling x10!! It's hard to explain, but basically it happens when the food is too dry, you didn't chew well enough, blah, blah. It's especially important when you progress to solids to really, really chew your food well. Some protein dense foods, like meats or even some fish, tend to become stuck really easily, while other water based foods, like salad, slide down with no problem. There's really no rhyme or reason to it, and what bothers you one day may not the next! The important thing to remember is that when you first feel something become stuck, to stop eating and DO NOT DRINK! A lot of people think that drinking will help wash the food away, but most of the times, it doesn't. Just think of a clogged drain - if you run water on top of it, it just backs up further. In our cases, it may cause us to throw up, but not to dislodge the offending item. I remember Dr. Moen at DVR's office saying that for the first month or so, if you get something stuck, it can be harmful to try to make yourself throw up because of the internal stitches. Once you're further out, it can help if you can throw up the offending item, because the relief is immediate. And I mean immediate - you'd be surprised at how much you wish to throw up once something gets stuck. If you can't throw it up and it has to pass on its own, which may take a while, the relief is again immediate. I can only equate the pain to that of a gallbladder attack. It's like someone just took their fist and WHAM! right in the center of your breastbone. It takes your breath away and you may find yourself making deals with God and then praying to die!!! It is horrible, but a quick learning tool. You'll learn to make sure everything is moist, you may find that you have to "lubricate" your food with salsa (my fave), gravy, etc. In comparison, dumping, while unpleasant, is not nearly as bad. It's more a metabolic thing, where your blood sugar spikes from too many carbs/sugars. Not everyone dumps, and everyone has different triggers. Again, just a roll of the dice. I've dumped twice, and it's weird - I feel outside of myself, irritable, sweaty, etc. Where stuck food occurs immediately, dumping usually occurs within 30-60 minutes of eating the offending item. In my opinion, I'd rather dump once a day than have stuck food once a month!!! Just remember, you can melt a vitamin, you can't really melt food. That's why DVR has us on clear liquids, full liquids, pureed and soft foods, to give our pouches time to heal before moving onto solids. It really helped me to keep a journal for the first couple of weeks, that way I could see what worked and what didn't. Hope I haven't bored you and that this helps! Have a great day! Tia