EDG? Ug....I am hoping this "stuck" feeling goes away...

Last night I was up late packing & getting ready to leave for Disney World on Sunday & I put one piece of part-skim string cheese in the microwave--which I do a lot to make it a little softer.  Usually I just put it in for about 3-5 seconds & it is not chewy, just a little soft.  But, last night I was busy & it was in for about 20 seconds. When I stopped the microwave & took it out it was gooey & bubbly, but looked good, so I ate it.  I have had string cheese many times w/no problems, but, clearly, the gooey, elastic string cheese is not a good idea. 

Within about 2-4 minutes I could tell that it was "stuck".  The pain started in my chest & I was frothing, etc.  I have had that happen before, so I expected it to eventually pass. It didn't.  It got worse until I was throwing up the cheese...which, actually, was fine with me. I expected after I threw up that it would go away (gheeze...TMI, right!), but it didn't.  The pain/pressure in my chest was significant & I wasn't able to go to sleep until about 4am....so, it was about 2 hours of dry heaving/vomiting/chest pain. Bluck.

This morning, I woke up & tried to drink & realized that the "stuck feeling" was still there. I wondered if I had irritated my pouch from the gooey-chewy-cheese & the aftermath of getting it up. I thought that warm fluid sounded good, but as soon as I drank it I felt the same "stuck feeling" again.  I didn't vomit & was able to keep it down, but it was really uncomfortable to drink---and forget about eating anything. No way.

I called Dr. Houston's office (he is out of town) to find out if there was something I could do to "dislodge" it.  Dr. Dyer was on call & he said I should go to the Centennial ER for an EDG to see if they could expand my pouch & help "unstick" the cheese & see what was up.  I wasn't exactly ready for that.  First of all, I am TERRIFIED of the tube down my throat thing (bad past experience w/an endoscopy)....and, I am leaving for Disney World tomorrow--plus I was at the dermatologists' office having stitches removed & couldn't get to the ER by 4pm when they wanted me there. 

Dr. Dyer's nurse called & said that I could try some carbonated beverage....like diet sprite.  So, I did, & it did help a bit, but not completely.  I have been able to keep fluids down & even ate a Carb Master yogurt, but that's about it.  I still have the "stuck" feeling and am stressed about leaving for vacation Sunday morning.....

Has anyone had this happen &, if so, did the food ever get "unstuck" w/out an EDG?  Any advice on what I can do to help this??? They told me not to do the meat tenderizer thing, but I need some advice!!! Mickey Mouse is waiting!! xo, Micheala.

Oh, Micheala!!!!

I don't know what to tell you, I have not had the stuck feeling lasting this long.   But I did want to let you know I was thinking of you and hoping things get moving for you before you head to Disney!! 

IF you do go to the ER, there is numbing agents that they can use.

Please let us know what happens!!

Worried about you!!
HUGS

OH MY GARSH!!  Sounds as if you had/have quite a time with your cheesey stuff.  I could not eat really stringy cheese either for a long time (even melted on top of a meatball).  I didn't do well with it but fortunately it never got stuck and I did not have your predicament! Whew, that makes me really glad I didn't!!!

When I had a stricture, I had to get this done to stretch out the opening from my tummy pouch as it had closed up too much during the healing process.  It was nothing I did to cause it, BUT, they put me out and I woke up a few seconds later (LOL it sure seemed like it) and I was done.  I was MUCH happier after the procedure because immediately I was able to drink and later eat with ease.  It did make me have a sore throat, but that's about it.  I am not sure but you could ask the doctor how long you would be there...

Does it feel like irritation?  You know how you choke and cough a lot and it feels like your throat is irritated?  Not that there is still something stuck there, but its just been irritated and agitated?  Going back on liquids would help it heal up so that the food won't irritate it more.  But I'm concerned that since you are going on vacation, and if you don't get seen today and you need to...  that it might get worse or ruin your vacation. 

Did the doctor or nurse say they could get you in and out today?  And if you do have it done today, can you still go on vacation?  That is a bad timing!!

I'm not as far out as you, but I hear ya....on that stuck feeling . It is awful
feeling. I hope Dr. H calls you back and you can figure this out. Your doing
so well.

Thanks  guys....it was a TOUGH day yesterday....the "stuck" feeling stayed w/me all day and I made the decision not to have the EDG done....I was hoping, like Mel said, that I had really irritated it w/vomiting, etc. and that if I just didn't eat & drank some broth that it would slowly heal.  When I went to bed last night I still had the pain/stuck/mess of a feeling in my chest, BUT when I woke up this morning....GONE!!! Now, I am TERRIFIED to eat anything.....I did get my 64 oz of fluid in today, but as far as eating I had a Carb Master Yogurt, a little bit of chicken salad & then, just a minute ago, a poached egg w/a tee-tiny bit of cheese (ahhhh...the devil's food!) melted on it....scary, right?  Nope...it went down fine....I should go ahead & have a protein drink before bed just to catch up to make sure I get my 60gm in today, but, it looks like I am out of the woods!!  Whew....Mickey would have been so sad if I had cancel!

The semi-good news (although this is not the right way to go about it), I dropped 5 pounds w/in the past two days & am now at 209---it is so nice not to see a "1" in front of the last digit....I can't wait until I am in Onederland...I think I am going to throw a Onederland party......so, 84 pounds in 14.5 weeks.....it actually hit me today that I might really get to my goal of 155--just 54 more pounds (okay...that's funny....before surgery 54 pounds would have been a 7 months of Atkins).  Funny....I don't know why I question that I would get to goal as if that was a variable, but I guess, like all the "diets" before, I wondered if I would get to a certain number (like 220-ish) and then be stuck there & not be able to lose more.  I am so thrilled that this is working for me---even w/the little ups & downs (and they are little in the big picture)---I would do it all over again!! 

We are leaving in the morning.....I won't be bac****il after the 4th of July weekend, so everyone have a safe, happy & healthy holiday!!  xo, Micheala.

I'm glad that you are feeling better!!  You may want to stay on liquid and soft foods today so that you can still give a little more time to feel better...  but its a good thing you tried food to see if something was still stuck.  Hopefully Mickey won't have any string cheese in Disney!