Got stuck and then sick.

I went to lunch with my mom and my mother-in-law. We ordered fi****ook two bites and it got stuck. I ended up in the bathroom at the restaurant getting sick. How embarrassing is that. . I noticed that when I cook at home I can eat whatever and I do great never get sick. However two times now I got something at a restaurant and I got sick. The first time I got a chicken sandwich at McDonald's took one bite and up it came and then today I tried to eat the fish. That is the only two time I have gotten sick. I had my surgery in December. I'm worried about getting sick to many times if it will causes a problem. I have been doing so good watching what I eat and eating slow so I don't get sick. I don't think I will eat out again. I hope everything will be OK.  I was wondering if you could please give me some advise.

Jessica

Jessica don't be down on yourself, you are a newbie and you are still learning your band and how to deal with restriction, it can still be very challenging to me at 6 years post op at times too.

My words of advice to prevent frequent pbing/vomiting, when eating out in restaurants order something warm first like hot tea or soup this will help relax your esophagus, and then test the 'waters' and eat slowly take pea size bites of food, word of caution, stay away from thick breads, or grilled meat, it will get stuck and cause you agony and plus thick bread does NOT help with weight loss so you may want to avoid bread although for those two purposes.

If you must have bread make sure it is toasted that goes down a lot better and remember not to drink something cold after you eat this will quickly tighten up the band if you have eaten something warm, as you live with your band you will learn how it works. You are right you don't want to vomit too often especially in the first year this is when your band is healing and forming scar tissue so you want to avoid vomiting as much as possible. Vomiting should be rare, I got a grape stuck over the weekend and PB myself and I have not done that in 6 months, so it can still happen to us vets too, but I try to avoid it as much as I can.

Good advice on not drinking cold liquids afterwards.  Duh.  I'm just over a year out and that hadn't dawned on me yet!

The chicken sandwich at McDonalds could have been one of two things - 1) the bread - most of the time processed bread doesn't work well for lap-bands.  They advertise their wheat bread, but it is processed as well.  Two, they microwave their chicken breasts before serving them.  Most of us banders cannot eat re-heated chicken.

Regarding the fish or the chicken, if you chose the fried options (which were oh so yummy in my former life), fried food does not seem to like my lap-band at all.  We'll see what others suggest when they respond. 

If this happened today and your vomitting is today, you'll want to stick with liquids for the rest of the day and then go to mushies tomorrow - then move into solids again.  If it was a violent (projectile) vomit, you may want to call your doc if your lapband has only been there for two months.  You don't want to risk a slip of the band.   Your stitches are still holding that baby in place while your skin is reforming to it's new environment. 

Sorry this happened!  Hope you're feeling better and eating well soon!

I've had the same thing happen to me . It started right after I started on purees. In the beginning it was a couple of times a week. Now it's about once a week. And it's usually when I eat out. For me I think I sometimes eat faster when we are out so that my family doesn't have to wait for me. I seem to be better with it. When you're new you have to learn what you can and can't handle. I know I'm still learning every day.

Thank you everyone. All of your posts makes me feel so much better. I think I'm doing OK I was just worried cause I got sick two times. But you are soo right I am learning about my band and what I can and can't eat. But thank you so much for your support.

Jessica

I hear ya.. I got stuck today.  It has happened twice before but eventually it went down on its own....today I was at a restaurant and had to run to the bathroom to get it out.. it was horrible.

Congrads on your weight loss by the way.. that is awesome.  I wish I was going down quicker

Thank you I have been working very hard. But I started loosing before my surgery.  It takes time that is what I keep telling myself.


Jessica

I have had my band for over two years and when I enter a restaurant I still look to see where the bathroom is....just in case.

With this band I have had to learn how to chew, eat, drink, swallow and be patient more than I ever had before. It will take time.

When eating out you can't eat the same things you think you would feel comfortable eating at home. When you are home you are conscience of your body....when you are out at a restuarant you are not because there is so much going on and there are other people to look at and talk too and then you forget to chew properly.

Good Luck to you. I am sorry you had a bad experience at a restaurant but dont let that deter you from going out and living your life...that's why you got the band in the first place.

Heavenly Morning

Thank you it helps to know that I'm not alone. There are others going through the same thing I am. Thank you again for your support.


Jessica