First stuck episode and a couple of questions

First let me say, UGH, UGH, UGH!!!  What a horrible experience!  I never want to go through that EVER again!  The pain was excrutiating.  Also, let me say, this was totally and completely my fault!  I am nearly six weeks out from my surgery on August 17th.  I had my first fill a couple of weeks ago and have really felt normal.  I had been thinking lately that I was eating too much and should see about another fill at my appointment next month.  I feel so "normal" that I almost forget that I have the band.  I've usually watch very carefully what I eat and have lost 27 pounds.  However, yesterday I made a pork roast and when it was finished I quickly put a bite in my mouth, chewed a little and then in went another. I had completely forgotten about my band and did what I had always done while cookiing, taste.  Well as soon as I swallowed the second bite I knew!  I walked around for over an hour, burped over and over, spit out the slime and finally thew up.  (Sorry for the graphics) I really tried not to do that because I know it's bad for the band.  Now a couple of questions for you vets.  I have been drinking protein shakes since that happened.  Can I also have some refried beans or should I do the shakes the rest of the day?  Also, when you can't tolerate a particular food, such as pasta or rice, do you know you can't eat it because it gets stuck?  I'm terrified of that happening again.  What a lesson learned!

Some lessons we have to learn the hard way!

I haven't had a stuck episode in quite a while, but what I try to do is: 24 hours of liquids, 24 hours of purees, 24 hours of soft foods, then back to solids.

A food that gets stuck could be one you can't tolerate (at that moment, anyway), or it could just be a symptom of inattentive eating. If I had permanently dropped every food that caused me problems from my menus, I'd be subsisting on protein shakes now. So before you decide that you can't tolerate roast pork, try it again while eating tiny bites slowly and carefully. If it still hurts, then I would avoid pork for a few months. Also, keep in mind that the band is a fickle mistress. A food that works fine today could be a problem tomorrow and then back to fine the next day.

Oh, and congrats on the weight loss!

Jean

Jean,
Thanks so much for responding.  I had ordered your book last week and went right to it after everything was over.  It was a huge help!  When I was knee deep in this episode, I couldn't think straight!  It has been so nice eating again and I messed it up.  But, live and learn.  I'll stick to shakes today and mushies tomorrow.  After that, chew, chew chew!

Debbie

You're not alone. My thinking function doesn't work very well when I'm having a crisis, either.

Hello, so we both are progressing about the same.  I had my surgery on august 8.  I had my first fill on the 20th last week, and I don't feel a difference.  I only have 2cc in my 10cc band.  I was sick at the beginning and don't ever want to feel like that again so all liquid was removed.  Now I wonder how a stuck feeling feels like, I havent had one.  I feel I can probably eat anything, but I haven't yet . I did eat some flower seeds, that seemed ok .  This week end I had a sopapilla, and yesterday I had a slice of toast.  Nether got me sick at all.  Now I wonder if a stuck feeling happens right away....which apparently it does from your story, right???  If I eat too much, I don't have a stuck feeling, I get a pain under by breast bone and after a few hours it goes away so I really don't know how much to eat yet.  I bet you have a tighter band than I, right??  Thanks for the insight.  Spike PL

Hi Spike.  It's nice to meet people that were banded around the same time.  I also ate toast for the first time yesterday.  No problem with that.  As I said, I've felt like I've been able to eat too much.  More than the 1/2 cup that is recommended per meal.  Of course less than I used to eat.  I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but I knew right away I was stuck.  It's hard to explain what I felt first.  Like a big ball in the bottom of my throat that refused to go down or come up.  But I just knew.  Trust me, the pain is unbearable!  I was having someone pound on my back, which seemed to feel good, but as soon as he stopped the pain was back.  I couldn't sit, only walk.  The minute I threw up, I felt 100% better.  If I eat too much or too fast I get the gas pains in my left shoulder.  Apparently I have 2cc's in my band.  I go back in 2 weeks so we'll see what they tell me.  When they tell you to chew, they mean it!  Old habits are hard to break, but that will make me think before I stuff a bite of something in my mouth and not chew it up!
Debbie 

it the beginning I had to eat saucy food ... like chicken with dips of bbq sauce or meat sauce sans noodles of course .. just as I got used to eating with the band and the amounts etc...

Now I can pretty much eat anything as long as I chew! chew! chew!

I probably had about 3 or 4 fills before I got stuck the first time. It is quite a shock. Teaches you about chewing. Before the band we only thought we were chewing and only thought we knew how to eat. Now we learn the hard way. And my back hurts too when I'm stuck.

I had alot of stuck eposodes. Its not fun neirther and one of mine was exactly with a roast pork the same exact thing you did I can't believe it. and then I gave the roast to my daughter. I didn't want to look at pork for awhile. I still have problems with dense meat and stay away from them for now. I'm 9 mos. out and always remind myself to stay concious when I eat to chew slowly and very well or else...good luck!!