I need some reassurance!

I had my first adjustment of 3cc's on Monday.

I was on a liquid diet for 36 hours and told to transition back through my diet slowly.

I am TERRIFIED of getting something stuck.  If something does get stuck is seeing the doctor the only way to get it unstuck or is it different for each person?

Gah!  I've wanted this for so long and now I'm afraid to use it! Haha.

Hello,
I was just banded on June2. My first fill I got 3 cc's. To be perfectly honest, I didn't even notice a difference. I could eat anything and everything. I'm definately not encouraging you to do that, but with talking to a lot of folks, it's common not to notice anything the first fill, or it loosens up rather quickly. You should still abide by all the recommendations of your dr. Eat slowly and learn the signs your body is giving you. You will know right away if something will not pass thru. Remember, chew, chew, chew, introduce soft foods and pay attention to how they feel, are they sitting there for a minute or can you not even feel it.

I have never had anything stuck, thank goodness, so i do not even know myself if you need to see the dr. I have read from several people that the way it become unstuck is to bring it back up....gross I know!!! I hope to never have to experience it, but it can happen.

Chew chew chew and eat slow!!! That is what I live by. Good luck!
Nikki

Congrats on your fill! First off, getting stuck is not the end of the world, YES it does hurt and is uncomfortable but it can fix itself with out having to go get you band unfilled but that depends on how badly you are stuck. Start slowly and gradually start eating things again. Just remember to chew chew chew and chances of getting stuck are a lot less. hope that helps

Thanks for the support everyone!

I'm sure I'll be calling next week for another adjustment but we will see.  I can see a different between yesterday and today.

Hey MissBrown,

I had 3 cc put in on Monday, August 24th, and I went back for another fill this past MOnday, 31st. Still no restriction, although if I don't chew well, I can feel that it could get stuck if I am not careful. But, I still have no restriction. Sarah did my fill the last time and since it was not done under fluoroscopy then they only put .5 cc in. So, I am at a total of 3.5 cc and no change.

I also think it depends on what you get stuck. Usually from what I have read and heard it will pass eventually. Also, someone said if you take papaya enzyme it actually helps the stuck episodes. Now, I am not sure about that, but that is just what I have heard. If you take really small bites and chew really well, it won't get stuck.

Good luck!!

Each person feels restrictions at different “fill" intervals. It may take person “A" only 2 cc and Person “B" may need 6. There is no set amount.

 

The best way a Doctor can tell you have the correct restriction is if they do the fill under fluoroscope. But remember, even with fluoroscope, restriction can be fleeting because the more weight you lose, the stomach shrinks, and as a result the band becomes looser (think of it as a belt. You may be on a hole on your belt and it hold up your pants – but if you lose more weight, you would need to readjust that hole)

 

As for getting stuck .. my motto is “If you never had a stuck issue, you’re not a band patient". It WILL happen – but there are things to prevent it. Make sure your portions are the size you would feed a baby (not baby Rhino); CHEW !! CHEW !! CHEW !! CHEW !! CHEW !!  (did I mention CHEW??!?!), wait a minute between bites; if you do feel like you do have a little “blockage" STOP EATING !!! (I can’t tell you how many times I think having more food will help ‘push’ it down. Each time I think that, I am proven WRONG !!).

 

If you do have a stuck episode, here is a few things to try: (1) Be patient. It may take several minutes for it to work its way through, (2) Stand UP and WALK. This sometimes helps (3) DON’T DRINK – even if you want too (ok, some folks say a sip helps, but it never has for me) (4) Accept that you will need to bring it up. If nothing else works, this will occur. .. In those RARE SEVERE CASES I have heard that sipping: 4 oz water with 1 teaspoon of meat tenderizer, pineapple juice, having papaya enzyme will unstuck it. I have never tried it.

I'm going to be going in for another fill soon as well.  Dr. G was in the room but Sarah did my fill as well.  I'm going to see about getting my next fill done under fluro (depending upon my insurance) so that we don't have to play the guessing game and can hopefully get pretty close to where I need to be.

Well, most likely it will happen at one point or another.  For me, it usually happens when I haven't had anything to eat most of the day and I am hungry and I try eating too fast.  Or, if we are in a hurry....So, if you can always sit down and remember to go slow you should be okay....

Good Luck!

i have found that drinking some hot tea works little tiny sips...also stretching my left arm up as high  or far back/high i can get it will make the stuck go thru.....just try tiny tiny tiny bites until you figure out what you can handle(food wise) somethings get stuck others don;t.
good luck
lori

Thank you for all the comments/suggestions.  I know it WILL most likely happen at one point or another and that is isn't the end of the world - just something I want to avoid if at all possible (like we all do).

I'm going to pick up some meat tenderizer and papaya enzyme to keep on hand - anything else I should add to that list?

I'm really glad I had my surgery (I have never doubted that) but I feel so overwhelmed right now with all the things that I have to keep in mind to prevent my band from slipping, stretching the pouch, etc.
I know part of it is just that it's all new to me and after doing it for a few months it'll just be habit.