Clogging

Since I started on soft foods 1 week ago I've had 2 clogging episodes. Once with potatoes and the other with an egg. I've heard conflicting advice. You're not supposed to drink within 30 minutes prior, during, or within 30 minutes after eating. I've also heard that drinking when having a clogging episode can help the food move more easily. What have you heard?

I must admit looking at your subject line I thought you were talking about clogging as in folk dancing...lol. I had friends who were really into clogging in college.  

AaaaHahahahhaa... I thought the same thing !!

The reason you have heard conflicting advice is that sometimes drinking makes things worse if you have something stuck (causing pain) and sometimes it can help by washing it out of the pouch.  Sometimes it can also cause vomiting (which is good if it dislodges the food but misery if nothing but the water comes back up).

There is no reason to not drink for 30 minutes BEFORE eating, BTW.  If your surgeon still advocates it, I would ask him why.

My surgeons's number one rule was "protein first always" and her number two rule was "chew everything to mush".  Chewing everything to as close to applesauce consistency as possible will make it impossible to get anything stuck, will aid in digestion by having more saliva to start he process of breaking down food, and (allegedly) helps avoid constipation (I say allegedly because I have nothing but my surgeons's word on that... but I have had no more problems with constipation since surgery than I had before).

Lora

Thanks Lora! I think I'll ask him at my next appointment.

My care coordinator says the easiest thing to do is just wait it out. I haven't had an issue yet, but I'm only two weeks out.

In both cases potatoes and eggs you have to make sure they are not too dry. Make them sloppy. I mean put a little more milk in the potatoes if you are eating them mashed. Also use egg beaters with some milk in them. I can not do fried eggs to this day and I am over a year out. If it were not for egg beaters like products I could not have any eggs, they always seem to get stuck and make me sick, but I love eggs. This morning I had hash browns with egg beaters mixed in real yummy.

I had it happen too on Friday, 10 hours of pure pain.  I was almost to the point of goign to the ER.  Finally is passed, but ugh.  I am picking up some Papaya Enzymes as a just in case, although you'd better believe I learned a lesson!!!!

Try pineapple juice and walking, it always helps me.