Question:
Is this normal?times it feels like it gets stuck

I am 2 months post op and have had no issues/complications until this past Friday. I eat or drink and sometimes everything is normal and other times it feels like it gets stuck right between my chest and saliva comes up and then I throw up a milky-creamy mucus. Sorry, I know that is gross. After this happens, I feel fine again. This just started but it isn't after every meal or drink, just sometimes. Any input? Thank you.    — Stephanie W. (posted on January 31, 2005)

January 31, 2005
I have had this happen four or five times since surgery- the first time was when I was at work! It seems to happen most with food with skins (like chicken or hot dogs)or if if I forget to chew and a big piece gets by. I think the exit from the stomach pouch gets blocked temporarily, and until it goes through or gets shifted, everything come back out the top. I have to agree it's very unpleasant. My advice is to see if there's one particular type of food that sems to cause the problem, and them be very careful when eating it. I have been taking the skins off everything and that helped - but I still had a couple of episodes when I took too big a bite or didn't chew enough.
   — Emily G.

January 31, 2005
It is normal as an early post-op to have these episodes. They will lessen the further out you get. In the meantime, slow down your eating and chew more thoroughly. Wait a moment or two between bites to see how the pouch reacts and if OK continue with the next bite. Sometimes you can even gage when to put down the fork totally. I can remember that at about 2 mo post-op, grilled salmon and hamburger did that to me. If you said it was happening after every meal, I'd say possibility of stricture but since its not happening all the time, take a look at what you are eating that is causing this to happen as compared with what you are eating where itdoesnt happen.
   — Cindy R.

January 31, 2005
I had this exact thing happen once, and only once since my surgery. I was about 2 months post-op, and I was eating lunch, the phone rang, and I quickly swallowed, after not chewing well enough. It was an urgent business call that I couldn't ask to return the call, and I couldn't let it be known what was happening to me. I stood in the kitchen, my head hanging over the sink, the mucuous frothing out of my mouth, conducting business, all because I didn't chew well enough before swallowing. The reason it has only happened once is because the phone can wait for me to finish chewing, my customer can leave a voicemail, my health and well-being comes first. I hope this helps. Good Luck and Congrats on your surgery!
   — Mysstical A.

January 31, 2005
This happened to me a lot at about 3 weeks after the surgery (surgery date 11/3) and I found out. There was never a rhyme or reason for it. Always something different... it was even happening with liquids. I called my surgeon and he said I probably had a stricture and that is what is was. I went and had an endoscopy done and they dilated my stoma. It was the size of a pencil eraser and is now 10mm. If you have to go that route... the endoscopy was painless, nothing to worry about. Good Luck!!
   — Splenderella

January 31, 2005
This happened to me about the same time. It didn't happen every time I ate but it lasted about a month, then stopped. I was told it's part of the healing process - it just doesn't happen to everyone. I am 1 1/2 years out and it never happened again. Hang in there!
   — GailV

February 1, 2005
This happened to me at about 8-10 weeks post op. Dr. Bolar scoped me and found out my stoma had developed a stricture which made it too small to pass most things out. I would feel really sick and then I had copious amounts of saliva which I would try to swallow, but ended up having to spit it out. I would try to vomit, but the only thing that would come up was foamy saliva. I called the office immediately and they told me what it probably was and had me come in. I did and they scheduled me for the EGD and sure enough, there was the stricture. From what I've read here and heard at the office, this is pretty common. It takes about 5 minutes for them to look and then if you're strictured, they open it with a balloon and you come home. Hope this helps...good luck and may God bless!! Kathy
   — Katherine F.