Can someone please describe to me what happens if we swallow something that's not sufficiently chewed or otherwise won't pass a band at all?

This was the closest I've come to understanding what happens:

Wishful Shrinking: PB isn't Peanut Butter in LapBand World

but she doesn't describe whether the food eventually went down or came up. It sounds painful whatever happened.

Can someone describe in frank graphic detail what I should expect? I assume it'll happen at least once in my life. I'd like to know what to expect beforehand.

Is it vomit/burping? I expect it's not as traumatic as normal vomiting because it hasn't been mixed with gastric acid and partially digested.

Can one induce PB if one feels in trouble like that woman did? Or does the body pretty much do everything it needs to in its own time?

Thanks!

I will start producing slime to the point I have to spit it out. I have excused myself and went to the bathroom. Usually for me, it just comes back up and I get rid of it then and I'm done. It helps for me to get up and move around. I will tear up, runny nose and lots of slime. You can't swallow because there is no where for it to go. Doesn't take too many of those lessons before you learn. That was always my biggest fear before banding but the stories I think are scarier than they really are. For me, it's not like when you get sick. I have time to get up and go to the bathroom. Just don't ask me to talk though.

Very, very useful. You definitely took some of the scary aspect away for me. I was envisioning honest to goodness vomiting and heaving.

Would it help to carry around a paper napkin until I start to learn what I'm capable of, or is there too much slime for a paper napkin?

Thank you *so* much for replying. This is the one thing I'm a little nervous about, and it feels better facing it, knowing, rather than having not a clue what to expect.

I'm going to assume it's kind of like falling off a motorcycle -- everyone has to do it a couple of times to learn it's not something you want to happen on a regular basis, so you live (hopefully unscathed) and you learn.

Personally if I don't chew well enough, I have to throw it up or it will be quite painful for me.

Hey Amy,

My procedure with with Dr. Ren, the wife of the person who did your procedure. :thumbup:

When you say "throw it up," do you mean like the kind of throwing up you do when you have a stomach virus or too much alcohol?

And does it come up on its own? How quickly between eating the food does throwing it up happen? Is it like a few seconds? A few minutes? Half an hour?

That's great :thumbup: I love Dr. Ren! Usually I wait a little while, and within 15 mins if it is not too painful and still doesn't go down on it's own, I just have to throw it up. It is similar to regular throwing up...only it is just undigested food, so it isn't quite as gross....but still not pleasant!! Unfortunately, it doesn't always come up on it's own...gross I know. But everyone is different....some people "slime", which I personally have never done. Lapband is very individualized...

Very useful info. Thank you!

From your profile I see that you spent a day in the hospital after your procedure.

My insurance authorized me one day in the hospital, but my current plan is for my wife and mom to drive me home the same day of the procedure, if I feel up to it.

How did you feel after you were fully awake from anesthesia? Did you feel well enough to walk? Sit up at a desk? Or were you pretty knocked out that first day?

I assume that everything about our procedure will be the same.

Actually, I'll tell you what finally got me to go down the LB route. It was your doctor, Dr. Fielding. I was watching his videos, and he's a pretty fit and trim guy. Looks FANTASTIC for his age.

There was this one point where Dr. Fielding is talking about the adjustability and he says something like "... and when I had my Lap Band put in ... " and I did a double-take when he said that.

After hearing that, I immediately signed up for the NYU info-session. LOL.

Dr. Ren said that occasionally he'll want to skip dinner to do something else and she's like "What about me? I'm hungry!" :-)

Dr. Fielding is amazing :thumbup: I was also in awe that he had the Lapband also...

I felt fine immediately after the procedure and was walking within the hour...honestly it was my first surgery and was a super easy recovery for me. Only took two doses of the pain meds given to me. I am sure you will do great!!