my band has started working over the past month - after 5 months of waiting for it to kick in. But I had a horrible experience yesterday.

I spent 10 days in Ireland on holiday and had 2 eggs for Breakfast everyday and salmon and baked potatoes every night, and nothing else, and felt pleased to have stuck to my gastric band diet plan so well, with the help of the B&B landlady.

On my last day, I was waiting for a transport connection to Cork port to get a boat to England. I went for a Chinese for the first time in a long time.

I ordered Kungpao chicken and rice. They brought a huge plate - a plate that would once have failed to satisfy me - but I could only eat two spoonfuls. I had to leave nearly all of it, but I had stuffed the 2 spoonfuls in knowing I needed to get a taxi to the port within 20 minutes. I felt like it was stuck and wanted to be sick.

But I got in the taxi - and after repeatedly trying to keep the food down by breathing carefully, I had to ask the taxi driver to stop on the side of the road for me to be sick. Wasn't I embarrassed! I felt much better after vomiting though...

Is it possible that a long period of keeping to the right food for the band has caused my band to tighten slightly?

I've heard of people having problems with rice after being banded- I believe it expands and causes it to get stuck.

Doesn't sound like your band was suddenly too tight though I have heard of traveling causing that.

You said yourself you stuffed the 2 bites down perhaps in your rush you didn't chew the chicken well and it came back up.

I've read it happens to the best banders every once in a while.

Doesn't seem like it's anything to be worried about just be careful from now on perhaps you should have asked for a take out container and took your time taking a few bites and chewing well in the taxi.

I hope you feel better.

rice will do it to you.....

I was told no rice by my surgeon

I've also heard that stress can make the band feel tighter. If you were feeling rushed and stressed instead of relaxed, that might have done it.

And yeah- it just happens sometimes. Sucks, too! I've had to excuse myself at a restaurant to go try to throw up (quietly in a public restaurant.) Good times- NOT!

I really think eating in a rush probably did it to you. Small bite of rice haven't bothered me - though I don't eat much of it. The few times I've pb'ed, it's been when I was in a hurry, or eating on the road with others and trying to finish when they did. I would end up paying for it. Many times when you're in a hurry, your not as mindful of what you are doing, how fast your eating, or how big of bites your taking, or you just eat the wrong things because they are convenient or the menu is limited. So, just be cautious when you are rushing and maybe have some healthy snacks packed in case of times like this. But just to be cautious, take it easy the next time you try rice and eat it slowly in small bites.

Oh so many possible culprits here... Generally speaking, I'm tighter when I travel. I think its because I'm not as good about getting all my water in and dehydration causes my band to feel tighter. But, rushing a meal or even just feeling stressed while eating can do it to me too. In any case, I wouldn't worry about it. Everyone gets stuck and sick once in awhile. Its part of the learning process.