So I am doing my pre-op diet right now and so far so good (amazingly) but I have a ton of questions so here they are and there will be more.

1. How big of a piece of food can get stuck in the belt. I know we aren't supposed to eat rice but could something the size of a grain of rice get stuck?
2. If something gets stuck do I have to go to the Dr. right away or wait and see what happens?
3. What can I do to help myself if something is stuck? What should I NOT do?
4. When I sip water how long do I have to wait in between sips? How much liquid qualifies as a sip? If I take too big of a sip what will happen?
5. I have been practicing chewing and my jaw is so sore. Will that stop eventually?
6. What causes an erosion at the band area? Is there anything that I can do to avoid that?
7. If I bump my port on something will it hurt?
8. What are some ideas for bevarages to get my water intake but still have flavor?
9. What are some good tasting protein drinks or recipies for them?
   Thanks so much you guys!

Congratulations on almost being banded! I am going to share my personal experiences with the questions you have posed:

How big of a piece of food can get stuck in the belt. I know we aren't supposed to eat rice but could something the size of a grain of rice get stuck?

different foods might get stuck for one person and not another. Generally a grain of rice will not get stuck, however if you eat too much at one time it will more than likely become a "gummy" consistency and get stuck. Other foods that are likey to get stuck no matter how much you chew them are, fruits like oranges and pineapple that have a stringy texture, fiberous vegetables like broccoli or celery, and soft breads.

<LI>If something gets stuck do I have to go to the Dr. right away or wait and see what happens?

If something gets stuck, you will know it right away! It becomes kind of hard to breathe and you will "slime" which is the action your body takes to try and help move the food down. What this slime ends up doing is sitting on top of the stuck food and causing an intense pressure, not painful...but not pleasant! Do NOT try to drink anything to help it down, it will add even more pressure. If something stays stuck for a long period of time, definitely call your doctor!

<LI>What can I do to help myself if something is stuck? What should I NOT do?Personally, I go to the bathroom and bend over the toilet and try to force the stuck food up. Usually I just try to make a hard burp type motion and it will come up on its own. The first time you get stuck, you will know exactly what I mean by that. When someone with the band "throws up" the food has not mixed with the stomach acid yet so it pretty much tastes the same coming up as it did going down. After you burp it up...you will feel MUCH better!

<LI>When I sip Water how long do I have to wait in between sips? How much liquid qualifies as a sip? If I take too big of a sip what will happen?

You don't have to wait very long, maybe a few seconds. A sip is just a regular drinking sip, nothing too small. If you take too big of a sip you will know it immediately. It will cause a pressure in the middle of your chest (where the band actually sits.) Usually it will go down by itself, but if you are GULPING a drink...it will more than likely come up on it's own. It won't take you very long to figure out what a sip is to you. Remember: after every fill you have, the size of your bite of food or sip of drink can change drastically... so be very careful after fills. Something that you could eat just fine before your fill, you might not be able to eat afterwards. It won't take you very long to find out what your new "normal" will be.

<LI>I have been practicing chewing and my jaw is so sore. Will that stop eventually?

This is COMPLETELY normal! You are working your jaw harder than it is used to, just like any other muscle...it will become stronger and won't be sore when you are eating. You can practice this until you are blue in the face, but you won't be able to judge each bite and sip until you actually have the band. I would say...enjoy being able to eat "normally" because as soon as you get your band, it will change!

<LI>What causes an erosion at the band area? Is there anything that I can do to avoid that?

Speak with your doctor on this issue, the things that I know that can cause band erosion are: Non steroidal anti-inflamatory medications such as Advil, asprin and aleeve (there are more on the list, your doctor should provide you with this.) The only OTC pain killer you can take is Tylenol because it is much easier on the stomach. Sodas will not cause band slippage.

<LI>If I bump my port on something will it hurt?A few weeks after the surgery you will be very aware of the port, but after it heals and you get used to it-it shouldn't hurt. The only thing that is slightly uncomfortable for me, is when my dog walks on me and puts her paw right on the port. It doesn't hurt...it just feels weird. You will be able to do day to day activities without any problems.

<LI>What are some ideas for bevarages to get my water intake but still have flavor?

Crystal light, flavored water and those flavor packets that you can add to your water bottle are all great alternatives to plain water. I cannot stand the taste of water by itself, luckily there are TONS of flavors out there to choose from.

<LI>What are some good tasting Protein drinks or recipies for them? Thanks so much you guys!

I only use Protein shakes when I'm in the thick liquid stage after surgery or fills. I like Carnation instant Breakfast packets mixed with milk and keep a whey Protein powder on hand that you can add to virtually anything to get more protein. I add a scoop to the instant breakfast drink (I mix it with the powder before adding milk to prevent the protein powder from getting chunky when I mix it.) You won't want to use Protein Drinks when you are in the solid food stage because it will only add tons of extra calories...you will want to eat your nutrients rather than drink them.

I hope this helps some. Like I said, this is my personal experience...if you have any medical questions definitely speak with your doctor. Good luck!!!!

How big of a piece of food can get stuck in the belt. I know we aren't supposed to eat rice but could something the size of a grain of rice get stuck?

I have no trouble eating any food. The only thing that has ever gotten stuck? Baby carrots. I was really hungry and ate them to fast. I disagree that being stuck is not painful. I thought it was very painful. But unlink others it pasted within a couple minutes not hours.

When I sip Water how long do I have to wait in between sips? How much liquid qualifies as a sip? If I take too big of a sip what will happen?

After you're healed from surgery you can drink water as fast as you want. I am nearly at restriction and even now I just get a slight slowness in the water going down like a stuck drain. And that's if I chug water.

I have been practicing chewing and my jaw is so sore. Will that stop eventually?

I would'nt bother practicing a million chews. I find cutting my food up into small pieces is fine. If the food is in a small piece you don't have to chew for 30 seconds. Most of us are used to taking huge bites. If you stop doing that you should be fine.

If I bump my port on something will it hurt?

After you've healed you don't even notice it's there.

What are some ideas for bevarages to get my water intake but still have flavor?

Chrystal Light, Diet decaf Ice tea, Morning cup regular coffee (no milk no suger I use splendra) decaf rest of the day.

What are some good tasting Protein drinks or recipies for them?

I use Dymatize Elite vanilla 114 cal Protein 24 g and Gold Standard double chocolate 120 cal 24 Protein 24 g. I find pricingt at Vitamin Shoppe to be better than GNC (even with their buy one get one free sales). They will also exchange if you don't like the powder you bought. Run a google search for Protein shake recipes and look for ones written for weight loss surgery. PreOp most doctors don't want you adding bananas or other fruit or Peanut Butter because of the calories. I highly recommend a Hamilton Beach personal blender. I freeze Milk cubes and add ice cubes to give the shake a frosty texture. Other things I add include Suger/fat free pudding powder, Davinchi suger free syrups, splendra (people like Carnation Instant Breakfast because of the Splendra so you might as well add it to real protein powder so it tastes good).

Premier Brand from costco is really good 160 cal 30 g Protein.

I am new to this site, I have found the answers to her questions were wonderful and very informative to me as well. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Congratulations on almost being banded! I am going to share my personal experiences with the questions you have posed:

How big of a piece of food can get stuck in the belt. I know we aren't supposed to eat rice but could something the size of a grain of rice get stuck?

different foods might get stuck for one person and not another. Generally a grain of rice will not get stuck, however if you eat too much at one time it will more than likely become a "gummy" consistency and get stuck. Other foods that are likey to get stuck no matter how much you chew them are, fruits like oranges and pineapple that have a stringy texture, fiberous vegetables like broccoli or celery, and soft breads.

<LI>If something gets stuck do I have to go to the Dr. right away or wait and see what happens?

If something gets stuck, you will know it right away! It becomes kind of hard to breathe and you will "slime" which is the action your body takes to try and help move the food down. What this slime ends up doing is sitting on top of the stuck food and causing an intense pressure, not painful...but not pleasant! Do NOT try to drink anything to help it down, it will add even more pressure. If something stays stuck for a long period of time, definitely call your doctor!

<LI>What can I do to help myself if something is stuck? What should I NOT do?Personally, I go to the bathroom and bend over the toilet and try to force the stuck food up. Usually I just try to make a hard burp type motion and it will come up on its own. The first time you get stuck, you will know exactly what I mean by that. When someone with the band "throws up" the food has not mixed with the stomach acid yet so it pretty much tastes the same coming up as it did going down. After you burp it up...you will feel MUCH better!

<LI>When I sip Water how long do I have to wait in between sips? How much liquid qualifies as a sip? If I take too big of a sip what will happen?

You don't have to wait very long, maybe a few seconds. A sip is just a regular drinking sip, nothing too small. If you take too big of a sip you will know it immediately. It will cause a pressure in the middle of your chest (where the band actually sits.) Usually it will go down by itself, but if you are GULPING a drink...it will more than likely come up on it's own. It won't take you very long to figure out what a sip is to you. Remember: after every fill you have, the size of your bite of food or sip of drink can change drastically... so be very careful after fills. Something that you could eat just fine before your fill, you might not be able to eat afterwards. It won't take you very long to find out what your new "normal" will be.

<LI>I have been practicing chewing and my jaw is so sore. Will that stop eventually?

This is COMPLETELY normal! You are working your jaw harder than it is used to, just like any other muscle...it will become stronger and won't be sore when you are eating. You can practice this until you are blue in the face, but you won't be able to judge each bite and sip until you actually have the band. I would say...enjoy being able to eat "normally" because as soon as you get your band, it will change!

<LI>What causes an erosion at the band area? Is there anything that I can do to avoid that?

Speak with your doctor on this issue, the things that I know that can cause band erosion are: Non steroidal anti-inflamatory medications such as Advil, asprin and aleeve (there are more on the list, your doctor should provide you with this.) The only OTC pain killer you can take is Tylenol because it is much easier on the stomach. Sodas will not cause band slippage.

<LI>If I bump my port on something will it hurt?A few weeks after the surgery you will be very aware of the port, but after it heals and you get used to it-it shouldn't hurt. The only thing that is slightly uncomfortable for me, is when my dog walks on me and puts her paw right on the port. It doesn't hurt...it just feels weird. You will be able to do day to day activities without any problems.

<LI>What are some ideas for bevarages to get my water intake but still have flavor?

Crystal light, flavored water and those flavor packets that you can add to your water bottle are all great alternatives to plain water. I cannot stand the taste of water by itself, luckily there are TONS of flavors out there to choose from.

<LI>What are some good tasting Protein drinks or recipies for them? Thanks so much you guys!

I only use protein shakes when I'm in the thick liquid stage after surgery or fills. I like Carnation instant breakfast packets mixed with milk and keep a whey protein powder on hand that you can add to virtually anything to get more protein. I add a scoop to the instant breakfast drink (I mix it with the powder before adding milk to prevent the protein powder from getting chunky when I mix it.) You won't want to use protein drinks when you are in the solid food stage because it will only add tons of extra calories...you will want to eat your nutrients rather than drink them.

I hope this helps some. Like I said, this is my personal experience...if you have any medical questions definitely speak with your doctor. Good luck!!!!

Great questions!

Thank IOU so much for the questions and the answers. They have helped me also,