What Does It Feel Like To Be Stuck....

[amandacoop 6]

Everyone keeps telling me I will know it when it happens, but I am not so sure. I have always had a really high pain tolerance, I did not take any of the pain meds after my the first night of my surgery for any of my three c sections or my lap band. I had lap band on 3/13/12 and the first fill on 4/27, and I somewhat frequently get uncomfortable about 30 minutes after a meal, but not always, and I was under the impression that you would feel it right away if you were stuck. I have not been able to isolate anything that makes it happen or does not make it happen. It feels a little tightness in my chest but not bad. There have been a couple of occasions when it was REALLY uncomfortable early on after surgery and again after the first fill, that felt like a golf ball in my throat, but again it was at least 30 minutes AFTER a meal. I have never felt tempted to throw anything up. I do have an urge to burp a little during it, but nothing that I would call a PB. If this is what getting stuck is, then I am getting stuck way more than I should, but also, then I would say getting stuck isn't all that bad for me. I wonder if I am just eating too much in general and this is what the new overfull feels like for me, though it doesn't seem very consistent to happen after a certain quantity of food. I want to go get another fill, but not if I am actually getting stuck this much, my suspicion is that this is not being stuck, but something different.

What does being stuck feel like for you? How do you know if you are overfull? If you have had the golfball feeling, do you know what caused it? And has anyone felt stuck but not until at least 30 minutes after eating?

[Dibley Dawn 84]

try eating a big enough bite of something and not chewing it well and i promise you will know what being stuck feels like.

it's very uncomfortable and not something i would try to do on purpose. just chew, chew, chew and you may never know the feeling.

[NWgirl 574]

The delayed response you're talking about is eating too much too fast. Stuck is something you would know instantly if it happened. For me, it is a painful feeling in the throat caused by not properly chewing your food. It can also be painful to draw a few breaths immediately.

Whatever you do, don't drink if you get this feeling. get up, walk around and it will go away.

[ilikebunnies 48]

The delayed response you're talking about is eating too much too fast. Stuck is something you would know instantly if it happened. For me, it is a painful feeling in the throat caused by not properly chewing your food. It can also be painful to draw a few breaths immediately.

Whatever you do, don't drink if you get this feeling. get up, walk around and it will go away.

What happens if you drink when it happens?

[NWgirl 574]

The liquid either comes back up or you feel like you can't breath. I haven't had the first happen, but did experience the second and it was not fun.

[amandacoop 6]

So far, nothing happens when I drink if I get this feeling, the feeling doesn't go away, it doesn't get worse, and it doesn't get better. ( I'm talking about the delayed response pressure golf ball in the throat feeling) but I have heard if you are stuck and you drink to try to wash it down, it can just get jammed worse.

[Ashleigh Childress 16]

I've only had one episode of feeling tuck and ending up having to excuse myself to the bathroom. For me, I felt panicked and like there was a huge lump/ball of food half way down my esophagus. It hurt so bad. I couldn't talk or anything. That only happened once and it was because I was eating too fast and didn't chew my food good enough.

Sounds like you are Doing everything right.

Banded 4/17. 10cc band.

1st fill 5/16 1.5 ccs. No restriction.

2nd fill today 6/4. 1.5 ccs

3 Total ccs.

18 lbs lost.

[Ashleigh Childress 16]

I've only had one episode of feeling tuck and ending up having to excuse myself to the bathroom. For me, I felt panicked and like there was a huge lump/ball of food half way down my esophagus. It hurt so bad. I couldn't talk or anything. That only happened once and it was because I was eating too fast and didn't chew my food good enough.

Sounds like you are Doing everything right.

Banded 4/17. 10cc band.

1st fill 5/16 1.5 ccs. No restriction.

2nd fill today 6/4. 1.5 ccs

3 Total ccs.

18 lbs lost.

[ilikebunnies 48]

The liquid either comes back up or you feel like you can't breath. I haven't had the first happen, but did experience the second and it was not fun.

This is good to know!

[elcee 3,343]

As the others have said you WILL KNOW when you get stuck. The pain is indescribable especially the first time. It feels like you are having a heart attack.

[judych 225]

Everyone keeps telling me I will know it when it happens, but I am not so sure. I have always had a really high pain tolerance, I did not take any of the pain meds after my the first night of my surgery for any of my three c sections or my lap band. I had lap band on 3/13/12 and the first fill on 4/27, and I somewhat frequently get uncomfortable about 30 minutes after a meal, but not always, and I was under the impression that you would feel it right away if you were stuck. I have not been able to isolate anything that makes it happen or does not make it happen. It feels a little tightness in my chest but not bad. There have been a couple of occasions when it was REALLY uncomfortable early on after surgery and again after the first fill, that felt like a golf ball in my throat, but again it was at least 30 minutes AFTER a meal. I have never felt tempted to throw anything up. I do have an urge to burp a little during it, but nothing that I would call a PB. If this is what getting stuck is, then I am getting stuck way more than I should, but also, then I would say getting stuck isn't all that bad for me. I wonder if I am just eating too much in general and this is what the new overfull feels like for me, though it doesn't seem very consistent to happen after a certain quantity of food. I want to go get another fill, but not if I am actually getting stuck this much, my suspicion is that this is not being stuck, but something different.

What does being stuck feel like for you? How do you know if you are overfull? If you have had the golfball feeling, do you know what caused it? And has anyone felt stuck but not until at least 30 minutes after eating?

i dont have to wait 30 minutes to know im stuck. but, probably about ten minutes . it feels like the food is churning around, just like a washing machine, and it tends to come back up the esophagus. thats when i gulp, trying to get it to settle. i take in air when i do this and it makes things worse. it feels painful, and i can feel every spasm of the pouch as it tries to empty. ive had quite a few episodes of PBs. two of vomiting. not nice.(it helps when i can burp )

i know when ive had enough top eat because the pain in my shoulder and neck .. left hand side, comes on. Im still battling with eating too much on my spoon, eating too quickly sometimes and i suspect i need to eat even less than now. at the moment im having about a cup full of food per meal.

[amandacoop 6]

Based on what you are saying judych I think that I am probably not getting stuck but rather overfull. I know I eat too quickly, and when I get another fill I will have to be more careful with smaller bites. I don't really feel like I've needed to be all that careful with my eating, since things seem to be going down just fine. I too am at about a cup of food but looking at getting a second fill really soon. I was losing really well, 2 lbs each week for a while, then about 4 weeks ago kind of plateaued for three weeks and then this week down 4, but I doubled my exercise routine to try to break the plateau. I probably should get back on board with MFP for logging meals, to see if there's something sneaking in that I am not paying attention to.

[judych 225]

Based on what you are saying judych I think that I am probably not getting stuck but rather overfull. I know I eat too quickly, and when I get another fill I will have to be more careful with smaller bites. I don't really feel like I've needed to be all that careful with my eating, since things seem to be going down just fine. I too am at about a cup of food but looking at getting a second fill really soon. I was losing really well, 2 lbs each week for a while, then about 4 weeks ago kind of plateaued for three weeks and then this week down 4, but I doubled my exercise routine to try to break the plateau. I probably should get back on board with MFP for logging meals, to see if there's something sneaking in that I am not paying attention to.

i know how hard it is to get established with new eating habits. Im sure that you, like me, are getting there. WE cant expect a lifetime of eating habits to be completely conquered in such a short time... i know that its taking time with me. i guess im still in the early days of understanding the unique way my body is working now, as well as persevering with eating smaller bites and being a lot slower.

one of the reasons i have issues with food getting stuck is that im eating too quickly. Apart from that, when i eat fish i just cant seem to process it through the pouch... so its really painful and not nice at all. All of this in just two months? lol. a steep learning curve for me... and im sure for you as well.

IM due for my second fill on the 20th june. this is going to be interesting for me. I have much the same issues as you. But, having said all this, we will get there eventually. good luck.