I was banded on May 30 2013 and I been having a lot of problems with food getting stuck in my chest and it hurts. I have not had my first fill yet I am supposed to get it on the 10 th of July. Question 1: Is this normal ? Question 2: have I slipped ?

Food should not be getting stuck. You are either eating too quickly or not chewing enough or a combination of the two. Do you know whether or not they put in a fill at the time of surgery? Perhaps you are to tight. I would call the Doc and get some advice on that.

I think I have been eating to fast and maybe I'm not chewing as good as I should be. I'm not sure if my Dr. Put any fluids in during surgery or not. But thanks for the feedback and ill try slowing down and chewing more

A few tips to help chew slower that I practiced at home when I first went back to solids included eating with teaspoons/oyster fork, only serving a small portion, put the utensils down between mouthfuls, cutting up everything in small bites and chewing to a consistency that I could move around my mouth and between my teeth.

It is hard to retrain yourself to eat small bites and slow down, especially when rushed or distracted. So we have to create new rituals if you will to ensure that we do this by being mindful of these habits when we eat. Tools such as smaller plates, smaller utensils, putting forks down between bites are all good suggestions. But also try to other things like not eating when standing (it compels you to move around and do things like cleaning, putting things away, making calls etc), set the mood with some soft music to calm your nerves and to distract the mind (if you are like me who is constantly thinking of what needs to be done or have 3 kids making a ruckus thus making food chewing a nonpriority). Also sometimes if this just becomes a super hard habit to bust, try different cooking techniques. For example I find if I ground my meat it already helps with the first step of breaking down my meat. Cooking with water or even a light based tomato sauce helps with drier meats that have a tendency to be hard to pass. Finely chop veggies instead of eating them whole sized etc. Just anything that helps in case you continue to be forgetful

Sounds like you just need more practice with tiny bites and chewing. Take it very slow and don't ever try to wash down a stuck with liquids! You can do it, but I still forget sometimes after 20 months. We spent years with our old habits and forming new ones is always a challenge. Good luck. Definitely call your surgeon if you continue to have problems with smaller bites.