For Orthodox Jews

[isit5yet 37]

Thanks! Nice to meet you too! I have a feeling that link is no longer valid or people aren't on it since this thread is over a year old. I see you're new to the site; are you just beginning the process (pre-surgery)? I hope all is going well, and feel free to ask on this site any questions you have. You'll find most people are excellent supporters on here

[need2lose2 10]

It's truly a shame that it's not around anymore. Would've been nice to have that available......

Yes, i'm at the beginning stages before surgery. I already have cardio clearance, blood work, and psych clearance. Have appts this week for the pulmonary clearance. Second nutrition appt is in the beg of Sept. I just have to find a support group here in Rockland County, NY (my surgeon is in Westchester and while they have a support group, it's only in the evening when traffic the worst) and then i'm done with all the tests and clearances.

I'm very nervous about the whole decision to do this. One day i get excited and then the next day i'll read some posts about vomiting and getting stuck, and i start questioning if this is right for me.....

[isit5yet 37]

I know it's scary reading the posts of people with complications, but it's really good to go in with you eyes wide open. One thing I've found is that the band is different for everyone. It's just the complexity of the band and our bodies. I questioned the decision all the way up to surgery date. Now, I don't regret it at all!

I'm one of those people who can eat anything, just in much smaller portions, and it's all about what I choose to eat. chicken, steak, rice, Pasta, toasted bread.. anything. Some people can't eat these at all without getting stuck. I'm of the mindset that if I had a food or an an entire food group or food I couldn't eat, I'd fixate on that and get pretty depressed. However, it's super tough to chose lean Protein over Pasta. I have PCOS and try to stick to a higher Protein diet.

About throwing up, I haven't thrown up since my surgery. I've actually feared throwing up most of my life. When I do have stuck moments, I don't freak out and vomit. I just close my eyes, take deep breaths, chew some papaya enzyme tablets or room temp pineapple juice and keep calm until it passes.

[need2lose2 10]

I know it's scary reading the posts of people with complications, but it's really good to go in with you eyes wide open. One thing I've found is that the band is different for everyone. It's just the complexity of the band and our bodies. I questioned the decision all the way up to surgery date. Now, I don't regret it at all!

I'm one of those people who can eat anything, just in much smaller portions, and it's all about what I choose to eat. chicken, steak, rice, Pasta, toasted bread.. anything. Some people can't eat these at all without getting stuck. I'm of the mindset that if I had a food or an an entire food group or food I couldn't eat, I'd fixate on that and get pretty depressed. However, it's super tough to chose lean Protein over Pasta. I have PCOS and try to stick to a higher Protein diet.

About throwing up, I haven't thrown up since my surgery. I've actually feared throwing up most of my life. When I do have stuck moments, I don't freak out and vomit. I just close my eyes, take deep breaths, chew some papaya enzyme tablets or room temp pineapple juice and keep calm until it passes.

Thank you. Feeling better. I know i'll keep questioning this whole ordeal till the very last second. When the weight comes off, i'll be happy........what i'm struggling with is can i adapt this lifestyle for the rest of my life?

I am the same way with food. If you restrict something from me, i'd think about it all day long, every day, and then get depressed that i can't eat it. Having said that, i know i need to change my whole outlook on food (as much as i love it) and the way i deal with it. I am every kind of eater there is. I am definately an emotional eater but i also like the different textures and bites i get from food.

So, when a food gets stuck, is it safe to assume that the food will pass through the band but at a much slower pace? What does it feel like and can you drink somethng to help it go down?

[isit5yet 37]

Thank you. Feeling better. I know i'll keep questioning this whole ordeal till the very last second. When the weight comes off, i'll be happy........what i'm struggling with is can i adapt this lifestyle for the rest of my life?

I am the same way with food. If you restrict something from me, i'd think about it all day long, every day, and then get depressed that i can't eat it. Having said that, i know i need to change my whole outlook on food (as much as i love it) and the way i deal with it. I am every kind of eater there is. I am definately an emotional eater but i also like the different textures and bites i get from food.

So, when a food gets stuck, is it safe to assume that the food will pass through the band but at a much slower pace? What does it feel like and can you drink somethng to help it go down?

I ask the same question about my ability to do this my whole life, too. It does get easier as I go on. I'll be really honest, the first week after surgery I completely broke down when it was super obvious how addicted to food I was. I'm kind of a control freak, so in a weird way, what got me out of the funk was realizing how much I could control now. For example, I eat around 1200 calories a day, and I get to chose how I complete that. I identified very early on all the way I can sabotage myself: eating sliders, drinking while eating, etc. After identifying those behaviors, I then knew what to stay away from. There is a great amount of control with that, which I love. I think as the weight comes off, it becomes easier, so I think less about even having a band. It just becomes a part of my life.

I'm with you on the type of eater I am... emotional, comfort, boredom, the fact that something is delicious. I will say that there are a few foods that I specifically used for comfort that I still stay away from: These include Chinese food and triscuits w/ sliced cheese. Sounds odd, huh? I mean, who gets addicted to triscuits and cheese? Me, I love salty foods. The Chinese food is a big issue. I stay away from it not that I think I'll binge, I can't do that physically anymore, I'm afraid I'll miss it, miss not being able to eat a lot, or worse - I'll realize I CAN eat more than I'm comfortable with and then start eating it to comfort again. So, I keep it simple and stay away from it.

I grew up in a family who uses food for comfort, so visiting my parents in S Florida is a little scary. I'll be doing that in 6 weeks.

Getting stuck, there are two types of "stuck" from what I've seen: A painful, overfull feeling and then a complete obstruction. I have not experienced an obstruction, and I guess this is where people end up vomiting. This can happen when a bite taken is too big, not chewed well enough, or the food is too dry (e.g.- saliva doesn't break it down enough). I've heard people have problems with chicken because it is a drier meat, and gets really dry when reheated. I do watch out that I don't reheat leftovers where they dry out too much.

I've experienced the overfull kind of stuck a few times, and every time was my fault. I took 1 or 2 more bites than I should have. I kick myself every time it happens. For me, I feel very full, and can't take a deep breath. I haven't slimmed or PB. I also get pain in my left shoulder from the phrenic nerve. My pouch gets too full, presses on my diaphragm (causing the difficulty taking a deep breath), and the phrenic nerve is also pinched equaling left shoulder pain. You'll experience the left shoulder pain after the laparoscopic surgery to get then band when the Dr inflates the abdominal area with gas to have room to operate. Papaya enzyme and pineapple juice help digest the food quicker, which help relieve the pain. Actually, if I can get one good burp, then I'm ok. Gross, I know The food then eventually passes through, but I can't do anything more than sip liquids during this time. Warm liquids help too.

I've seen people say on here that their doctor suggests taking a few swigs of soda when this happens, because the carbonation/chemicals in the soda will break down the food OR the carbonation will force the patient to vomit. I don't like the principle behind this, so I don't try it. It's gross that soda is so corrosive to digest food, and I don't want to vomit and put myself at risk for a band slip.

You don't want to get used to drinking to force the food down, because that will empty the pouch and you'll feel hungry again. Trust me, once you get a stuck feeling, if you ever do, you'll do whatever you can to not experience that again.

[Dyros 32]

Is anyone still on this group?

[LessIsMo 2]

I'm newly banded. We should start this thread back up again though!

[Dyros 32]

Do we have to keep taking our Vitamins over Pesach?

[Unclechaz 90]

I guess I will try and start this back up after 3 years...

[Dyros 32]

2 hours ago, Unclechaz said:

I guess I will try and start this back up after 3 years...

I’m in !

[mousecat88 2,279]

I am not Orthodox, but I always believed there was an exception to fasting holidays if you have a medical condition that requires you to eat/drink/take medications.

[Unclechaz 90]

I’m in !

Hey.

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[GreenTealael 24,905]

Following 💙

[CS2020 2]

Hi all. I just got my lap band abt 3 weeks ago and I'm still learning all that my new stomach has to say. I've created a support group for orthodox jews on Facebook and hope that everyone will join. It's called BSOJ-Bariatric Support for Orthodox Jews.