Hello there...

I'm a new member entering my third week post surgery. So far things are going very well. Slow and steady weight loss, no issues with recovery or subsequent diet but of course I knew that I'm going to screw things us somehow - it was just too easy ...

So today. first day back at work, had some lunch of chicken salad and afterward some gum to cleanse my palette and long and behold I've .... swallowed the gum! Now what, any ideas how it's going to affect me? What am i to expect? Blockage, potential leak? I am freaking out ...

I figured I'll reach out to the community before contacting my NUT or surgeon ... so far it's been about 20 minutes and I'm ok ... just feel like I have something stuck in my throat.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

-d

I think the reason they don't want you to chew gum at first is that for the first few weeks at least your stomach is so swollen, the opening is about the size of a coffee stirrer. So theoretically, gum could clog up that opening if swallowed. However, if you've already swallowed it and you are fine, plus the nurse said not to worry, I think you are in the clear.

That question was asked of a doctor at our support group. After ripping the lady who asked a new one for chewing gum in the first place, he told her to go on a liquid diet for 3 days so her system would "focus" on the gum. He said cold liquids were better than warm because it kept the gum hard. He didn't send her to the hospital or anything so it must not have been life threatening! Good luck!

in my post surgical info, it said to call my surgeon rightaway if i should swallow gum during the first six weeks. That sound scary enough for me not to touch the stuff. So, even if you're not in pain, still let your doc know asap. good luch!

I tried the listerine breath strips, but they were WAY too strong for me. I prefer a sugar free mint. Lifesavers makes a small bag of them and I like them. I haven't had gum just because I think I would swallow too much air which would lead to discomfort.

I was actually considering Listerine Breath Strips that you simply place on your tongue and they simply dissolve... any thoughts?

The Listerine breath strips are strong but I used them anyway. The monkey a$$ breath was even offending me. My poor little dog would want to come give my some cuddles but as soon as he got a whiff of my breath, he went a runnin!

The Listerine breath strips are strong but I used them anyway. The monkey a$$ breath was even offending me. My poor little dog would want to come give my some cuddles but as soon as he got a whiff of my breath, he went a runnin!

Thanks for the laugh! I'll look into the strips tomorrow.

For now it's little disposable toothbrushes that have toothpaste sot of build into the, They are small, discrete and I can even get away with using them at my desk.