I had my surgery on Sept 9 and I recently had my first fill. I could feel that the restriction it gave me left me after a few days and I've already scheduled my second fill. Meanwhile, I have had to go on a business trip to Ireland. With the long plane ride in coach, 8 hour time difference from California, and having to join a meeting as soon as I arrived, I was seriously jet lagged. I started having some trouble eating on the latter half of the plane ride over but I thought that was because of the bready foods they offered. So at lunch I was careful to pick foods that I thought I could digest well, take small bites, and chew very carefully. Well, I found out that I could not get anything down! I ate a few bites but then I realized that the food was just sitting in my esophogus and not going down. I had to excuse myself to the ladies room to spit it out. After letting my stomach rest a while I tried again, even more carefully this time, but the same thing happened again. I wasn't able to get down even a bite of food.

Later that afternoon I was able to take a short nap and I felt much more human again. Then that evening I was able to eat some dinner.

I've heard people say that stress effects the tightness of the band. It's funny because I didn't feel stressed in the typical "stressed-out" or "nervous" kind of way but I guess jet lag is stress on the body any way you look at it.

Kathy

For many (not all...but myself included) they do get very restricted after the change in cabin pressure of a long, high altitude flight. It usually lasts a day or two after flying time. Short commuter flights don't usually cause a problem. I carry slim fast and mushie stuff in my suitcase now when I travel. Or look for soup until the tightness passes.

Yeah, I hadn't even thought of the air pressure issue, but I could see how that could do it, too. I was able to eat at the beginning of the flight, but they served the first meal almost as soon as the flight attendants were allowed to get up after takeoff.

Well, this is good to know because I can imagine that if I had decent restriction before the flight I would be seriously affected much longer. As it was I was only affected for half a day, so it wasn't really a big deal, just an unexpected learning experience.

Lots of people get bloated when flying. It makes sense that it would affect your stomach/band also.