Hi Everyone -

I'm looking for a little support/advice/talking me off the ledge as I prep for my surgery. My time has (almost) come, and as part of my obsessive preparation, I have spent pretty much every waking hour reading Lap Band blogs and thread-after-thread on this site.

I now find myself completely and utterly horrified about the thought of PBing, getting stuck or sick, whatever your term of endearment (ha) may be. The blogs and threads on PBing really opened my eyes - reading about people's very descriptive experiences with “difficult food.” I've read about people getting stuck weekly or daily (worse, sometimes multiple times per day); horror stories of sliming in cups; "spitting up" in front of others (sometimes in public settings); vomiting violently in public restrooms; being in sheer pain for hours upon end.

Now, let me preface this by saying that I did not go into this blind - I read all of the literature, went to support groups, info sessions, and read every message board I could find. I knew the term "stuck" and "PB," but I guess I didn't realize how often it happened, or how severe the incidents could be. I also was under the impression that if you’re careful, you can avoid them completely...but that doesn't always seem to be the case?

I chose the Lap Band understanding that I would have much smaller portions, would feel full very fast, would have to utilize it as the "tool" that it is, and that some foods wouldn't be tolerated. I did not know how frequent and alarming these stuck sessions would be. I spent the last five years of my life obese and feeling abnormal - I don't want to feel that way anymore. I'm also not telling most people, which makes it more difficult. I'm young and single - I want to go on dates without the shadow of terror lurking around me that I may get stuck. I don't want to be at a restaurant and have to run to the bathroom and spit in the sink, or vomit in the toilet. I think of new jobs, dates, business lunches, baby showers, amusement parks, you name it - and think just how horrible it would be to get stuck in those instances.

I know most give the small bites and chew, chew, chew advice to avoid this, but don't the frequent PBers know this too? I do know that many people don't PB at all, or at least not very often; but I've also read accounts where people claim they can't even get solid food down in the morning...and then they go get a fill? Isn’t PBing a sign of being too tight?

I'm so confused. Do a lot of people get too fill aggressive to lose quickly and/or avoid hunger? Can I avoid this by not getting fills when I already have a little bit of restriction? Has anyone had a lot of success with very modest fills? Obviously will power is not my forte, or I wouldn't be here, but I'm praying a little will power and a couple of fills will go a long way.

Any advice, tips, support, or suggestions for "episodes" would be greatly appreciated. I'm terrified of being terrified to eat anything in a social situation. I know I can't expect this process to be perfect, but from the other side, it seems so scary and uncomfortable (both physically and socially)!

I hope to hear that I'm overreacting and it's really not that bad! Thanks in advance!

I've had my band for a little over six months, and I've not had a pb incident. I have great restriction, but not so much that I can only eat 1 or 2 bites of food at a time. I eat 1/2 cup for breakfast and lunch, and a little more at dinner, and I feel very satisfied with those meal portions. Depending on what I ate for dinner, I may or may not eat an evening snack, but I usually have a piece of fruit sometime in the late afternoon.

I did get stuck twice (entirely my fault). The first time I was doing everything in my power to get stuck (not really on purpose, but I was an idiot). I was eating broccoli and chicken, and I could tell from the beginning it was a little hard going down, but it tasted so good, I ignored ALL the warning signs. I felt the food was sitting heavy in my pouch, my nose started running, I hiccuped, and yet, I took ONE more bite. I ate too fast and too much. I did a little sliming (twice) and remembered that I had papaya/pineapple chewables that I had read about here. I chewed one, and I had relief almost instantaneously (under 30 seconds). The pills help digest protein. The second time was I tried to eat high fiber cereal w/ milk. I had been eating it dry, but decided to "treat" myself by adding milk. I felt stuck for about two minutes, slimed a couple of times, and I poured my cereal and milk down the drain.

Now, if I'm eating something that feels like I'm heading toward getting stuck, I STOP eating. I wait for a few minutes, and when things settle down, I try again, but slower and chewing a little more. It can be a learning process for some of us.

So, don't be afraid of the band. It's important to follow the bander rules (chew well, eat slowly, listen to your body), and if you at some point you get overfilled, don't fall into the trap of thinking you'll lose weight faster because you're so tight you can't eat more than a few bites. That's when you'll run into trouble, and chances are, you'll make up for all the food you can't eat by relying on soft foods which are often higher in calories.

I had great restriction and never pbed until I became too tight after my hysterectomy. My band doctor and my gyn surgeon both said an unfill prior to surgery were not necessary. They were wrong. I should have had one. I couldn't after surgery because my port was near a new incision from the hysterectomy. I waited it out and had to be really careful. Now I am hardly ever stuck and I still have good restriciton even though I have only had 2 small fills. Yesterday I ate a slice of pizza! I ate is slowly and carefully, but I ate and enjoyed every bite! As long as you aren't too tight and you eat carefully, you shouldn't have a problem. Constant pbing is a sign of a problem and many ignore it because they are afraid to lose restriction.

I got stuck once but I forgot to chew chew chew and small bites. It wasn't pleasant but it was no worse than vomiting is. I could breathe the entire time...it hurt but I wasn't scared because I knew what it was. It took about 5 minutes and the offending bite came back up. It quit hurting immediately. It isn't anything to be scared of. It isn't fun but lots of things are worse than that was...

i know that this is going to sound silly, but what is sliming & pbing??

Sliming is excess saliva that is produced to try to unstick food. Pbing is when the food doesn't go down by having the excess saliva, so it comes back up, accompanied by the previously mentioned saliva. Not as bad as throwing up, but not a fun time, either.

thankss so much

Now, let me preface this by saying that I did not go into this blind - I read all of the literature, went to support groups, info sessions, and read every message board I could find. I knew the term "stuck" and "PB," but I guess I didn't realize how often it happened, or how severe the incidents could be. I also was under the impression that if you’re careful, you can avoid them completely...but that doesn't always seem to be the case?

Well, most of the time it can be avoided by following the rules and by eating thoughtfully. People are different, though....some people can tolerate some foods while others cannot. Sometimes, when you're trying to incorporate new foods into your diet, the learning curve as to what your band can tolerate is very steep indeed.

I know most give the small bites and chew, chew, chew advice to avoid this, but don't the frequent PBers know this too?

You'd think so, wouldn't you? The sad fact is, you'll find many people have been woefully undereducated in aftercare by their doctors. Also, some bandsters rely on their band to physically stop them from eating too much. That's called "challenging the band", and it's a bad idea. It's not how the band was designed. The band is a tool for us to re-educate ourselves on what "satisfied" feels like after eating. Post band, you shouldn't eat until you feel "full" (because as fatties, we've often confused that feeling with the feeling of stuffed), but until you feel "not hungry".

I'm so confused. Do a lot of people get too fill aggressive to lose quickly and/or avoid hunger?

Yes. But remember, the band only works well on physical hunger. "Head hunger" is a different issue altogether.

Can I avoid this by not getting fills when I already have a little bit of restriction? Has anyone had a lot of success with very modest fills? Obviously will power is not my forte, or I wouldn't be here, but I'm praying a little will power and a couple of fills will go a long way.

Quite frankly, that is my personal philosophy, and it's how I'm managing my band. There are pros and cons to this, but I've been happy so far. I can't claim to be a success with moderate fills yet (I've had 4 in a year), as I have quite a bit of weight left to lose ....but I'm getting there.

I hope to hear that I'm overreacting and it's really not that bad! Thanks in advance!

It's really not that bad if you use your head. Like I said before, most PB's can be avoided by following the rules, and by using common sense (The night you dine out with friends in a swank restaurant might not be the best time to see if you can tolerate someting new, etc). You'll be fine. Relax. If it helps you to hear it, I'm very happy with my band, and I would do it again tomorrow if I had to.

Is there something you can take so that the "stuck" piece comes up quickly? What are these pineapple chewables? I am also deathly afraid of PBing and when I eventually experience it, I want it to be over asap!

Miriam, I can't answer the PB question, because thankfully, I've not had that happen to me (knock on wood).

The papaya/pineapple chewables are tablets that are sold over the counter, and they are promoted as an aid to digesting protein. I bought mine at Trader Joes, but others have mentioned buying theirs at Walmart, online, and other vitamin stores. They're inexpensive, and well worth having on hand, in case you have a stuck episode and you want to give them a try. I carry mine in my purse, because I had such good luck with them, that I want to always have them available, just in case. Mine are papaya/pineapple, but I think some people have just papaya.

Miriam, I can't answer the PB question, because thankfully, I've not had that happen to me (knock on wood).

The papaya/pineapple chewables are tablets that are sold over the counter, and they are promoted as an aid to digesting Protein. I bought mine at Trader Joes, but others have mentioned buying theirs at Walmart, online, and other Vitamin stores. They're inexpensive, and well worth having on hand, in case you have a stuck episode and you want to give them a try. I carry mine in my purse, because I had such good luck with them, that I want to always have them available, just in case. Mine are papaya/pineapple, but I think some people have just papaya.

Good to know! :smile:

Here are my thoughts (from a four year veteran), take from it what you will.

1) You will PB/Slime/golfball/whatever. It is going to happen. It's pretty inevitable. So get your mind around it, because it's actually, in my mind, an essential part of the process of having a band.

2) The first time it happens...it is scary as heck and PAINFUL. You can't imagine why this is happening to you and when will you get your life back. Mother of god please make it stop sort of bad.

3) If you are a savvy bandster, you will learn from that first time, and rarely, if ever, do that again. You will remember to eat slow, you will sip your drinks, you will stay far away from bread, you will chew and chew and chew. And you will never, ever try mozzarella cheese sticks.

If you are not much of a smart cookie (like me) you will go back to that well over and over and over and over again, PBing in lots of odd and scary ways (including on my first date with my now husband), until you can't figure out what to eat anymore and why you can't keep anything down. I don't suggest this route. It is a road to insanity.

Don't fear the PB. Know that it is the band teaching you a valuable lesson. Listen to the band, heed the advice and keep going.

That band they will give you will create a turning point in your life. Focus on that and GOOD LUCK!!!!