I Got Stuck

Yesterday was a tough one for me. Because of imminent rainstorms, my plans to spend the day at the river were cancelled, and then in the afternoon it cleared and got hot and humid, so I felt like ass for sitting inside all day. I was bored and restless all day, but too tired and letting my depression get to me to go out and actually do anything. I spent the day (and night) fighting head hunger and trying not to eat everything in the house. My only saving grace was that before my surgery I had cleaned out my fridge/freezer and cupboards of anything other than band-ok foods. Otherwise I would have stuffed myself with a pound of pasta (or tried to anyways). 

I had my first real stick yesterday, on peanut butter and saltines, which was good, because it slowed me down and got me out of my head a little. But it still sucked.  For anyone who isn't banded or who has never experienced getting tuck, let me explain it...

You know when you take too big of a bite, or don't chew your food enough, and try to swallow it anyway?  You get that lump in your throat, as it slides down slowly?  Sometimes you take a drink to help it move easier and quicker, and that always works.  Well, with the band it's similar.  Except worse.

With the band, you know instantly that you didn't chew your food enough, or you are eating too fast, or that you took way too big a bite.  Instead of that lump in your throat, you get a sharp pain and pressure, right under your breastplate, right between your boobs.  Some people get it a little lower, depending on where their stomach and band sits.  For me, mine is fight where put your hands when you are giving someone the Heimlich.

I instantly panic a little, not only because it hurts, but also because my first thought it "Shit, I'm choking!"  But I'm not choking, I can still breathe, and I have to remind myself that as I tell myself to calm down.  I immediately start slimming, which is when your mouth fills with thick saliva.  It's a natural response from the body - produce saliva so you can swallow it and get the food down.  Only, with the band, anything you swallow after the stick - saliva, water - will just sit on top of the food and make you feel worse.

Sometimes just waiting it out works.  Sometimes swallowing the saliva or little sips of water will help.  Sometimes taking papaya enzyme will help - it's chewable and it helps break down the food a lot quicker, so it can pass through your tiny tummy funnel.  But sometimes the only thing you can do is force the food back up and out.

Luckily, I have only experienced this twice.   Once was a minor stick, and I wasn't even sure that's what it was at the time.  I can look back it now and say that yes, I got stuck, but a little water slid the food right through (luckily, I hadn't gotten any fills and had no restriction yet).

The second was yesterday.  I have 4cc in a 14cc band, but only feel a little restriction when the heat and humidity is really band and my stomach swells.  I'm getting my second fill next week.  But yesterday I ate too fast, and I took too big a bite of peanut butter on a saltine, and between the restriction and the peanut butter, I had one fuck of a stick.  I managed to get it to go down with a couple swallows of water, but it hurt like a motherfucker and I was shaken for the rest of the day,

Guess I need to eat slower and watch my bites, chew more carefully.  It's not something I want to experience again, but I'm glad it happened when I had such a small fill amount and I was able to fix it by drinking some water.  I can't imagine having to sit with that pain and panic for an hour until the food dissolves enough to slide through on it's own.  

Ernesto: 1, Me: 0