Dry chicken may have just saved my diet

[Linnipoo]

Wow, so may I just say "Ouch!"

I have been banded for nearly two months now. I healed quickly and have experienced next to zero discomfort since. This is not necessarily a good thing, as the scales have been telling me. I also have experienced zero restriction, as in, if/when I fall off the wagon and have one of my late night binges (my own personal Waterloo) there have been no signals to stop. No restriction, no full feeling, no pain... and 10lbs of gain. I've been hating myself for screwing this up. You'd think being over 7k in debt for a fat procedure would be a big enough hint. But 9pm rolls around and it's like someone else is at the controls. I even stopped coming to this board, because I'm so ashamed. And the money I was saving up for a fill ended up being spent on college fees, so I've had to beg my mother for help. And my 26yr old LITTLE BROTHER is chipping in, because apparently he's thinking of getting one, too. So now I feel like a leach and a loser and a total failure. I haven't even had my first fill yet.

So, on to last night:

Nothing has ever been "stuck" in my band, before. So I've been lax with the chewing, etc. I had some rotisserie chicken. The leg meat went down fine, earlier. But I ate the breast meat last night with some hummus and pita. It felt like I had eaten a whole, super dry thanksgiving turkey. Or like I had the world's sturdiest corset on way, way too tight. I had hot and cold flashes and my whole abdomen was one big cramp. I know people talk about PBing and such, but I never understood it. I can't throw up on my own and my burps are always ever just burps. My body doesn't do returns unless I'm ready to be hospitalized. But I never thought simply not passing the food along would hurt so much! I suffered for 14 hours, until I got the idea to flush it out one way or another with endless amounts of hot tea over a short period of time.

It worked and I managed to clear the blockage downward, but now I do believe I never want to eat again. Like, ever. I'm terrified that I've caused damage somewhere. I'm also not looking forward to any more nights like last night. While it doesn't hurt anymore, I can still definitely feel an aftermath.

So really, my diet may now actually be back on track, which is messed up, but I'll take it.

[funmama707]

14 hours! Damn! I also had a painful episode with dry chicken, but no where near that long! Mine passed quickly just by getting up, stretching, and walking it off. I did totally stop eating after that though. I've also become kind of lax on the speed in which I eat. I still chew almost to a liquid state and then swallow. Sometimes I think I do have restriction, sometimes no way. I'm just limiting myself to eating at least half of what I would have eaten before band. I kind of start at 1/3 and see how I'm feeling after that.

I was off the boards too. I don't think we should be ashamed at all. Just a little speed bump. Now to get back on the highway!

[Linnipoo]

14 hours! Damn! I also had a painful episode with dry chicken, but no where near that long! Mine passed quickly just by getting up, stretching, and walking it off. I did totally stop eating after that though. I've also become kind of lax on the speed in which I eat. I still chew almost to a liquid state and then swallow. Sometimes I think I do have restriction, sometimes no way. I'm just limiting myself to eating at least half of what I would have eaten before band. I kind of start at 1/3 and see how I'm feeling after that.

I was off the boards too. I don't think we should be ashamed at all. Just a little speed bump. Now to get back on the highway!

Thanks Theresa!

Yeah, I tried walking, stretching, showering, you name it. That bugger was in there like the cork in a wine bottle!

[EricaG]

i hear ya my friend... don't be ashamed. i've screwed up too... hey it's a journey. i know i messed up but im determined to do this... even tho i havent really done it! it's stupid. i know. but today im getting my ass up in to the gym and working out for atleast 30 mins on the eliptical.. keep in touch. we need to do this, and together. let's keep each other motivated. cus ouch...14hrs? lets use that as a tough lesson learned.

[Linnipoo]

i hear ya my friend... don't be ashamed. i've screwed up too... hey it's a journey. i know i messed up but im determined to do this... even tho i havent really done it! it's stupid. i know. but today im getting my ass up in to the gym and working out for atleast 30 mins on the eliptical.. keep in touch. we need to do this, and together. let's keep each other motivated. cus ouch...14hrs? lets use that as a tough lesson learned.

You are SO right! I've got my fill scheduled for March 6th, at Fill Centers USA in Georgia. Wish me the Luck!

[macleay]

Just had my first fill yesterday and never had anything stuck before that. But I just wanted to say that Dr. So told me that if I got something stuck to not try to wash it down with water, but instead, to walk it off. Don´t know how well it works, but just wanted to tell you what I was told.

[Linnipoo]

Just had my first fill yesterday and never had anything stuck before that. But I just wanted to say that Dr. So told me that if I got something stuck to not try to wash it down with water, but instead, to walk it off. Don´t know how well it works, but just wanted to tell you what I was told.

Hi Jill!

I know it isn't recommended but I only resorted to water after all other methods failed. Walking wasn't helping, all the yoga in the world wasn't helping. And anyway it was intensely painful to do, with my whole core feeling twisted at the middle. TMI moment ahead! After 14 hours, something had to give. I ended up kneeling in front of my toilet and quickly drinking very warm water. Hot water loosens up the tissues and acts as a solvent to food. My plan was to either create an opportunity for the food to go down, or to reach a critical fullness that would necessitate evacuation by vomiting. As I said, my body doesn't do returns, so the added pressure and lubricating effects of the water forced the food down.

My point is, WOW the episode was painful! And more than a little scary, so I do believe I'm scared straight! Since posting this I've already lost 5 of the 10lbs I put on during my "relapse." Yay!

[macleay]

Hi Jill!

I know it isn't recommended but I only resorted to water after all other methods failed. Walking wasn't helping, all the yoga in the world wasn't helping. And anyway it was intensely painful to do, with my whole core feeling twisted at the middle. TMI moment ahead! After 14 hours, something had to give. I ended up kneeling in front of my toilet and quickly drinking very warm water. Hot water loosens up the tissues and acts as a solvent to food. My plan was to either create an opportunity for the food to go down, or to reach a critical fullness that would necessitate evacuation by vomiting. As I said, my body doesn't do returns, so the added pressure and lubricating effects of the water forced the food down.

My point is, WOW the episode was painful! And more than a little scary, so I do believe I'm scared straight! Since posting this I've already lost 5 of the 10lbs I put on during my "relapse." Yay!

Good Lord, that sounds absolutely terrible! Sounds like you had no choice. I´m glad you didn´t have to get an unfill. And congrats on the weight loss!!!

[Smiley]

Don't stop eating completely, but do stick to liquids for a few days to give your body time to recover. I am sorry you had to go thru that experience, but now you know what it feels like to have something stuck, maybe more so than the rest of us do as I have never heard of anyone else having a 14 hour bout with it.

In regards to leftovers, microwaves are evil all by themselves as they tend to dry food out. I still use the microwave, but I sprinkle some water on my plate and on the food before I cook it. By doing this you are kind of steaming the food as you reheat it and are adding helping to keep it moist. This still doesn't excuse us from chewing well, but it does help with the chewing and it helps to not waste food, especially if you are single like me and tend to eat the same thing for at least a week at a time.

[Linnipoo]

Don't stop eating completely, but do stick to liquids for a few days to give your body time to recover. I am sorry you had to go thru that experience, but now you know what it feels like to have something stuck, maybe more so than the rest of us do as I have never heard of anyone else having a 14 hour bout with it.

In regards to leftovers, microwaves are evil all by themselves as they tend to dry food out. I still use the microwave, but I sprinkle some water on my plate and on the food before I cook it. By doing this you are kind of steaming the food as you reheat it and are adding helping to keep it moist. This still doesn't excuse us from chewing well, but it does help with the chewing and it helps to not waste food, especially if you are single like me and tend to eat the same thing for at least a week at a time.

That's a good idea! I'll try that in the future I moved up to a itty bitty amounts of solid food today. After 3 days of tea and green super food shakes, I was done eating after 2 small, very careful bites. I'm going in for a check up and my first fill in a couple weeks. It's under fluero, so hopefully they'll be able to tell if I dislodged anything important.

Thanks to everyone for your support

As much as it sucked, I really do think I needed the wakeup call. I think my shiny new divorce (yay!) was stirring up all the muck in my subconscious. And that man is the reason I got fat in the first place. I mean, I could SEE what I was doing to myself, but I couldn't seem to snap out if it, ya know? But I feel well and truly snapped now!