The PB from hell!

**Alexandra** · 09-11-2004, 08:29 PM

I don't know why I haven't posted about this yet, so here goes.

I had leftover tofu with szechuan sauce for lunch on Thursday; I ate about half a small serving. Everything seemed to be settling fine, but as I went back to my desk I realized I was a little uncomfortable. Golf-ball time; thought I might have had just one or two bites too many. But tofu is soft, right, so I didn't think anything of it.

Then over the next hour it got steadily worse. I tried to drink water but it was becoming clear to me that something--maybe a pea?--was stuck and nothing was going down. After another hour I was really miserable and went to the bathroom to try to get whatever was stuck back out. With only middling success, I was now in pretty bad pain. But what are you gonna do? So on with my day...

I had a personal-training session set up for 4:30, and I went to it even though I was very unhappy. Well, 45 minutes of exercises finishing off with some ab crunches was what it took to get things moving! My trainer, I'm sure, thought I had the flu because I must have turned green as I practically ran to the bathroom.

God. It was horrible. For the first time since I have been banded, it felt like real vomiting. I'd already upchucked earlier the saliva and slime we all know so well, but this time, FINALLY, there was more. It was scary, but oh, the blessed relief.

I was shaking, and went home swearing I'd never eat again. But, of course, by this time I was both hungry and thirsty so along with drinking water I tried some refried beans at dinner. Nuh-uh.

I didn't eat anything solid until a good 24 hours later. My esophagus was really irritated and even now I can feel the vestiges of what I put it through. I was surprised it was tofu but really, I think I just have to stay completely away from Chinese food. I can't eat it slowly and I've had problems before because of that. But this is the first time I've ever had a situation where the meal is well over before I start having discomfort. Has that happened to anyone else?

Lesson: well, just the same old, same old. TAKE IT SLOWLY. WAIT BETWEEN BITES. And be good to your band. I know I will. :(

Penni60 · 09-11-2004, 08:44 PM

Alex: I have had the same thing happen to me before. IT is scary and it HURTS like a Madre Huncher. LOL!!

YEs, eat slowwwwwwwwwwwly. Chew lots. Take small bites. Can't stress that enough to all of us.

claraluz · 09-11-2004, 09:06 PM

That just sounds miserable, Alex!

Nancy

Rebeccalee · 09-11-2004, 09:34 PM

Alex, that is not a happy scene. I hope you are feeling better.

I would hate to give up Chinese food. Actually, my husband has some chow mein in the fridge left from a couple nights ago. It keeps calling to me to try it. I ate chicken noodle soup and it went through. I am just starting to try foods that often get stuck. I'm a chicken. :nervous: I haven't even pb'd yet.

Hope that never happens to you again.

donali · 09-11-2004, 11:26 PM

Poor Alex... :( so glad it's over, and hoping you never have to go through that again!!

**hugs**

jemigirl · 09-12-2004, 12:16 AM

Hey Alex,
I had a question for you or anyone else that can answer this. its in refrence to the PBing.. you said that you actually felt like if you were vomiting and not just the little spit up that you usually do.. but my question is say we get like the flu or something like that and we really have to vomit from way down in our stomach can that make our band slip or make us have other problems.. you see I am picturing it trying to come back thru the tight little opening that we have and am thinking that no matter what this cant be good...

molynn · 09-12-2004, 07:54 AM

I'm glad you are okay Alex. That is a horrible situation to go through. I don't do well with chinese food. I think because it is a little too stringy for me. I am also still a big offender of eating too fast. Still working on that. Take care of yourself.

**Iluvharleys** · 09-12-2004, 08:56 AM

I am glad to hear you are doing better. Keep us posted!

Betty

**Alexandra** · 09-12-2004, 09:03 AM

Thanks, everyone. It was a very good reminder, but I hated how intense it was. Everything seems to be fine now, but one always worries about one's band in situations like this.

Jeanie, I don't know of any definitive answer to your question. People have had the flu, morning sickness, etc., and survived with no band problems. My theory is that post-banding there is just a whole lot less food IN out stomachs, so vomiting of any kind is less of an ordeal. But it's never a good idea so if you think you might be prone to it you might ask your doctor for some anti-nausea meds.

People know if they're "vomiters" or not. Through 40 years and two pregnancies I think I've thrown up maybe a half-dozen times all told, and most of those were alcohol-related. And I've had the flu, of course, but I can only think of once that I threw up due to sickness. Other people throw up if they eat a bad grape or if someone walks by who has a fever. People in the last category probably should stock up on anti-nausea meds if they're getting banded.

This edisode of mine probably didn't involve any vomiting from below the band, it just felt like it. But what's more likely is that the tofu that came up had been sitting in my pouch for four hours, causing the misery that it did. I still don't know what it was that plugged me up, but whatever it was it did a good job.

Tricia · 09-12-2004, 11:13 AM

Alex,

I'm sorry you went through that. So far I've had a total of 3 PB experiences and they are not fun, but they weren't close to what you went through. Glad to hear that you got through it ok.

I'm curious, did you eat any rice with your Chinese food? I know this will sound really strange, but my husband, his father and brother all get something simular to a PB experience if they eat certain foods like rice or roast. I've seen my husband go through this for years, and now I finally know a little about how he feels. Food gets "stuck" and won't go down. They spit up until they finally throw up or it moves through. Granted these guys aren't banded and my father in law has been told that a hernia may be causing the problem, but I find it interesting that rice seems to trigger it for them.

My PB experiences came after I ate a Healthy Choice Salsbury steak dinner for lunch at work one day and won't try that again, the other times were while I was eating roasted chicken. I've heard several people say that chicken tends to be too dry and you're more apt to have a PB experience when eating chicken, but I didn't think it would happen to me ;)....

It's amazing how often I still don't pay attention to how fast I'm eating or not chewing enough, you would think after one PB experience that the brain would kick in as you're eating, but my bad habits are obviously very difficult to change. It's a constant work in progress for me.

I'm sure you'll stay away from tofu or whatever it is you think caused your "episode" it sounds like it was a lot more serious than just a PB experience to me.

Please take care!!

Tricia

New Hope · 09-12-2004, 11:23 AM

Wow, Alex, that sounds horrible! So glad that you're feeling better. Let's hope that's the last of those episodes for you.:)

blossom · 09-12-2004, 12:34 PM

Alex, I am so glad *that* is over with, LOL!!! I'm sorry you went through it. Like you, I am not a vomiter and have done so on only a few occassions. However, I have never once vomited without crying afterwards. Its like I can't do one without the other! Whassup with that???

**Alexandra** · 09-12-2004, 02:13 PM

Tricia, nope, I didn't eat any rice. The night before when we'd had the Chinese food for dinner, I did eat a whole eggroll PLUS one dumpling along with the half of my tofu dish. All of that went down smoothly.

I think it was a pea in the tofu dish that wasn't chewed enough. They were cooked in such a way that they were sort of crisp (I don't know how that's done) even though floating in sauce.

Vomiting makes my eyes tear up too, Blossom, if not actually cry. I also tear up every single time I yawn. Those tear ducts are just so sensitive! :)

paula · 09-20-2004, 12:02 AM

I JUST came across this thread!

Last Tuesday my husband made jambalaya (sp?) for supper. Its a rice, pork and sausage mix. Ive had it at least twice since my band and havent had a problem until NOW.
One bite - and *4* four * FOUR* hours (of hell) later it FINALLY passed! I tried several times to pb this bite out, but it was stuck waaaay too well....
the only thing that gave me a little comfort was to lay across my bed on my back and gently massage my port area - which is where the pain was.
After it FINALLY passed - my water gurgled going down (like when you get right after a fill). I had to stay on liquids until next night - everything was obviously swollen.

This happened on the second day of my period, so I figured THAT had alot to do with it.

**Iluvharleys** · 09-20-2004, 09:29 PM

Wow Paula, I am glad you got it down finally. Hopefully you won't get any more like that one.

Betty