Chest Pain?

Hi all.  Had RNY 9 days ago and everything is going well.  No complications to speak of other than nausea in the hospital which I believe was due to the pain  meds they were giving me.  I'm obviously struggling with the adjustment to new eating habbits and have had some emotional highs and lows, which are to be expected.  I guess I never realized how much a part of my life food was.  As I said to my wife earlier, my meals sorta anchored my day.  But, I'm learning.  

Today I had a big learning experience.  I was eating lunch and got a bit bold with my bite sizes.  Next thing I know, I'm hunched over in tremendous chest pain.  It was so bad that I was having trouble breathing.  I felt it primarily under the left part of my sternum.  I was forced to bring up what I had eaten, and the pain went away.  

Was I eating too fast?  Was the bite size too big?  Did I not chew enough?  My dinner was much more successful with smaller bites and no pain.  But, I thought I'd bring this to the group and see what people have to say.  Anyone else experience this?  It was very, very scary and unpleasant.  

I welcome all thoughts/feedback.  Thank you!

P.S.  I'm down 20 lbs. in 9 days! 

It sounds like something got stuck.  I think you have your answer.  Slow down, take small bites, and chew well.  What were you eating?  You will find that some foods go down better then others, especially during the first few months.  I was still on pureed food at 9 days out. 

 It sounds like it was a combination of a bite that was too big and then not chewed well enough.  Remember, everything should be chewed to a mushy consistency before swallowing.  Even if it is chewed well enough, if the bite is too big it may still cause problems if your esophagus and stoma are still swollen from surgery.

Lora

Yep, sounds like classic "stuck". I liken it to the feeling of swallowing too
many potatoes too fast before surgery and getting that stuck feeling....
magnified by 1000.  It gets better, but for several months you have to
chew very well, take small bites, and not eat things that are too dry.
I wasn't able to eat anything but ground meats for 6-7 months after
surgery, and tuna and deviled eggs still are problematic for me unless
they're in very small quantities.  I still do best with ground meats, very
little bread, and no rice or pasta.  While they don't "stick" badly like
they used to, they feel heavy and yucky in my pouch when they
do go down.  Just take it slow and easy and you'll do fine.
Good luck!

yup def sounds like food was stuck! I know its a horrible feeling you have to make sure you chew very well as the others have said! Good luck:)

PeakTek79 wrote, "I was eating lunch and got a bit bold with my bite sizes."

Excellent!

It was a painful lesson, but I hope it doesn't scare you away from future experiments. Just do them carefully, one step at a time, and in very small increments.

We all end up with very different likes and dislikes, and different lists of what we can tolerate or not tolerate. Just as an example, most people here recommend moist mushy food, but I seem to do better on dry things, such as crackers and soy chips. I admit that they are a bit hard to swallow when we're not drinking together with the food, but I find that to be somewhat balanced by the crumbliness, which makes it easier to pulverize.

Anyway, good luck with your new digestive tract, welcome to the board, and keep on reading this board for more suggestions and advice!