chewing and eating quickly

I don't have a j-pouch or ileostomy but like to research and learn about this since I'm dealing with UC.

I hear the stories about blockages and foods that you need to avoid and get a little scared. I'm one of those quick eaters where I scarf down food relatively quickly. I probably need to chew my food better than I do.

I'm curious if people were this way prior to surgery and if they found it difficult to change the way they ate afterwards (chewing more, going slowly). Is that something that comes naturally over time?

Also reading the story of the bay leaf being swallowed was interesting, but made me scared of thinking of dealing with a blockage. It sounds like blockages are common occurrence. I have a phobia of throwing up so I know I'd be wigging out at the prospect of eating something that would result in me throwing up due to a blockage.

I am the one who ate the bay leaf, and I did used to eat much more quickly than I do now. I didn't find it hard to slow down because a potential blockage is a big enough deal to make me do so. I always used to finish before my partner, and now my partner has to wait for me at the end of the meal. I also used to talk a lot more during meals than I do now. It's actually nice to slow down some.....

All of these things would have seemed like terrible sacrifices before surgery, and they feel like no big deal now -- because the trade off is that I can eat so many foods I couldn't eat, I feel so much better, never have urgency, etc. That's the part that's really hard to imagine when you've been sick a long time.

I have not had any blockages, although I've had some fears of them, but so far so good. I'm not sure how common they are, but I was way more afraid before surgery than I am now.... I was even fairly calm w/the bay leaf incident....

If you do have a blockage, there are often things you can do to pass it yourself. Also, if you have surgery, at first you would be super careful, and then you experiment in baby steps, and you get a sense of your limits. You could work it out if you needed to....

I rather hate vomiting too, understand that.... I had some from pain meds, but so far none from anything I ate or blockages.

I definitely ate more quickly before surgery, but one adapts quickly. I was really paranoid about blockages right after surgery, so I think I chewed a bit more then than I do now. That was good though because it got me used to chewing things a lot until it began to feel natural. Now, at almost 10 months post-op, I have a better idea of how my body reacts to certain foods and how much I need to chew each item. For instance, I chew the heck out of nuts, but not oatmeal as much. You learn what to predict from your body.

Like Blueglass, it does take me much longer to eat. A lot of times other people have cleaned their plate, and I am still sitting there chewing away with barely a dent in my meal. I too find it harder to have conversation during dinner because I am always chewing. One thing I do notice now is the incredible rate at which most people wolf down their food. I think it is actually better to eat the way we do. It allows you to take your time and notice the flavors and textures of food more. I am less prone to overeating too when I don't eat so fast.

I know the list of blockage foods is intimidating at first, but a lot of us eat the things on that list once we are a few months out of surgery and the small intestine has healed up adjusted. The key is to chew very well, drink fluids and eat less of a quantity at a time... for instance, a 1/4 cup of nuts instead of a cup. So far I have not had a blockage and have been able to eat many things on the list. The only things I avoid are really hard raw veggies like broccoli. I haven't tried an orange yet, but I know I will eventually. To try new foods, you just eat a little at first to see how you react and then bump it up in small increments.

Hubby had no problem slowing down while eating as he certainly does not want a blockage. Prior to surgery since we knew this was important he started to try to "train" himself to start getting used to eating slower. I am a fast eater but I have definitely made a real effort to slow down so I am not done too far ahead of him and maybe cause him to pick up the pace and then get him into trouble.