@marciakeren , welcome. I actually gasped out loud when I read that you got an obstruction on a transcontinental flight...I'm almost afraid to travel any more, for fear that that could happen (and I used to be a travel writer!).
How long have you been having the obstructions, and do you know what causes them? Do you have a gastroenterologist? My obstructions are caused by adhesions from several abdominal surgeries (I also think that gluten MIGHT aggravate the situation by causing inflammation, so I've been gluten-free for years). I finally figured out that the problem is really a mechanical one--my sbo's are NOT triggered by what I eat (I still get them even though I'm gluten-free)...it's just that sometimes the adhesions get stuck together or something so that nothing can pass through. So far I have not been able to get answers about what makes this suddenly happen, but the bottom line is that, for me at least, the priority is eating healthy food that will be digested quickly and easily--reducing the chances of anything getting stuck behind the place of obstruction. I've posted a lot here about how and what I eat these days to try to avoid trouble, or at least make obstructions SOMEWHAT more manageable. I think I've had some success. I really don't think it matters if you're vegan or anything else--if there is food in your digestive tract--especially larger, harder to digest pieces--it's going to cause problems if you get an obstruction.
But, again, you need to know what's causing your obstructions. I strongly suggest that you go to an ER if you have one again (if you don't already do that--I know it would be hard if you're traveling!). They can be very dangerous, and a CT scan or something might help determine where the problem is.

@marciakeren , I totally get the "Yadda yadda" thing--I've found it so frustrating that I've never found a single doctor who can offer any useful advice or information.
At this point, I don't think anyone has discovered a way to keep them from happening, and it's therefore an issue of damage control (especially if you're now having them so often--I'm sorry about that!). You may want to consider doing what I've been doing--sticking as much as possible to really healthy smoothies (I've posted some recipes somewhere in here), juices, and soups. For now, I'm just going to repost something I wrote recently, to another member here, to make it easier for you to read. I hope it helps:

"For myself lately, though, I TRY to imagine that everything I eat will need to pass as quickly as possible through a tube the size of a straw or smaller, as quickly as possible, and yet still be nutritious.
Obviously, if I get caught with an actual obstruction and food behind it in my digestive tract, I'm probably in trouble. But by at least reducing the chances of something big getting stuck, I feel a lot less anxious–and because of this new strategy–I think–I was able to make it through my last obstruction without going to the ER (although in general one should probably go, to be safest), and vomiting only once instead of 5-15 times!
I've also started to stretch and move around/take walks after each meal, especially reaching upwards over my head, arching back, and moving side-to-side. It just seems that this MIGHT have a chance of "ungluing" adhesions when they start to stick together. I'm not sure about that, but it's worth trying (and stretching feels good anyway)!
I also chew everything–even juices–like crazy to get the digestive process going."
That last part about stretching is just a guess based on visualizing the adhesions starting to stick together again for whatever reason--it just seems like moving and stretching might encourage them to open up again. I'll try anything that makes sense!

Just checking in to say that after four days I am feeling better, but I still feel that someone is squeezing my ribs.. this is how my attacks usually start - severe pain in my upper abdomen, just below the sternum and the sense that someone has their hands on my waist, just about lower rib level and is squeezing them. Right now i just feel a bit tight in the ribs. I have called a nutritionist, and my GP... I've been mostly eating soup and soft food.. Does anyone else experience the same onset pain?

Thank you for your answer. I do stretch and move around; I do massage when it starts to hurt... but not in any systematic way. I would love to find someone who could help me massage more effectively... As for diet, I would liike to find a nutritional beverage (like Ensure) - plant protein, no dairy etc... someone suggested Kate Farms Komplete, but I read the reviews on Amazon and the reports are that the ingredients have been changed and it is not as good as it was... other suggestions are Orgain and Owyn. I want to maintain my weight but make sure that I am getting enough nutrition. I really need a nutritionist who understands this condition, but have not had much luck in finding one... can anyone recommend a nutritionist? I don't think I have to see the person in "real life" - my husband (whose issues have nothing to do with any of this thread!) has a nutritionist he consults with via phone but she is not appropriate for me... Any ideas? Thanks in advance

I am currently in the hospital with my 6th SBO. The same protocol is followed each time. The surgeon thinks that I have scar tissue that stems from a laparoscopy I had back in 1980. So this was my only abdominal surgery before the obstructions began 3 years ago. I did have an exploratory surgery in August to determine the amount of scar tissue. I did not come away with much information, but have been warned that more surgery results in more scarring. I honestly don’t know what to do since the frequency of these obstructions is increasing. Are you talking about Clear Passage? If so, I’ve read about that also and definitely would consider that since my doctors don’t seem to have any suggestions other than to come into the hospital each time and go through the protocol. Such a painful thing! And I don’t know what to eat!

Makes sense. Thank you so much.

I am so sorry to hear of your latest SBO.. I feel your pain (really ! Often!!)... It is so hard to find help. I have scheduled meetings with two different nutritionists (one local and one via phone) to look at diet options (low residue, low fiber etc etc)... I will report back to the group if I find out anything that could be useful. I am also trying to find a doctor who may have some ideas! Right now I am considering a consult with a gynecological surgeon who specializes in fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and "minimally invasive surgery" ... since the origins of my SBOs are related to gynecological surgeries I thought he might have some ideas... will report back on that too, if it turns out to be useful. Meanwhile, hang in there.. I took great comfort in knowing that I am not crazy and that this is a condition that is not just mine to deal with.. but there are others out there too.. Feel better!

I’m so glad I came across this. I don’t personally know another person who has dealt with this, so it’s very comforting to have this community of people trying to help each other. A sincere thank you

So just back from a visit with the local nutritionist, who had a lot of great suggestions about dealing with a low fiber - low residue - low everything diet. Since I am vegan, the big issue for me was how to get enough protein. She had a lot of good ideas... things I hadn't thought about... like grinding oatmeal before preparing it (to cut back on residue).. basically eating cream of oats, like cream of wheat... and she said that while whole grain pasta was ok, I should avoid brown rice.. things like that. In all, very helpful .. and reminded me to chew chew chew... she said that whatever I am eating should have the texture of pudding before I swallowed it.. Not sure if anyone else has had this type of consult.. but I strongly believe that one way to control my condition is to control what I eat...

@dc10 , I don't believe that diet is irrelevant, but let me clarify. I don't think that your diet will affect whether or not you have obstructions (although I believe I have a sensitivity to gluten that MAY cause inflammation that could make them more likely), unfortunately.
However, I believe that you can control their severity to a large degree by sticking as much as possible to healthy juices, smoothies, soups, and--as @marciakeren just mentioned, foods no thicker than the consistency of pudding. In an earlier comment I said that I try to think of things that I can eat that could pass as easily as possible through a straw. With sbo's from adhesions, in my experience, there is a gradual narrowing in the area where the obstruction is forming. If what you eat is able to pass through that area quickly before it really closes up, and get beyond it, it won't build up behind the obstruction and sit and cause the pain, vomiting, and bloating. After a certain point, however, nothing will pass through. So by eating liquidy kinds of things (fortunately that can include ice cream 🙂 ), you're at least decreasing the chances of larger food particles getting stuck.
My obstructions usually last for a day or two before resolving. Usually I'm in horrific pain, and have sometimes vomited like 15 times overnight.
But the last time I got one, I'd spent the day on smoothies, etc. I could feel an obstruction coming on just after I went to bed. I panicked, of course, but I got up and walked around and stretched.
Miraculously, although I definitely had some pain and bloating, it was a million times better than usual. I didn't vomit all that night--I only did once on the second night, and that was because I was so thirsty that I overdid it with water and Gatorade before the obstruction had resolved (I always know that it's over when I can comfortably lie on my stomach again--I just didn't wait long enough to get to that part before I started drinking stuff).
So, that's my theory, anyway--but it worked in practice, so I'm sticking with it!!