dandeegan

Hello all,
I am trying to find out some definitive answers regarding pouch stretching. I can find answers to questions such as 'how hard is it to stretch the pouch', 'is it permanent when a pouch is stretched or can i shrink it back down', 'how do i know if my pouch is stretched' and so on, but the answers vary.
I was banded a little over two years ago now and my weight loss stopped at roughly 60lbs. I haven't really lost any in a while and I actually gained some back after a bit after hitting the 70lb mark. 60lbs is a decent amount and I worked my butt off for it, but I am a pretty big guy and could stand to lose another 100 haha. Like many people on here I feel like I've lost touch with the band, or feel like it doesn't really work anymore and I often wonder if my pouch is stretched, or I have slippage or something. Hopefully it's just paranoia.
When I try to read up on pouch stretching, some people/sites say that it happens if you overeat. Other sites say that you can't really stretch the pouch because it's in an inelastic part of the stomach that doesn't really stretch, and you'll vomit if you eat that much well before you can stretch the pouch. Some say once it's stretched your screwed. Others say that it shrinks back down. Well, which is it? I got my band at University of Pennsylvania that has a huge bariatric division with bigwig surgeons and zillions of dollars in resources. Even they say that it is extremely difficult to stretch the pouch.
The bottom line of this post is that lately I've really been wanting to get back into lap-band culture (for lack of a better term). It pretty much feels like it's not even there anymore, and I'd really like to start using it again if I can. I'm trying to get affirmation that it's not too late, my pouch and band are ok and I can start over. Unfortunately, I am without health insurance and in a financial situation where I'd need to decide between making my car payment or going to UPenn for a checkup. I don't even want to know what an upper GI would cost out of pocket. I'd probably get evicted if I got one! So I hope to get some insight from you guys on this in the meantime