I know this may b a really dumb question. But if you stretch out your new pouch then can u not eat for a day or two and it go back to small again???

For the newly banded, chances of you stretching your pouch this early is probably nil. Stretching your pouch happens over a longer period of time and can cause your band to slip. In my situation I kept a loose band due to severe allergy drainage, thus, I didn't have the tight restriction and I started eating more than I should (about 2 cups of food) per meal.

From my floroscopy appointment showing the pouch in good shape to the appointment showing it had stretched was about 4 months. I went in for fill and what a surprise I got! My doc gave me a warning and told me to be seen in 4 months and if she found the pouch the same she would deflate me completely and I would do the 6 week liquid thing. During this warning period I was instructed to measure my food and eat only 1 cup per meal. Well, as scared as I was, I did the liquid thing anyway and was truly hell!!! My follow-up appointment showed my pouch back to normal, thank God! Hope this helps. Jake

Can you stretch it from drinking too fast?

Can you stretch it from drinking too fast?

No, liquids go right through the pouch, unless you are way too tight. This is why your doc will have you drink Water after a fill. In addition, food stuck episodes cause your pouch/stoma area to swell and could cause liquids to not be able to go down. Rule of thumb, is when you have a stuck episode lasting 1 hour or more, you should go on liquids or mushies for at least one day. All doctors have different rules and the ones I offer are from my doc.

For the newly banded, you should drink water slowly until everything has healed completely. Later on you will know how fast you should or should not drink liquids. jake

How do you know exactly if you're having a stuck episode? What does it feel like?

For me, it feels like a golf ball in my esophagus, then a dull like pain all over accompanied by sweating, then comes the slime spit up. Your esophagus squeezes your food in intervals down towards the stomach and if the stoma is holding back food because the entrance to your large stomach is blocked the body's defense is to create slime. If the object comes up with the slime the stuck episode is over, however, if a larger piece of food stays stuck in the stoma, it may take awhile to get it through and the acids in pineapple juice will usually help dislodge the piece. Trust me, you'll know when you've had a stuck episode and will avoid them at all costs. After one or two and the unpleasant feeling, you will quickly learn to chew well and eat slowly. jake

Omg! That information wants me to take the band out right now!!! What do you do to create a stuck episode?!?

Wow, I don't mean to scare you. Please don't let this freak you out. Stuck episodes are caused by eating too fast or not chewing your food well. These are basic rules that a bandster must follow. There are some bandsters that never or seldom experience stuck episodes because they learn from get go.

As for me, before the band a meal was downed under 5 minutes, so you can imagine, it took me awhile to rediscover how to eat and take time to chew well and eat slowly. I now seldom ever have stuck episodes. jake