Stretching out the Pouch

[Flowerpurr 0]

I have a question. I was banded on the 15th of July. How do you know when you are stretching out your pouch? I have had no pain. But when I eat I sometimes feel like food is going up and down in the back of my throat. I get that feeling also when I haven't eaten for a while. Does anyone else get that?

[grlwunderkas 1]

I get the feeling of food going up and down my throat...I usually stop eating when I get that because it probably means that you're full. I've heard that you can stretch out your pouch, but I don't know how you can tell...

[Angelsma 1]

If you're feeling food coming up and down that probably means you're past the point of full and going onto nearly throwing up. You should also feel somewhat full (not stuffed but full) at that point. I know if you're like me you haven't really listened to your body in so long that you forget that to really sense what/how you're feeling. I'm not sure if you can stretch out your pouch but I can imagine that an "artful" overeater could figure a way to do it.

[Flowerpurr 0]

See I never feel stuffed anymore. Even though I have that feeling I am not overly stuffed. Plus I am only eating an ounce to two ounces of food at a time. I am not shoveling food down. I am eating slowly. I just don't know. I feel it now and I haven't eaten in two hours.

[sghatl 2]

I have that happen to me too about every 3 hours when it is time for me to eat again. My stomach doesn't seem to want to be completely empty. It doesn't happen when you eat or after you eat She is saying that it happes several hours later.

[Jodi_620 37]

I don't think that you feel it when your pouch gets stretched. You would notice that it takes more food to fill your pouch and be satisfied. You stretch the pouch by consistently overeating so considering the small amount you are eating it sounds like you are probably OK.

I had that feeling early on when I still had restriction from the swelling. I am working on getting to my sweet spot and I get that feeling right after a fill too.

[fluffycat 1]

I have good restriction and I definitely know when I am full. It feels the same way as being full before the lap band. What makes you push away from the table after Thanksgiving? What makes you stop eating? You must have experienced that miserable feeling we all get when we eat too much. Its the same way after the lapband. You have to push away from the table and stop. You can still make yourself feel miserable if you eat too much. However, now the portions are much smaller than before the lapband. Thank goodness every meal is not Thanksgiving. We all tend to overeat at times--just don't make it a Thanksgiving dinner at every meal. Then you will stretch out the pouch. Consistently overeating to the point of feeling miserable.

By the way, the full feeling is not the same as being stuck. If food is stuck in the pouch, its downright painful. Just put the fork down because it won't pass or get any better. It must come back up. Sometimes the food will pass. but now I know if it will pass or come back up because of the type of food. Dense meat (chicken, pork, etc) will have to come back up. And I chew it to death!

[fluffycat 1]

I have good restriction and I definitely know when I am full. It feels the same way as being full before the lap band. What makes you push away from the table after Thanksgiving? What makes you stop eating? You must have experienced that miserable feeling we all get when we eat too much. Its the same way after the lapband. You have to push away from the table and stop. You can still make yourself feel miserable if you eat too much. However, now the portions are much smaller than before the lapband. Thank goodness every meal is not Thanksgiving. We all tend to overeat at times--just don't make it a Thanksgiving dinner at every meal. Then you will stretch out the pouch. Consistently overeating to the point of feeling miserable.

By the way, the full feeling is not the same as being stuck. If food is stuck in the pouch, its downright painful. Just put the fork down because it won't pass or get any better. It must come back up. Sometimes the food will pass. but now I know if it will pass or come back up because of the type of food. Dense meat (chicken, pork, etc) will have to come back up. And I chew it to death!

[fluffycat 1]

I have good restriction and I definitely know when I am full. It feels the same way as being full before the lap band. What makes you push away from the table after Thanksgiving? What makes you stop eating? You must have experienced that miserable feeling we all get when we eat too much. Its the same way after the lapband. You have to push away from the table and stop. You can still make yourself feel miserable if you eat too much. However, now the portions are much smaller than before the lapband. Thank goodness every meal is not Thanksgiving. We all tend to overeat at times--just don't make it a Thanksgiving dinner at every meal. Then you will stretch out the pouch. Consistently overeating to the point of feeling miserable.

By the way, the full feeling is not the same as being stuck. If food is stuck in the pouch, its downright painful. Just put the fork down because it won't pass or get any better. It must come back up. Sometimes the food will pass. but now I know if it will pass or come back up because of the type of food. Dense meat (chicken, pork, etc) will have to come back up. And I chew it to death!

[dgarrett 0]

I had stretched my pouch out last year. I didn't feel anything different and I still had the same restriction. I didn't overeat either. I have no idea how it happened. I only found out about it because I had to have gall bladder surgery and went in to have all the fill removed so I would be comfortable taking pain meds while recovering. After removing all the fill and giving it about a two month rest I went in to have my fill. She put as much in as she took out the prior two months and I haven't had a problem since. I do, every once in a while, have a little more difficulty eating and more "stuck" days but that is usually due to being under a lot of stress. I have been having those issues for the past 3 weeks but things are starting to calm back down and so is my band. It's an amazing tool and seems to have a mind of its own at times! LOL.

[Jodi_620 37]

dgarrett, That sounds like what most people here would describe as slippage, where your band slipped down and made a bigger pouch. I have read here that when that happens an unfill can fix it. A stretched pouch is when the actual stomach tissue of the pouch is permanently stretched because it is consistently holding too much food and that can not be reversed with an unfill.

[dgarrett 0]

I guess that is possible, however when I had the unfill it was done under fluro and I was told at that time that it was stretched out and was given a bunch of information on a stretch pouch and warned that if it has occurred once it is easy to stretch it out again and that does worry me at times. I just try to be really careful and baby the band. :thumbup:

[Cal Valley Gal 0]

I too have gotten that... what ever you do, DON'T DRINK!!

The liquid alone will be enough to push you over the edge. I've gotten sick countless times because of that.

[Cal Valley Gal 0]

What information were you given on a stretched pouch? anything published we can read?? I'd love to read about it.

[dgarrett 0]

It was on a piece of paper given to me by the nurse who does the fills and unfills. It was, I guess, from his practice and it just said that I have stretched my pouch and these are the reasons that it could've happened and once it has stretched it is easy to do again. I don't believe it was anything formal just something that they came up with to give to the patients. I may still have it and if I do, I'll write more about it.