Stretched pouch vs. Slip

grace65 · February 23, 2009

I am devastated, mortified, scared, depressed... you name it. I went to my doctor last week due to severe cases of acid reflux and not being able to keep food down. They did the barium swallow thing and it showed my pouch was stretched (that's what the nurse called it). She did not take any Fluid out of my band but sent me home on liquids for a week. I go back on Tuesday and it seems worse now than a week ago. I haven't been able to eat all day and can't keep Water down tonight. I am stressed out and miserable! This same thing happened in November but no one mentioned my pouch being stretched. It just showed the barium barely moving through. So they took some Fluid from my band.

First question... is a stretched pouch the same as a slipped band?

Second question... can overeating a few times make this happen?

Third question... if I go in on Tuesday and tell them to take all fluid out of the band will that help?

I am guessing overeating got my pouch stretched out. I have pushed it a few times because I get soooo hungry. The nurse said the pouch stretches over time... several weeks. I just wonder why she didn't remove some fluid if I was irritated and stretched???

Help me out here fellow lap banders. I am so worried and don't want surgery again!

Grace

grace65 · February 25, 2009

Hello jack and thanks for responding. I went in to see my doctor this week again and the band had actually gotten worse even though I had been on liquids for a week. I took all Fluid out and the band immediately got back in position. It was a close call. Honestly, I can say I have huge issues with over eating. It is not what I eat it is how much I eat. And having the band is soooo hard. Your head still says that 4-6 ounces is not nearly enough to get you through till the next meal. When I really look back I bet I probably ate 1 1/2 cups of food at a time when I got busy and couldn't eat properly. Amazingly, a year ago when I had the surgery me just eating 1 1/2 cups of food would have been a great feat. So now it is all about measuring. I see I can't cheat or I will be in pain and back in the OR... YUK.

This was a big wake up call. It was embarrassing. You can't hide your eating habits from a barium swallow. NOPE it is there plain as day staring right at you. I wish I had a band for my brain. I don't have a counselor or support group at home. But I come to this site and read, read, read. I am so grateful to all those that post all sorts of things because it is truly helpful.

Good news is I am ok and just need to do liquids for a week then they recheck. I also discovered that I am really lucky. After reading these threads I realized that most people don't get barium swallows with every fill. My doc does it each and every time. Fills are free for 1 year... no limits. Then after that it is $100 a visit. I feel like after a year I know so much more than before and my body has adjusted to the band. Now this year I will work on my brain!

Now, on this site I have read the thread "What I ate today" or something like that. I need to start posting there for accountability. But I also see people eating bread and Pasta which I think is a huge no no for me. I haven't ever been able to get bread down. And Pasta isn't any easier. Seems like all I eat is grilled chicken salad. I really need to get a good set of favorites into my rotation.

If anyone has suggestions about how to get my head right I welcome your constructive criticism and words of advice. Hang in there everyone and thanks so much for listening.

Grace