hypothetical question

I know what stretches the stoma...and I know that repeated abuse of the stoma (not chewing, drinking while eating, etc.) stretches the stoma but...

what is considered "repeated abuse".?? 

Hypothetically if a person started the abuse within a month or two of surgery, would their stoma be completely out of whack by month 4? month 6? a year?

What are your thoughts?

Don't do it and it doesn't matter.

And no one really knows...

Lora

Ummm...thanks.

I think this is a good question. I hope it gets some real answers.

I don't think there is an answer. Everyone is so individual. Repeat abuse for you would possibly not be abuse for me and vice versa. Same with how long it would take to stretch out the stoma.

And IMO depending on how you heal (general you) the stoma with related scar tissue would appear to have an impact on how large it would get with said related abuse.

I can say that my pouch and stoma are still working very well based on the quantity of food I can eat. I do follow the no drinking with meals rules and very rarely have I pushed my intake to an uncomfortable place and I've never puked from over eating.

I have no clue as to the stretching and what amount of abuse would cause it....blah blah blah.....

But, if you are afraid that you have stretched it out, try the 5 day pouch test.  I thought that  I had done that.  But, I found out really quick that I still had a limited capacity.  I think I had started eating slider foods.  Not carb laden  foods, but just "saucy" foods.  Hope that helps in some way!  :)