How do you know if your "pouch is broke"?

I have heard this term here before and I was wondering how can you tell?  I just ate a while apple with no problem.  I am 5 years out post RNY.  I have gained 15 lbs over the last few months and am getting scared, and depressed that my "honeymoon" is over.  

At 5 years out over thought it was  known that the honeymoon was long over. My doc explained the rapid loss phase/ calorie malabsorption typically ends by 2 years out.

I'm six months out and can eat an Apple with nip problem... What were you expecting to happen?

LOL, I thought exactly the same thing PeachPie -- I mean, using a real "honeymoon" as a guideline... no one married 5 years is surprised that you no longer find his dirty underwear on the bathroom floor "cute" nor feel like having sex ten times a day.  Okay, maybe the groom is surprised ... but I digress...

You just joined yesterday to post that you could eat a whole apple at 5 years out and were worried that your honeymoon period is over.

Uh-huh. Troll.

Eating a whole apple is bad, very bad. Even if the seeds don't start groiwig in your belly, you're still going to have a difficult time pooping out the core.

Bottom line, your tool would no longer work, if you can eat more than you should at 5 years post op and have lost components of your surgery (i.e. dumping).     I am 14  years post op and still have a limited amount of food I can eat and I still dump to this day.    A whole apple at 5 years post op, is not a measure of whether the pouch is broken or not.

I see no reason to think that at 5 years out 'your tool is no longer viable' because you can eat an apple. Is that 'more than you should' for quantity?  So, I don't get your point. 

I think you know, unless you're baiting people that 5 years is well past the 'honeymoon stage' for post ops.  Correct?

I'm +10 years out and my tool still works.  I can eat an apple.  That doesn't mean the tool isn't there.  From time to time I might eat around it, or choose not to listen to it- but it's there.

The real answer to this question is that if you fear your tool is 'broken' -which I can guarantee you it's probably not- you need to go see your surgeon and have him take a look at you.  I would only seriously worry about this is you've noticed a very sudden dramatic change in the amount you can eat, you're having major regain with no change in diet or activity, or you have pain.

There is an informal test you can do called a cottage cheese test.  You can also do the 5 day pouch test if you'd like to experiment a bit.  You can google either or both.  This is assuming you have a pouch.  

But, the only truly accurate way to check 'your tool' is to go see your surgeon and have them look more closely.