public service announcement re: soda
Drinking soda will NOT stretch your pouch. Here is why:
At the top of your pouch is an opening where food and liquids come from your esophagus into your pouch. At the bottom of your pouch is another tiny opening where the pouch connects to the small intestine. Before surgery, you had a pyloric valve between your stomach and your small intestine but you don't have that anymore. Just an opening.
When you drink soda, it comes into your pouch and runs right out the bottom of your pouch. It's only in your pouch for a minute or two. Since there are two openings, it is impossible for liquid or gas to build up and stretch the pouch.
If your dietician tells you it will, that suggests she has little understanding of basic anatomy. Which, you know, isn't necessarily her area of expertise, but still, it seems like something she ought to know.
If your surgeon tells you it will, that's really scary. If he has that little understanding of basic anatomy, he should definitely not be operating on anyone! And if he does understand anatomy and really knows that drinking soda will not stretch your pouch but is just trying to scare you so you won't drink it because he thinks it's not a good choice of beverage for you - well, lying to patients like that is highly unethical and I'd be tempted to report him to the state medical board.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.