Staples? Can someone elaborate on the staples? I thought they were not permanent.
My surgeon, or his PAs, never told me to hold and stretch the pouch. He is Dr Remzi, if that makes a difference. I had my takedown just before the pandemic, so I have been lucky to be always close to my bidet since then. I never "practice" holding. I tell myself, once the world gets back to normal, there will be many opportunities to hold and stretch the pouch, when my bidet will not be just around the corner. I now enjoy IBD free life with no unpleasant feelings down there, while it lasts... Don't we have many years to stretch the pouch anyways? Would it not eventually stretch? Maybe they recommend the holding practice to patients with professions that require it stretched ASAP, for example a Fedex driver who cannot find a restroom for many hours, and has to go back to work 6 weeks after takedown? Why the hurry, otherwise?
I really do not mind the frequency during the pandemic. Once and if frequency proves to be a source of frustration, then I can practice holding and stretching, but unless that happens, I do not think it is essential. Comparing this to anal sex ignores the risks involved. What is the risk of not stretching a pouch vs the risk of anal sex with a pouch?
I have to emphasize that I am not writing to tell AustinA711 "NOOOO, DON'T DO IT!". He obviously already knows the risks, and aware of the fact that it is not recommended.
I wrote this post to mainly defend the "not-holding-it! rebels" of this community. Yet, while I am here, I want to say AustinA711 one thing: It makes a big difference if you yourself miss being bottom a lot and willing to take the risk, versus you want to take the risk just to make your partner happy. You say that you want to have a health relationship. If you do things that you do not want to do, only to make your partner happy, that does not sound very healthy to me. If I were your partner, I would not do it to you, even if it were a casual relationship.