Drinking Water

[TiffanyC 7]

I drank alot of Water pre-sleeve and was VERY frustrated after surgery that I could not drink more Water. Now at 6 weeks out, I am able to drink water alot better tho nothing like before surgery. But it is a satisfying amount.

The reason I could not drink more water is due to restriction, my water did not slide right thru, I must have a tight duodenum. ( the muscular stricture that lets food go to the intestines after the stomach)

I did drink with meals after surgery - just a few sips - I do not think it makes my food go thru faster but I do notice that it limits how much I can eat. Since it takes up space in my sleeve I can fit much less real food in if I drink at the same time.

I still do drink a small amount when I eat most times. Its the only way I can get in all the water my body needs.

I do stop drinking 15 or 20 mins before meals if want to be able to get a good amount of food in.

If I drink right after a meal, and I filled my sleeve with food to the top, then when I take a few sips of water they sit in my esophagus and I have to burp them back up over the sink because it is uncomfortable. I have never had this happen with food, which i think is what people mean when they say "the slimes"- because even when I spit up just water - alot of saliva comes up with it and it is very gooey and slimey!! Yuk.

[waterlover 15]

coconut Water would be a natural alternative to sports drinks, if you don't like to drink refined sugar and dyes etc. it's got a decent amount of potassium(600mg) and magnesium(60mg) in a cup. there are supposedly all these other 'benefits' to it, but i don't really believe the hype lol.

it tastes good, but like everyone says, might make me gag after, who knows!

nutritional information http://caloriecount....ut-water-i12119

[lsereno 2,525]

Your stomach will be swollen after surgery so that's why you will be sipping slowly to get in your Water. I believe 64 oz. is the minimum recommended amount, which is why you hear that number so much. At first most people have trouble even getting that much in. I did it by watching the clock and sipping one ounce every 15 minutes while I was awake. I used a one-ounce medicine cup for my drinking glass and a liquid measuring cup with pour spout for my pitcher.

Everyone is different after surgery and some people find the swelling goes down much more quickly than others. I never had a problem with Water, but many do. I drank it room temperature at first, but now I like it at all temperatures. Since I only have 1 cup of coffee a day now and I don't care for tea, if I am cold I have hot water, sometimes plain or with a little sugar-free flavored Syrup.< /p>

I can drink a cup of water in less than a minute now. I don't drink with meals or for 30 minutes after. I have tried drinking with meals and before the 30 minutes but I find it makes me uncomfortably full.

Lynda

[waterlover 15]

can you 'feel' your smaller stomach. i mean when you aren't eating. i'm really interested in what it feels like when you aren't eating. if you feel any different. that really freaks me out. i am TRYING to imagine what it will be like and i have this feeling of everything feeling really tight in my throat and when i eat or drink it being really difficult and having to take tiny little sips and swallows like you will choke otherwise. is that somewhat right? i'm really scared because i have anxiety and i know a lot of times i get a lump in my throat feeling and it exacerbates the anxiety. i sooo don't want to be chokey. this is kind of making me hesitant about getting surgery. last thing i want to do is start having panic attacks again because i'm afraid to eat. le sigh...

[PdxMan 4,292]

In a totally 'normal' state of being ... not right after eating or when I think my body is hungry ... my stomach feels the same as it did pre-sleeve, Except for the reflux part, which I don't hacve any more. My surgeon fixed my hiatal hernia, which I didn't even know I had. He said that was most likely the cause of my reflux issues. But now, I have not battled it once. It has been great.

[DebiC 181]

I am only three weeks out from surgery, and my experience may not be the same as others-but I don't "feel" any different. I don't even feel like I've had surgery. So unless I am actually in the middle of eating, there is nothing at all different about how I feel inside.

I do have problems if I eat too much, take big bites, or eat too fast. All things I am learning to deal with meal by meal-just new habits to get used to.

I have never felt "chokey" even if I take big sips or bits. It just feels nauseating when it hits my stomach.

Sorry you are having to feel so anxious about this. Once I made the decision (and it took me years) I knew it was right and I had no qualms. I was very worried however about the after since I had read so many peoples bad experiences, then I realized it was just because if your experience is good you aren't posting about it.

I needed no pain meds in the hospital or after. Only had gas pain once and it walked right off. I haven't vomited (although if I eat too fast or two much I wish I would) and I haven't had problems with any of the foods I've eaten.

My doctor has us start on soft (not pureed) foods at two weeks so I have had a week of eating real food. I can only eat about 2 oz of Protein or about 1/4 cup. I have eaten out several times already and had no trouble with spices or anything.

So while everyone's experience is different, and there is the possibility of side effects and/or complications, there are plenty of people out there who have a great experience right from the start.

Good luck on your decision.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

My stomach feels fine all of the time. I tried to go off my acid blocker and now I take it every other day.

After surgery, you just have to go slow. You can only eat a few bites. If you don't try to eat too much or too fast, you won't experience what you're worried about. Later on, life is pretty normal. I know exactly how much I can eat without problems. I eat whatever I want, just not big portions.

[waterlover 15]

oh THANK you so much for letting me know this. i was totally imagining something completely different and i am so grateful for your shared experiences. i guess i won't know how it will feel till i feel it. but i trust what you say completely. i don't know why i got it in my mind that you would eat and it would be like, nearly impossible to swallow or something, maybe when i see people say 'was hard to get down' and read it the wrong way thinking they meant it would get stuck in their throat or something?

nausea, going slow (i know i will be ultra careful at first till i get used to it and that is probably a good thing), and even heartburn and gas i can deal with (as i already deal with it lol).

:thumbs_up: sounds great! fear #274 dealt with! hehe.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

You're welcome! Glad to help.( If you meant me , lol)

There are certain foods that people do find harder to eat. Dry chicken breast is one.

food does get stuck with the band. It won't go through the band and it's not a good feeling. The sleeve is completely different. Once you're past the post op phase, eating gets easier and easier. It is a learning experience in the beginning, eating slowly and chewing well. After awhile, it's just normal eating.

[waterlover 15]

yes, thank you to you and debic for the answer about how it feels to eat. :biggrin5:

[Debra Huggard Smalley Lester 0]

is it normal to hurt in the back when drinking Water? and is it normal to barely drink after the sleeve?

[Tara1992 79]

I've always liked H20, sometimes I just don't drink enough. Why is it exactly that you can only sip very slowly for a time after surgery? Will it hurt my stomach to drink too quickly? When will this change.

kathy

dos 12/6/11

right around the corner

I didn't understand this either after first. 5 days post op and I get it tho, the Water seems to have air in it that doesn't sit right with the new tummy. Once the air and Water do an exchange it's fine but it's pretty uncomfortable. I still can't eat but water is tricky. And once you get a little dehydrated, your body goes into deprivation mode and you must drink!!!

Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

thanks for your input, it's going to be SO HARD to stop drinking when i eat, i always do, thank you for warning me. im going to try to cut back now. is the amount you have to drink when you have the sleeve the healthiest amount you should drink then?

I don't see any reason to cut back pre-op except maybe to practice not drinking with meals.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I just noticed this thread is from 2011!

[NYCGAL000 59]

I'm having surgery July 15 and right now I drink about 4 - 64 oz bottles of Water per day. I always have! I thought i had diabetes but no...I can't imagine not being able to drink as much. but I'm willing to sacrifice it to be healthy