Howdy y'all

Newly banded this morning and I have a few questions.

How big should my sips be and how can I tell when I'm "full"?

My stomach is sore and feels like I've been hit with a spiked baseball bat.

I've been slowly nursing all day the same 16oz bottle of Crystal Lite that they gave me in the hospital.

My sips are about the equivalent of a teaspoon... sometimes a tablespoon and I give myself a good 3-5 minutes between sips.

Am I being overly cautious?

Thanks for the advice!

Sounds to me like you are being overly cautious. I would take medium size sips and see how it goes. It's my experience when I drink or eat something too fast I get a heartburn type pain in my chest. If you get that, slow down for sure.

Just take it slow and easy. You'll feel when you need to stop.

The reason you will feel full now is not because of restriction, but rather because of swelling from the surgery.

It will get better as time goes on.

I was told to drink 1 oz every 3 minutes or so. Do you have a medicine cap that is equivalent to 1 oz? It took me forever to drink the required 64oz a day.....sugarfree popsicles and sugarfree jello count as liquids also!! Good luck to you

Just take it slow and easy. You'll feel when you need to stop.

The reason you will feel full now is not because of restriction, but rather because of swelling from the surgery.

It will get better as time goes on.

Ditto!

Or as suggested you could sit there watching the clock and take a shot every three minutes. That sounds like as much fun as watching grass grow or paint dry.

My doc's rules were 1.5 oz every 15 minutes.

Immediately after banding, I could drink fluids at my normal pre-op rate; it wasn't until I got good restriction this past week (5 months out; 5 fills) that I have felt a little bit of backflow if I drink too quickly. Even now, though, i don't have to take tiny sips--I just have to be sure not to gulp more than 1/2 up or so at once. (And it passes through very quickly, so I don't have to wait long to have more.)

Listen to your body--if you're swollen, smaller sips might be best for you. But your body will definitely tell you.

My problem is that I can't tell if I've drank too much too fast or if that's just the normal pain and soreness from the surgery.

For the most part, my tummy feels like I just did 1000 crunches. The only localized pain I feel where my port is.

My problem is that I can't tell if I've drank too much too fast or if that's just the normal pain and soreness from the surgery.

For the most part, my tummy feels like I just did 1000 crunches. The only localized pain I feel where my port is.

First congrats... and congrats for already being on the forums. I find it's really important to have your doctors instructions nearby. I had a hard time remembering my doctor's instructions after surgery so I always encourage people I mentor to have their doctors written instructions available to refer to. Did your doctor give you instuctions about how much Fluid you should try to get in during your first few days? I also find a 1 - 2 oz "cup" is helpful for some people. Keep us posted.