I'm 9 days post op now & sipping has become much easier. I can now sip larger amounts more often without the pain that I had for the first few days. I am still careful not to take in too much with one sip & if I do I still feel "tightness", but I can take larger sips. I am considering this a good thing as it helps me to get in more liquids throughout the day. Just wondering what everyone else's experience has been...I guess I just want to make sure I'm relatively normal! :thumbup1:

Edited July 16, 200917 yr by TennJenn
to, too misspelling...my pet peeve! :)

My wife had the same experience. I believe it is just a good sign that the swelling is going down and leaving more room to make it easier.

She progressed to cream Soups and it was hard at first and is getting better as we near the 10 day point for cream soups.

I suspect each transition is always going to be a little difficult at first, until your new stomach gets used to things.

I had surgery Tuesday and it is so strange to drink things and have my stomach kind of cramp up. I'm so scared I'm going to cause a leak. So this feeling is normal?

Take small sips...no more the 2 oz in 15 minute intervals, and for my wife warm water was much easier then cold.

For me, warm liquids went down easier.

I am a month out and I still feel some tightness when drinking, especially with cold liquids. The bigger the sip, the tighter the feeling.

You are doing fine. If you feel a tightness, start with something warm first and then you can move to colds. As I've said in other posts, I am 1 month out and still have a very difficult time swallowing -- this is due to some post-op swelling which still remains, some scar tissue where my surgeon repaired a hiatal hernia and the fact that where the repair was made spasms with every drink I take. Dr. Campos told me to drink something warm before eating to help relax the spasm and that with time, could be up to 6 months, this feeling will pass.

Ash - follow your doctor's post-op diet and you won't "spring" a leak -- you'll be okay - I understand your fear, however. That's why I had a GI one month out - wanted to make sure I didn't have a complete blockage and no leaks.

wow - i'm the exact opposite - the colder something is, the easier to get down. and i'm finding i can take much bigger sips. i'm worried now that i'm drinking TOO fast.

wow - i'm the exact opposite - the colder something is, the easier to get down. and i'm finding i can take much bigger sips. i'm worried now that i'm drinking TOO fast.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! I got to worrying that I was taking in too much too fast as well. I'm tyring to pay close attention and follow the rule of no more than 2 oz in 15 minutes.

And cold Water is going down easier now, but in the beginning it always caused a tightness, crampy feeling. Now I'd rather have cold water b/c it tastes better to me. :001_smile:

independence- How are you doing? Have you moved to full liquids yet? If so, I'd love to know what you are eating! :thumbup1:

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! I got to worrying that I was taking in too much too fast as well. I'm tyring to pay close attention and follow the rule of no more than 2 oz in 15 minutes.

And cold Water is going down easier now, but in the beginning it always caused a tightness, crampy feeling. Now I'd rather have cold water b/c it tastes better to me. :scared0:

independence- How are you doing? Have you moved to full liquids yet? If so, I'd love to know what you are eating! :drool5:

Hey Want2Be - I posted on your full liquids thread. Basically just started an hour ago.

Yogurt! YUM!

The 2oz every 15 minutes was for the first 3 days only - at least that is what I was told.

Really, Vegas? I wasn't told that. I was just going by what my post-op papers said. That's interesting! I guess eventually you should be able to drink more than that. Thanks for letting me know.

Really, Vegas? I wasn't told that. I was just going by what my post-op papers said. That's interesting! I guess eventually you should be able to drink more than that. Thanks for letting me know.

You might want to check with Gaby or someone at Dr. A's office- however, that is what I was told -- and someone else on here posted the same thing. I'm sure you don't want to take like HUGE gulps but I'm also sure that once you can drink more at a time it's perfectly okay. I'll be glad when I get to that point - I'm so very tired of not being able to drink more than little sips .. this spasm thing is a real PITA!:001_smile:

I am one of those lucky people who have never had to sip. I had the opposite problem. I had to really try to sip and drink slowly. Now that i am over 2 1/2 months post op, I don't even worry about it anymore. I drink a lot of water pretty quickly when I take all the pills that I need

to take.

I am 6 days out and can sip liquids ok, hot or cold, without too much problem. I can get a full cup down now and just have to take it easy and watch I don't forget and gulp it down. I get some cramping occasionally but all this is very normal just after surgery and will get easier with time. I had a band for two years and it was all very similar after that so am not concerned at this stage. The trick is to just take it very easy with everything you eat and drink and all should be fine. There's no band in there now for things to get 'stuck' at or to be vomited back up thank goodness! I think the answer is to not get complacent and to respect your stomach. Goodness, I sound like an expert after 6 days out and I can assure you that I am most certainly not. I have just experienced some of 'the signs' before and am very lucky to have had no complications as of yet. Respect to the many others on this site who are the 'real experts'.

Much love and good luck xxx

My sipping has improved a lot. When I first got home, it took me an entire day to get down a bottle of Special K protein water. But yesterday, I was able to get it down in 3 hours. I find myself having to constantly remind myself to sip sip sip. I was never a big drinker before, so carrying a jug of crystal light around feels odd. I'm also having to really work on taking too big of sips. I am a major gulper. I love just swigging down my drinks, but I can't do that anymore. Its all very new to me right now, but the pounds are disappearing so its all good. (Except for the head hunger I get when I see food commercials on TV :-(.