Hi All

I am 4 days post op and really could care less about eating or drinking. I know I have to take in my fluids- my Dr wants me to have 48-60 oz of clear liquids. He said 40 gm of protein would be nice but not to worry about it much during the first week- mainly focus on getting the overall amounts of fluids. Well it sounds sooo easy in your head ....but ... it reality I am struggling. I try and sip sip sip but then I just get this fullness feeling and just the thought of drinking anything makes me cringe. Any advice? I don't want to get dehydrated but I am struggling to get just 40 oz of fluids in. I am thinking if I can just get through the first week of clears things will be better on full liquids.I welcome all suggestions........

Im about a month and a half out, and 4 days post op seems so long ago.just keep trying to do your best. you will get through it and it will steady up very soon. All the uneasy feelings start to fade and you will probably still trying to work out how to get the fluids in!!! i know i still battle...but it doesnt seem as devistatingly hard now. (boardem with the Fluid flavor will end up being the biggest problem <grins>) stick with it girl!i know i use to get frustrated with the *every day gets a bit better* comment...but you know what..... its 100% spot on the money!

cheers

ange.

As far as the Protein goes, I pretty much gave up on getting the full amount in until I started on mushies. I just found it impossible to do, especially because I never did find a Protein Drink I could tolerate.

The fluids are so important. Don't be like me, and end up in the hospital on iv's on three different occassions because you get dehydrated. I know how tough it is, but just sip, sip, sip. Suck on ice cubes. Eat sugar free popsicles. Just get those fluids in you any way you possibly can.

I promise, it will get easier. After the first month, I had no problems getting in my fluids or Proteins. But, right now, you just really have to concentrate on getting them in. You can do it!

I agree with Susan -- I didn't worry about getting in all the Protein, only the fluids and even then I wasn't able to get in the amount my doctor wanted me to - on top of that, I was dealing with esophogeal spasming, which made it even harder to drink any substantial amount at one time - so I lived on ice cubes (let them melt in your mouth and the Water trickle down your throat) and SF popsicles. Try to set a goal of 2 oz. every 20 minutes and see if that helps.

I am now 3+ months out from surgery and I still have trouble drinking really cold drinks - so I stay with warm drinks until about lunch time and then try moving to something cold - sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't - the trouble is, I really don't like room temp. water.

Just keep experimenting and you'll eventually figure out what your body can tolerate and then stick with it!

Hang in there, it does get better -- promise!

Thanks guys. I am trying. So far this morning I have 18 oz in and its 11 am so that is a little better. I never thought it would be difficult to get in 48 oz in a whole day!

at 4 days post op trying to get 48 oz was impossible for me. I feel you are normal. It is easy to say "oh just forget it I don't want to drink anyway" but you have to. Keep sipping, you are doing fantastic at 18 oz honestly. I was not getting that much I don't think until 6 days maybe? You have great willpower!

Don't worry so much about Protein. It is so drilled in our heads but everyone else is right concentrate on staying hydrated and make sure you are peeing. Are you waking up with a dry mouth?

I am not waking up with a dry mouth- actually I am waking up to go pee! So far today I have had 32 oz and it's 2pm so it's better than yesterday. I just went for a 30 minutes walk so hopefully that will help too. Is the fullness I am feeling related to the fluids I am drinking or it is trapped air? Also on another note how long does it take for your bowels to function?

You know at 4-5 days I had no idea what I was "feeling" in my stomach. It was all just one big.......mess feeling. Gradually you will start to "feel" it again. I can tell if I really need to eat or drink a shake now. That just came back a week or so ago. I think the fullness right out might be swelling.

TMI Alert:

Ahh the big bowel question. Well....... I had surgery on August 26th. I had a movement (if you could call it that just a few squirts) on August 31st. Then I had some more squirts on September 4th. Then I got worried when the 16th rolled around and I had done nothing so I emailed me team and they said it was ok to take some Milk of Magnesia. A word to the wise: You DON'T need an "adult" dose. Again, You DO NOT need an adult dose:scared0:. I took 3 oz and it was wayyyyyyyy too much. The 24th rolled around and I had been on full liquids and muchies and felt constipated for the first time so I took 1 oz. It was too much again. If I need it again i will take a half ounce.

Talk to your surgeon before taking MoM though. You want to make sure your stomach is clear for it. I would not worry about movements on clears at all. After you start full liquids maybe. If it has been a few weeks yeah I would ask.

Hard to have much of a "bowel" movement when all you're putting into your body is liquid - my doc says "liquids in, liquids out" and that it's not unusual at all not to have regular movements even on mushies as you're not putting enough into your system to "push" things through. I am 3 months out and still don't go regularly - and have never had any "constipated" feelings at all .. so I quit worrying about it - when I go, I go.

Hi attitudefree - if you find you're feeling really under the weather I've seen at chemists they have popsicles that are especially for rehydration and they've got a nice flavour as well. So interchanging a bit of water with one of these twice a day should help hydration and sodium levels.

Is the fullness I am feeling related to the fluids I am drinking or it is trapped air?

A lot of people talk about this phenomenon postop of not being able to take in hardly anything but maybe 3 months out finding they are able to cope with more and more food/liquids. I get the feeling that the inability to take in much during those early stages and the feeling of 'fullness' could be just a 'survival' mechanism of your body trying to tell you not to overload it so that it can repair the tissue. Which is not to say that you shouldn't be constant with water/protein/nutrients but it seems simple that the body would want you to be mindful of taking too much too soon. The endocrine system is capable of more complex functions so, why not?

Another thing I thought of that could help - sit down with a glass of Water during say a half hour TV show that you like to watch and everytime the commercials come on take a sip. It's sort evenly spaces it that way.:biggrin0: Or is that a silly piece of advice?

The "commerical break" thing is a great idea!!! Thanks!