Questions about Clears

[Kris 78]

Hi all,

I'm 5 days post op, on clears. It is hard for me to get enough fluids, even when I try to sip frequently. I mean it's like a freaking full time job just to sip fluids all day! I think yesterday (which was my best day for Fluid intake) I got to about 48 oz total intake. I try a mix of warm/hot and cool/cold beverages throughout the day. Warms definitely go down better, but I find they get cold before I can finish the small amounts I pour. My urine is pretty dark most of the time when I pee. I know that is not so good. I want to be flushing out but just a little frustrated with how little I am able to drink in a day.

Also, Is it normal to feel a little shaky your first week after surgery? I am consuming around 300 calories (max) a day right now, including juice and broth and calorie free drinks (Water and tea with splenda). I'm introducing Kellogg's Protein Water today and hopefully that will help a bit. I keep telling myself it's probably more psychological than anything -- I mean, hello, I have over 90 lbs. to lose so it's not like my body doesn't have energy stores to draw upon!

I am a little worried about being dehydrated but my tummy can handle only so much fluid at any given time. It still rumbles a lot whenever I drink too many sips too quickly.

I am also starting to get cravings for specific foods. Earlier today I was really craving mashed up smoked oysters on crackers. Is this somewhat normal (not so much wanting oysters, but starting to have food cravings so early on?) Today is the first day I've really thought about wanting any specific foods. I still have 5 days to go on clears so I hope I'm not going batty before I can move to the next stage!

I guess I just wanted to whine a little and make sure I am not *too* abnormal here.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Hi Kris,

Yep sounds very normal! The shakes may be from low blood sugar. Try adding in some Propel or Gatorade (full not G2) to help with some of that. It will make you feel much better and of course it counts toward your daily Water intake.

Or are your hot beverages high in Caffeine? Could be from that too...

300 Calories total for the day is pretty spot on for the clear liquid phase. The liquids you're consuming are pert near zero - but it will increase quite a bit once you get to the full liquids.< /strong>

Whining is perfectly ok here, that's what this is all about. This surgery is not a walk in the park - but I'll tell you what, it sure is worth it in the end!!!

Hang in there - it will get better and you'll begin to feel normal very soon. Of course, if you feel faint or light headed - please contact your surgeon or PCP.

[Kris 78]

LilMissDiva, thank you so much for that! I hadn't thought about gatorade -- I guess it's not a favorite of mine but definitely could help with the electrolytes & such. I don't have any in the house but will ask DH to pick some up from the store this evening.

I haven't had any caffeine, only herbal tea and broth for my warm beverages. Fortunately I didn't really have a caffeine habit before surgery so am not missing coffee or anything like that. I am busily sipping my Protein Water and have a pot of chicken Soup simmering for later (going to strain out all the solids and just have the broth). I've had about 20 oz. of liquids so far today so think I can definitely get over 50 oz. if I just keep up with the sipping.

I'll be glad when I'm done with clears, that's for sure!

[MyNewLife8502 0]

Hi Kris,

I am seven days out and I am feeling the exact same way. I struggle to get enough fluids, some days I am a little closer to the recommended amount and other days although it seems like I am swimming in fluids I haven't had close to enough. I have had a couple of cravings as well, I think mine are mostly just in my head. I still have to cook for my family so I see all this food anf then I start to think about it a lot. I am glad to hear that this is normal. I can't wait to get to the next stage and I am so happy to be sitting on the losers bench!!!

[Kris 78]

Hi Kris,

I am seven days out and I am feeling the exact same way. I struggle to get enough fluids, some days I am a little closer to the recommended amount and other days although it seems like I am swimming in fluids I haven't had close to enough. I have had a couple of cravings as well, I think mine are mostly just in my head. I still have to cook for my family so I see all this food anf then I start to think about it a lot. I am glad to hear that this is normal. I can't wait to get to the next stage and I am so happy to be sitting on the losers bench!!!

Hi there! I totally get you with the family food. Tonite for dinner I had a cup of chicken broth while DH made himself a burger with cheese puffs on the side. The burger didn't interest me but I remembered how much I liked cheese puffs! Head hunger ... Sigh ... At least I wasn't seriously tempted to eat them. My tummy still is still rocking and rollin' whenever I put more than one sip at a time in it. I've got so many cavitation sounds going on now you'd think you were in a submarine, LOL.

[MommyTawnie 3]

I was in your same shoes a couple of weeks ago. I was really shaky, and started having bathroom problem "tmi sorry" I called the doctors office and they told me it was normal. Our bodies are going through big changes and the shakiness is from not getting in the same sugar contents we were prior to surgery. Your body will adjust eventually, but until it does try getting in 2-3 more grams of sugar to help adjust your own blood sugar "I never take in more then 6-7 grams of sugar at a time" if that's what you may think it is.. Also you have to try to get in your liquids your body can only go so long before it will dehydrate, and you don't want that this early out. Heck you don't want that at anytime in the recovery process.. What I did was took a sports bottle "32 ozs" and filled it with ice Water. I would sip sip sip on that all day until I had finished it. I would fill it up again and usually finish half of it the 2nd time around. But I was getting in other liquids through out the day so I wasn't to worried about finishing the whole 2nd bottle.. The more time passes the easier it will be for you to take in more and more liquids. Just remember no liquids 30 minutes before or after eating anything "I conisidered broth a meal"