Does the tightness first thing in the morning ever go away? I'm 6.5 months out and drinking anything -- even Water -- is still very uncomfortable within the first few hours of waking up. And eating actual food is out of the question entirely..

Vets? Anyone further out than me? Halp!!

Um, it goes away, sort of, and everyone is different of course ... but I am over 3 years out and if given a choice, I will just slurp warm drinks until well after noon because I just don't care to put hard food in my tiny tummy. I don't get hungry hungry anymore like normal people but I do get cues that I should eat (irritability, trembling, inability to focus, an empty twisting sensation) But I feel none of that in the morning. Use this to your advantage, use the mornings to get all your hydration in.

Great question! I've wondered this too.

I'd like to hear from vets on this, too. At 3 months, I have it. I think it must be common because my nut told our presurgery class about it and told us to start every morning with a warm cup of water with lemon. I have hot herbal tea. The warmth loosens me up. Can't face food before my hot drink.