At this stage - only a little over a week post op I'm only on liquids but I'm curious. Does your MD also recommend 30 minutes before and after food before you can have liquids?

To answer your specific question about Gumbo from my perspective and understanding. As a sleever, when you are past the liquid stage, when you eat Gumbo then eat Gumbo. You wouldn't need to strain/ separate liquids and solids. Just eat it like you would normally eat it (except smaller bites chewed well). I would forego or minimize rice.

Some doctors don't allow soup, ever, due to the no eating with liquids rule. (Unless strained).

I think that's a little extreme though, just my opinion.

I enjoy soup or chili at least a few times per month. I'm 8 months out.

My surgeons instructions were and ar no fluids 3 min before and 90 min after a meal. I find that if I try t take a sip too soon after eating I get a shar pain in my stomach

@@Jb1176

The 90 min after guidance by your Doc is a bit extreme. Not sure have ever heard of that duration of post-eating wait time to drink. Many say 60 mins, many say 30 mins, but 1.5 hours is a long time.

Oddly, your Doc is in the camp that says drinking almost all the way up to feeding is no problem.

Lots of variation across the Docs out there. This and also the pre-op liquid diet of Franken-shakes (hated them). But, I did loose almost 30 lbs just with 2 weeks pre-op liquid diet.

I am personally waiting for 1 months post-op for my next weigh in. Can tell weight is dropping just by how clothes feel, so I wanna experience the BIG NUMBER loss

-RC-

Hi LynneAnne (and Geaux Tigers!) ...

It is universal that every doc and all literature says to wait 30 mins before drinking after eating.

There is a great YouTube video where the guy does a visual demonstration. Basically, he fills a small funnel (about the size of sleeve) with apple sauce. You can see it go drip-drip-drip SLOWLY, because of the dense mushiness of the apple sauce. That is a visualization of how food sits in stomach while it is in the early stages of digestion (important for nutrient absorption).

He then adds about a table spoon of Water on top of the apple sauce, and you see the drip rate quicken noticeably. Then, to fully illustrate what happens when you drink substantial liquid while or immediately after eating - he adds a good bit of water on top of the apple sauce and you immediately see it FLUSH thru the funnel. That is to illustrate that if you drink while or immediately after eating, you really cause food to flush quickly from the stomach into the intestinal tract - which is a bad thing. A very good visual reference to understand why all the chatter about waiting 30 minutes after eating, before drinking. Note: One of the posters here and I have seen elsewhere for longer term post-op folks will/can drink while eating.

On the matter of drinking before eating, you will see a lot of variation. You will see guidance to stop drinking 30 mins before eating, or stop 15 minutes before eating. I have seen some Docs say it doesn't matter how close to eating when you stop drinking (which makes sense to me, btw).

Now, because you and I are both from Louisiana, its interesting to consider the case of eating gumbo (or Soup in the general case).

My question is simple >>> if you eat something like gumbo which has solids in it AND has a high liquid concentration, then how is that any different from drinking????? In general case, same would apply for Soups (regular soups, no strained or cream soups).

Perhaps someone can answer that questions, because I am 2 weeks post op and REALLY WANT ME SOME GUMBO

-RC-

Good question! I've had the same question.

My surgeons instructions were and ar no fluids 3 min before and 90 min after a meal. I find that if I try t take a sip too soon after eating I get a shar pain in my stomach

I also get that sharp pain if I accidentally take a drink too soon!! I do drink up until I eat, but will probably always wait 30 minutes after before I drink! It hurts too bad!!! You should see some of the looks I get in restaurants! Lol

@@Jb1176

The 90 min after guidance by your Doc is a bit extreme. Not sure have ever heard of that duration of post-eating wait time to drink. Many say 60 mins, many say 30 mins, but 1.5 hours is a long time.

Oddly, your Doc is in the camp that says drinking almost all the way up to feeding is no problem.

Lots of variation across the Docs out there. This and also the pre-op liquid diet of Franken-shakes (hated them). But, I did loose almost 30 lbs just with 2 weeks pre-op liquid diet.

I am personally waiting for 1 months post-op for my next weigh in. Can tell weight is dropping just by how clothes feel, so I wanna experience the BIG NUMBER loss

-RC-

RaginCagin

There was a typo in my original post. Waiting is 30 minutes before meal is what my surgeon wants not 3 minutes. I agree that 90 minutes after a meal is a long time and is very hard to adhere to.

Immediately post op, my doctor had a 60/60 rule. After 6 months, he changed it to 30/60. After a year, I am "allowed" to drink right up to a meal but am advised to wait 45-60 minutes after to drink.

Real world experience at almost 2 years out. I followed his advice. I hit goal in nine months and I have maintained it for the last 15. I have found that if I drink right up to a meal, I am full when I eat and can only get in 3-4 small bites max. I am then hungry in an hour or so. I cannot do more than wet my mouth after a meal for at least 45 minutes or I will be extremely uncomfortable and will most likely hurl.

If I am at a restaurant with friends and there is absolutely nothing I want, I will order a diet soda (gasp!!) or a beer (even MORE gasp!!!) and sip that while everyone eats. Why have a meal I don't want, right?

As far as soup. I had the same question and my doctor told me to do what I felt was right for my body. He did recommend creamier soups at first and to strain them when I first started on solids. Now, when I have soup, I spoon in some of the broth and then eat the chunks. If I eat too much broth, I get very little solids in so I only order a cup. I rarely it.

That's just MY experience. I like listening to my doctor. I picked him for a reason.

I asked my NUT about soup specifically. She said to eat the solids in the soup and limit the amount of liquid taken in.

My doctor has the no liquids 10 minutes before and 30 minutes after. I will sometime push the 10 minutes before to more like 5 minutes. I will occasionally take a very very small sip of liquid during if something was a bit dry or spicy. If I sip during the meal I tend to hold it in my mouth a second and swallow slowly. I seem to be able to cool the fire with less liquid that way. I am pretty good about the 30 minutes after.

I try to not drink anything for 30 minutes before meals, and 45 minutes afterwards. It's worked so far...

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I had surgery 12/23 and NYE I cooked gumbo... I really wanted some but of course could not eat solids..so I put it in a blender, sausage, shrimp, and all other yummy ingredients ...blended into a puree and have a few tablespoons :-)

I still wait 30

30 minutes before and after food before you can have liquids?

@@lynneanne

IMO Water rules are very important to follow

my nut told me to stop drinking 15-30 minutes before i eat

do not drink for 45-60 minutes after i eat

do not drink while i eat

always drink at least 64 oz H20 a day

analogy concerning gumbo Soup.....

i asked NUT if i could have Cereal

nut said i could with a teeeeeny bit of milk on top

having cereal w/milk is like having soup with gumbo

or like drinking while you are eating

my first week post-op my husband had found a bunch of "sweetheart" pills

he would "serve" me Mrs. Grass chicken Soup (broth)

it has a pkg of noodles in a small bag which he omitted

one time by accident he put the noodles in

i ate it with out thinking

not a good idea!!!

being a newbie it is essential you follow all the rules

after that you must continue to follow the rules, and continue and..........

i am 3.5 years PO (2.5 years GOAL)

i wait 30-45 minutes after i eat before i drink

i don't eat for 15 minutes after i drink

i "might" have a couple of sips of water while i am eating

i do have cereal w/milk once a week

i'm not perfect...welllll actually

That is my story and i'm sticking to it!!!

good luck in sleeveland

kathy