I was always a drinker...not as in alcohol, but in regular drinks. I always had a Water or something with me. I was sleeved on 11/7/16 and I am missing the ability to really get a good drink. The little sips just aren't doing it and I feel like I am constantly thirsty, but can't quench that thirst. I mentioned it to my doctor and he kind of shrugged- not much help. I know I can't guzzle down a glass of anything, but I hope that this passes soon.

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@@Ready824

At about a year I was able to guzzle Water almost as fast as I could pre-op.

Once you heal at 6 months you will be able to drink more, and faster. Then at one year for me a real switch flipped and I can drink pretty quickly.

It doesn't last. It even gets better at 3 months.

I guzzled down 8 ounces rapidly just a few minutes ago.

I am two months post-op, and I drink semi-normally. I wouldn't say that I can guzzle, but I can take pretty big gulps at this point. (But, to be honest, I was able to drink easily very quickly post-op. I have always exceeded the Water goals, and I never had to sip too much...)

I am 14 weeks out and can drink like three big gulps in a row- huge improvement over when I used to like after one large sip- it gets better!!

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@@Ready824

It gets better with time.

After 4-5 months post op, I was able to guzzle Water again, like I was pre op.

Now, in my 9th month, I can guzzle half a large bottle of water in one go.

The sipping stage does not last forever.

I started drinking pretty good at about 3 months and I've always exceeded my Water intake and no sipping

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Pre-op I would chug down a quart of water in a couple of minutes when working out in the heat. I am almost two months post op, and I can knock back about four ounces at a time. I'll give it a few minutes and another four can go down the hatch. If I drink just a little more than I should, I can feel it, and I back off for a while. I do NOT want to stretch my sleeve.

I'm 5 weeks post op and in the past few days I have finally been able to swallow down water a normal pace. Just started working on increasing the amount of water I drink yesterday.

Thank you for all the info! I'm happy to know that I will get there at some point. I think part of it is my fear of stretching my sleeve. That is something I will just have to figure out.

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Thank you for all the info! I'm happy to know that I will get there at some point. I think part of it is my fear of stretching my sleeve. That is something I will just have to figure out.

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I don't think you will have too much trouble figuring out when you have too much in your sleeve. Based on a lot of posts I have read here so far, the big problem will be whether you choose to react to that sensation properly, or continue to "push the envelope", so to speak.

Edited November 30, 20169 yr by LittleBill

@@LittleBill you can't stretch your sleeve with liquids. If you have a properly formed sleeve it is basically impossible to stretch it at all.

If you have a live swallow test, you can see the valve at the bottom of your stomach opening. Liquids pass through instantly. It is more like sand through an hourglass. But the valve at the bottom of your stomach opens instantly.

What people do is desensitize themselves to the pain/sensation of being full. Also most people confuse the restriction you have when your stomach is healing the first 6 months with restriction. That restriction is not real restriction, it is healing. When you have more capacity 6 months post open that isn't a stretched sleeve that is a healed sleeve.

It seems like a lot of doctors don't explain this. It has been explained here before but I am posting it again because people keep spreading the same misinformation about sleeve stretching which people with bad eating habits like to use as a crutch to justify their terrible choices.

@@LittleBill you can't stretch your sleeve with liquids. If you have a properly formed sleeve it is basically impossible to stretch it at all.

If you have a live swallow test, you can see the valve at the bottom of your stomach opening. Liquids pass through instantly. It is more like sand through an hourglass. But the valve at the bottom of your stomach opens instantly.

What people do is desensitize themselves to the pain/sensation of being full. Also most people confuse the restriction you have when your stomach is healing the first 6 months with restriction. That restriction is not real restriction, it is healing. When you have more capacity 6 months post open that isn't a stretched sleeve that is a healed sleeve.

It seems like a lot of doctors don't explain this. It has been explained here before but I am posting it again because people keep spreading the same misinformation about sleeve stretching which people with bad eating habits like to use as a crutch to justify their terrible choices.

Interesting. Everyone at my program, with the possible exception of the surgeon himself, regularly gave us dire warnings about stretching our sleeve, complete with wide eyes and wagging fingers. "If you eat too much, you will stretch your sleeve out and increase its capacity and this operation will be for nothing", they said.

Of course, these are the same people who pointed me in the direction of GENEPRO as a good source of Protein. I will have to do some more investigation, but thank you for the information.

Yeah most people who talk about stretching their sleeve are eating crackers and other sliders.

If you are eating dense Protein you are always going to feel that restriction because dense protein can't make it through that valve at the bottom of your stomach like liquids and sliders.

You almost never hear anyone who eats steak complaining about a stretched sleeve.

Also if all these people in your program really have stretch sleeves then the Doctor doing the surgery is doing it wrong. Almost all of the stretchy part of the stomach is removed with the sleeve. We are left with the dense more muscle ish part of the stomach.

People who have RNY can stretch their pouch but that is their problem, not a sleevers issue.

Yeah most people who talk about stretching their sleeve are eating crackers and other sliders.

...

People who have RNY can stretch their pouch but that is their problem, not a sleevers issue.

Okay, that makes sense. The primary operation the docs at my program are doing is the sleeve, although they still do a fair amount of RNY. And the terminology used is oriented toward RNY - like calling your stomach a pouch, regardless of what you had done.

I've eaten so few carbs since I started in on solid food, you'd think I was a missionary from Atkins. It's all Protein all the way so far, with just a few carbs to keep my system from shutting down. Or whatever they call it.

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/383687-Drinking

There was a great deal of sleeve stretching talk in my pre op classes as well. It didn't occurred to me till just now that this is misinformation and I'm going to mention it to the program coordinator. I suggest that others who were told this at their programs do the same.

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