I had my sleeve on the 6th, and to me, it feels like I shouldn't drink too fast, and my mom is taking care of me while I am healing the first month.

Is it okay to drink normally without drinking slowly?

My mom keeps getting after me for not drinking enough water (I have, I just don't want to hurt myself with overfilling my stomach.)

Has anybody have this worry?

I also had tomato soup tonight, and had shredded cheese melted into it, it was chunky a bit but my stomach feels fine.

Tell me your experience the first month.

I didn't have the sleeve, but the RNY, and I drank pretty normal after just a week out. I didn't take big gulps, but drank small sips all the time. Not micro small, but like half a mouth full. As long as it's not making you uncomfortable, and you don't drink a lot at once, you should be fine. Water passes through your stomach pretty quick.

It is common for your taste buds to change after surgery. Be willing to experiment. After my RNY gastric bypass surgery, my taste buds changed dramatically. Even water changed. In the hospital it tasted excessively chlorinated and I could not drink it. So I experimented. Sugar free popsicles became my best friend. Some individuals find hot or cold can help with fluids. For me, I found that I could tolerate flavored water. So I began using Crystal Light. I also found a new drink Bai which I liked cold. In the winter, I found that I tolerate hot drinks such as piping hot cocoa. But you have to use the "No Sugar Added" variety. Also fine English teas were very good.

The fluid requirement is met by a combination. It is not only the water that you drink each day. But also the water you drink when you take your vitamins and medicine. It is the milk you drink. It is the fluids content of the protein shakes. It is the water component of the soups you take. It is met by flavored water such as Crystal Light. It is met by sugar free popsicles. It is met by tea and decaf coffee. It is a combination of all the fluids that you consume during the day.

Many experience problems drinking protein shakes. I hated them. But in the beginning I drank them, three 16-ounce protein shakes a day, in order to meet my protein requirements. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with water and a half a banana. That worked for me. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, you might try premixed Isopure.

If you tried all the various varieties and still are unsuccessfully, then there is the fallback of fortified milk. 32 ounces of 1% milk fortified by adding 1 cup of dried milk provides 56 grams of protein. It also takes a dent out of meeting the fluid requirements. Mix up a pitcher and drink a little throughout the day.

Without sufficient protein, your body will scavenge protein from other areas of your body, such as your muscles. Protein is extremely important after surgery as its job in the body is to build and maintain tissues including your body's major organs and skeletal muscles. Protein deficiency, when continued over a long period of time can cause a disease known as protein caloric malnutrition. Common symptoms are poor healing, fatigue, hair loss and muscle wasting. Immediate post op, protein promotes healing of the staple line and incisions.

Pre-surgery, I was a water chugger, so sipping killed me the first week or so. You will find out very quickly if you take too big of a sip or drink - your stomach will let you know. I found I had to try water at different temperatures, but would make sure I was drinking at least one cup of water (8 ounces) per hour during the day. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold. Sometimes flavored. Sometimes plain.

After about 3 weeks, I was able to drink normally again.

To this day, I keep a water bottle at my desk - 24 ounces - I consume it completely twice during the course of the work day. That gets me to 48 of my 64 ounces without even trying!

As for protein - when I was on liquids, I made sure I had 2-3 shakes a day - Premier protein shakes are 30g protein - so 2 of those met my goal. Now, it's protein first - I still have a shake in the morning - this morning's was 2 ounces strawberries, 2 ounces blueberries, cup of coconut milk and scoop of protein powder (under 200 calories and 25g. protein.)

I shoot for 70-90 grams of protein a day. A 15 gram yogurt is up for the start of lunch in a bit - that will get me to 40 grams before I have any meat or cheese today!

Write everything down and keep track. It helps.

Edited June 14, 20179 yr by Diana_in_Philly
Forgot to add

I drink a 16-20 oz bottle of flavored water or vitamin water zero during my 1 hour commute to work, 20oz of decaf hot tea before 11 am, another 16-20 oz bottle of flavored water before I leave to go home, and then again on the way home. I'm currently trying to up my fluid intake to at least 80oz per day.

With protein, at first it was a mixture of shakes along with high protein foods like cottage cheese, but at 7/8 months out I am finding that I have no problems at all as long as I follow the rules and eat protein first. Chicken, Turkey, Ground Turkey, Fish. Doesn't leave a lot of room for other things, but it gets the job done.

Good Luck