How did you get your water in???

[Spoole0902 1]

I am one week post op and an STRUGGLING to get Water in. I’m not worried about food just yet, so just nibbles throughout the day, but I’m forcing water and still can not get my recommended 64. Help!!!

[summerseeker 2,413]

It is so hard to master drinking again. It took me forever, I really had to force it. Keep a cup in your hand, don't put it down and forget about it. Take a drink to bed with you. Every time you wake, drink.

Once you master it you will feel so much better. It just takes time and effort.

[ms.sss 15,853]

sip sip sip. i carried a Water bottle/insulated cup (and yes, i used a straw...i know people have been told not to use them, but i did...ymmv).

around day 2-3 i realized warm/hot water went down easier than cold/room-temp so i started sipping that.

was able to stand colder water again by week 2, and also in week 2 i accidentally found out i could gulp water...i was so thirsty and didn't think, so yeah. was able to drink large amounts of water no problem after that.

[ChunkCat 737]

Did the hospital give you the little 1 oz cups to drink out of? If so, fill them and try to get in 2 every 15 minutes. If not, get a few shot glasses and line them up, fill them, and try to drink 1-2 every 15 minutes . I know, it sounds crazy, but it works. 8 oz an hour means you'll have 64 oz in 8 hours! This way I was able to hit 64 oz by day 3 post op. Some people drink certain temps better than others, so try warm tea, iced drinks, and room temp to see if it makes a difference for you. My nutritionist suggested drinking out of the little cups and then graduating to an actual cup instead of using a water bottle because we gulp less air when we drink from a cup. I found this to be very true.

I had to flavor my Water to get it down post op. The sugar free Jolly Rancher water flavoring packets are my favorite. I had to water them down a good bit, but they helped a lot. I also kept an insulated cup with hot broth in it to sip on. Broth, milk, sugar free popsicles and shakes all count towards your hydration goals!

[Arabesque 7,610]

It’s not easy at first for many of us but as long as you’re making an effort & aren’t too far off your goal you’ll be okay. Yes, to just sipping all day. Yes, to trying different temperatures of liquids. And try sipping at night. I still do this. Every time I get in or out of bed (usually to pee cause you know drinking a lot 😉) I drink. If I’m reading in bed, I’ll regularly sip too - every few pages. I also found it easier to drink from a glass versus a sippy cup, straw, Water bottle. And I drank more frequently too. Not sure why.

And don’t forget during your liquids stage you can count your shakes & broths/soups towards your liquid total as well.

[Spinoza 1,526]

Oh gosh yes OP it's really really hard at the start. I echo what everyone else has said. Sip sip sip all the time. Try fluids at different temperatures (I found out after people here advised me that I could drink *much* more liquid if it was warm). And if you're getting anywhere close to goal then that's usually good enough.

I wish you the best of luck.

[NickelChip 1,358]

I'm on day 5 post-op and hot Decaf tea and Bone Broth are by far the winners. I struggled all day yesterday with Water and felt bloated the whole time, but got 16oz of hot bone broth down with little trouble. Today, I filled a 32oz thermal cup with hot tea and a dash of milk and finished it off in three hours without even noticing. It only got harder to drink at the last few ounces when it had cooled to lukewarm. I opted for warm chicken Soup Protein "shakes" today too because the sweet, cold ones sounded awful. I did have some luck with the Celebrate brand CLR protein water (pink lemonade flavor), although the taste is kind of intense and the price is shocking. But I bought 8 of them with the hope they might help in this early stage, and they do.

[ChunkCat 737]

3 hours ago, NickelChip said:

I'm on day 5 post-op and hot Decaf tea and Bone Broth are by far the winners. I struggled all day yesterday with Water and felt bloated the whole time, but got 16oz of hot bone broth down with little trouble. Today, I filled a 32oz thermal cup with hot tea and a dash of milk and finished it off in three hours without even noticing. It only got harder to drink at the last few ounces when it had cooled to lukewarm. I opted for warm chicken Soup Protein "shakes" today too because the sweet, cold ones sounded awful. I did have some luck with the Celebrate brand CLR Protein Water (pink lemonade flavor), although the taste is kind of intense and the price is shocking. But I bought 8 of them with the hope they might help in this early stage, and they do.

Yeah, I either had to have drinks very cold and icy, or very warm...nothing in between. It was interesting and I was super grateful for my thermal cups. I got in a lot of Decaf tea, broth, and iced flavored water. I couldn't stomach any protein other than milk for the first two weeks, but after that, the first protein I was able to get in was a clear protein water. I went with MyProtein Sour Watermelon clear whey mix because it is cheaper than SEEQ but tastes very similar. MUCH better than the bottled protein waters I tried! And I was able to water it down so the taste wasn't so strong. They sell sample packs on their site, never buy their tubs at full price, you can usually get them 40% off!

Anything sweet for me had to have a sour component or I couldn't get it down. It took almost a month before I could drink a regular Protein Shake, and even then it sat heavy and was best thinned with milk. I couldn't get down the Unjury protein broths. I still have containers of them in my pantry!

[Arabesque 7,610]

On 2/27/2024 at 3:03 AM, NickelChip said:

…I opted for warm chicken Soup Protein "shakes" today too because the sweet, cold ones sounded awful…

Yes! I used to make my chocolate shake on warm/hot Water & imagined it was hot chocolate (without marshmallows). You need a hell of a lot of imagination though - LOL,

[RnYBabe 36]

I'll be honest with you. I'm 5 months out and it's still a struggle. I've found that a dash of lemon, and sitting down for drinking (in the same manner you sit down and focus on a meal) really helps me to get my Water in. I still don't love the way liquids feel in my stomach, but if I exclusively sip throughout the day I don't hit my goal. I would also recommend setting little timers on your phone/smartwatch/computer so that you are constantly being reminded to drink. I don't experience thirst in the same manner I did before surgery so these reminders are really helpful. Lastly flavoring the water helps immensely with drinking it.

[JoannaGB25 2]

I’m a week post-op and I’m up to 32 oz of Water. My issue is I get gas pains no matter the water’s temperature. Has this happened to anyone else??

[summerseeker 2,413]

3 hours ago, JoannaGB25 said:

I’m a week post-op and I’m up to 32 oz of Water. My issue is I get gas pains no matter the water’s temperature. Has this happened to anyone else??

Yes its a very common symptom. Drink slow, tiny sips. Its a real chore until your internal suture line calms and Water can trickle through better. Hot Drinks thankfully worked better for me. Maybe a chat with your team might be beneficial.

I was an outlier, I really struggled. It took me 3 months to get all my required water allowance in. You should hopefully feel a difference next week. Keep struggling through, its worth it. Once you can master this you will feel so much better.

[JoannaGB25 2]

Thank you. I’ll try that and see how it goes.

[summerseeker 2,413]

I hope so. Relearning to drink is one of the most frustrating things to overcome. I drank so little in the beginning my mouth was so dry. Every morning I woke up with a dry mouth, an awful sensation.

[JoannaGB25 2]

I drank warm Water and it does go down better. Thanks for the tip. Now I’m just hungry 😆