Early Post Op Questions - 6 Days PO

**HappyJoy53** · 07-02-2017 12:40 PM

Hello there! I am now 6 days post surgery. I am doing very well so far, I think. I am trying to walk a lot and trying to not over do it and lift or push and pull. Because I don't have much pain it is a bit tempting to try to do more than I should at this stage. I am drinking my water all day. This week was only clear liquid (water, broth, sf koolaid, etc). Tomorrow I can start on week two diet which is the addition of protein shakes to my clear liquids. I can imagine the urge for solids is going to get worse and worse. Any tips for overcoming that during the post op period? I still feel rather bloated and gassy although nothing is happening that is changing that really. Not sure how to get rid of the last gas.

I can swallow pretty normal drinks of water at this time. I keep seeing sip, sip sip. It isn't a problem if I can drink more than a sip without filling full is it? Or is there another reason I should only take tiny sips?

**Bagawk!** · 07-02-2017 01:08 PM

Lucky you. I think members advise to sip sip sip because that is all most of us can do post op. I'm 6 months post op and STILL can only sip. I stay thirsty and wish I could take a decent drink to quench it.

I doubt you will feel hungry or long for solid food. The surgery alters your grehlin, which causes hunger, for several months after surgery. As far as feeling full, I doubt that will be a problem either since the size of your stomach has been drastically reduced. It takes very little for most of us to feel full!

**HappyJoy53** · 07-02-2017 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Bagawk!

Lucky you. I think members advise to sip sip sip because that is all most of us can do post op. I'm 6 months post op and STILL can only sip. I stay thirsty and wish I could take a decent drink to quench it.

I doubt you will feel hungry or long for solid food. The surgery alters your grehlin, which causes hunger, for several months after surgery. As far as feeling full, I doubt that will be a problem either since the size of your stomach has been drastically reduced. It takes very little for most of us to feel full!

Oh my, I'm sorry. I hope with more time, that does get easier. Thank you for the reply. I was just worried that drinking regular or larger drinks of water might be bad for the healing or something. I am afraid the hunger I'll fight is more physiological and habit than anything. Being in places or situations where I know I would have been eating or smelling food or seeing others eating. Those are challenges for me I think.

**Bagawk!** · 07-02-2017 02:49 PM

My body painfully rebels if I eat too much or too fast. I can eat about half a sandwich if I do it slowly. Beyond that, the pain! The pain! I have a couple co workers that had this surgery a year before me and they can't eat even a half sandwich!

I've learned to slow it waaay down and at this point I've learned my limits so I just don't go there. It was quite an adjustment for me because I didn't even know, visually, what a decent amount of food was for me. I now use a little rice bowl that hold about a cup to maybe a cup and half of food. That little rice bowl usually keeps me in line. By rice bowl I don't mean that I'm eating rice, just to be clear.

After you overdo it a few times you will likely learn to adjust to the new limitations of your body. Or pay the price, lol.

**Shirl** · 07-02-2017 03:04 PM

Sip rule is for one, make sure you get nicely hydrated from slow water intake (not a gastric sleeve recommendation, but from my esthetician daughter and my own facialist and skin care friend), other is that you don't swallow more air than needed.

Lucky you if you are not feeling water or liquids staying backed up in your esophagus! My NUT ingrained in me that the shape of our digestive system now looks like an an upside down Corona long neck beer bottle. . So I would and sometimes now get a painful pressure if I over stuff my mouth and swallow and don't eat slowly and chew my food properly. It used to happen with water, but not so much now. I can drink a full cup if water with no problem.

Oh several things I do to check on hunger is time of my last meal, more than 3-4 hours I should definitely eat. Also anything less than 2.5hours I drink water or unsweetened tea or coffee, if that doesn't help I will try a tums or Pepsid and believe it or not it was probably stomach acid doing its thing.

Try not to give into grassing, you will learn to eat around your sleeve and you may end up gaining more weight a year or two out or not losing at all or much for the most part.

**Christie13** · 07-02-2017 07:12 PM

I would not feel too worried about being able to drink. As for feeling "hungry" for food eventually. Some people experience acid reflux that mimics hunger pangs. I know I did. I had to take antacids for the first few months due to it. I no longer have the acid problem now. And then there is the head hunger...where you feel you should eat but you really are not even hungry. And thirst can make you feel fake hunger as well.