No Water Ever?

The staff brought you ice chips but then said you weren't supposed to have them?  Why on earth would they bring them to you but assume you would not consume them?  If you don't want patients to eat/drink something, you don't bring it to the bedside!

On my last day in hospital my "nutritionist" (the only time I saw her) brought me a list of what to expect while in the hospital (keep in mind I was dressed and waiting for my discharge papers)... she told me that I would get clear liquids only on the first day (detailed menu provided) then a whole host of a progression of liquids, and I was appalled at the number of things they said they would do that they didn't. They brought me tomato soup and a sandwich within a couple hours of surgery. (Tomato soup was not on my plan for six months because it was too acidic). I turned them down, and they told me I'd get nothing if i turned down the innappropriate meal. I turned it down. None of what they brought me was appropriate. They gave me Glucerna the nexxt morning and I dumped like a truck on that. (it was never on the plan). It was an interesting thing to see the "paper plan" at this "center of excellence" and the reality

what did the nutritionist say when you told her what they'd be bringing you?

I can't believe they refused to bring you something else.  Although they may not have had much available that was appropriate.  I've had that issue in hospitals before.  but they should have been willing to bring you a different soup, some jello, etc.  They always have that stuff.

It was a bariatric ward. You'd have THOUGHT they were prepared. Nope. And the nutritionist breezed in, introduced herself, handed me papers, and breezed out. The paperwork was what told me what to expect whiel in the hospital. (they didn't tell me to expect indifferent nursing, judgemental cleaning staff who kept talk about all those desperate lazy fatsos taking the easy way out, or judgemental nurses *****fused to give the pain meds ordered by the doc because it was morally wrong to take pain meds)

She did email me once, and asked if I was having trouble with flatulence. I told her I had ZERO issues with flatulence (I've probably had as much flatulence in the last four years as the entire forty years prior, RNY seems to have made me almost without flatulence -- if I avoid sugar alcohols that is) When I responded that I had no flatulence, and I was taking fiber choice pills for fiber and regularity, she said "A lot of people have issues with that so you should probably change to xyz product".... if she couldn't be bothered to READ my email enough to know I had no issues with flatulence and her ONLY response was to a non-existant problem, I realized I din't needd her. Never contacted her since then."

I agree!  I think it was the "B team" that was pacifying me and the "A team" the ended up educating me.  I guess I should have asked more questions of the "A" team but at that point I just really didn't care and it didn't matter any more - I was moments away from my upper GI.  But it is kinda crazy. 

Well, I would not expect a patient that just had surgery and was on big doses of narcotics to be asking a lot of questions about whether or not she should be eating/drinking what the staff brought to her.  Most reasonable people would assume if the staff brought it to you, it was OK for you to have it.

I don't drink more than 2 oz of water at a time or I get nauseous. I have a theory why this happens for ME

But I can drink water with crystal light, or with protein powder, or even lemon juice if that was something I liked the flavor of.

My theory is this: Our regular stomachs have cells that produce the acid within our stomachs. The top part of the stomach that is made into the pouch has a lot fewer of those acid producing cells, and so if your pou*****ludes few (or none) of these then you might have very little or NO acid in your pouch.

Since the inner linning of your stomach, and your pouch, are designed to tolerate an acidic environment, my theory is that your stomach rebells if the acidic environment is totally neutralized and made pH Neutral. (like water). Even pre-op if I guzzled a LOT of water at some point I'd feel sort of sick to my tomach.... because it takes a lot of water to neutralize a full stomach. But the pouch is so tiny, that if you're one of those with very few acid producing cells in your pouch, you might find it difficult to tolerate water.

My gastroenterologist believes I have ZERO acid-producing cells in my pouch. So if I have 2 oz of water, I'm okay, but 3 oz and I get sick to my stomach (not enough to vomit, but I've never pushed it beyond 3 oz). I use water for my pillls, and drink off the top two ounces in my water bottle every morning prior to turning it into a protein shake bottle for the day.

It is a possibility. Perhaps desire for water might change it, but I've never trieed to "train" my stomach to tolerate the water.

I'm preparing to go on a three week trip to australia, and I found some "lime packets" that are supposed to bring a lime flavor to a beverage. I think I'll bring those with me as something to add to water if I can't get anything bu****er to drink. But an 11 hour hike that my dad wants us to go on might be out because the thought ofthe amount of liquid I'd need to bring to tolerate that long a hike without any pitstops availble along the way? Well I just don't know if I have it in me, because I'd likely drink a couple of gallons of liquid, and .... where do you pee? and I couldn't make 2 gallons worth of protein shakes... so we might pass on it.

Failure to drink 64 oz of water daily post op can have bad side effects. Dehydration typically happens and is the number one reason post ops go back into the hospital. "Chugging water" isn't likely at first--you'll likely have issues sipping to get in your water. Several months post op, you may be able to drink fluids faster--it varies with each patient.  Other issues with water involve whether to drink it chilled or room temp, whether to add diluted fruit juice or lemon juice, etc. to make it more tolerable. Everyone is different in this department.  Post op life has a definite learning curve--finding foods you tolerate, whether sugar alcohols cause diarrhea, getting in enough water, etc.  I'd strongly suggest you attend support groups, as you'll likely learn tips for eating or drinking, new choices of high protein foods, cooking tips, etc.  DAVE

I've heard a few people say water doesn't agree with them.  It doesn't bother me and I think most people can drink it.

I learned to tolerate water pre-op even though it had not been a big deal for me most my life. Most my life I drank coca cola, but I gave that up when I joined OH (about 8 months pre-op) and so I learned to enjoy water.

Then post-op, I couldn't do it. Still can't. Thoguh for the first three years I could only handle one ounce at a time, now I'm up to 2 ounces. Sometimes I am thirsty, and I'm out of my three-ounce dixie cups, so I pu****er in my 8 oz cups, and forget and drink more than 2 oz.... and then I feel awful, and as I review what I've put in my mouth, I realize I drank too much water.

It's only pure water I can't handle. I could add a bit of lime or lemon and it's tolerable. Even teas help, but more than 8 oz of tea and I get sick to my stomach. Water is by far the consumable I'm most sensitive to, and following that is milk and cooked fish of any type.