Hi everyone!

Hello everyone! My name is Savanna and I had RNY surgery on January 8, 2018. I'm almost completely healed up (I have one open incision that needs to be packed daily).

I have been really struggling to get all of my protein, fluids, and vitamins in. I do not have an appetite, and most of the the time, thinking about food makes me sick to my stomach. I am currently on soft foods and can only handle 3-4 bites of something. I'm relying on protein shakes to make up for lost nutrition but I still cannot drink enough.

My mouth is super dry all the time, especially in the morning and when I talk a lot. I try my best to sip throughout the day but I still can't reach 64oz. Water also tastes very different to me and if it's too cold, it hurts my stomach and chest.

As as far as vitamins go, I do my best to take all of them. I've struggled the most with taking 3 doses of calcium per day. I've tried calcium petites and those are even harder to swallow than the normal size. My NUT advises against gummies, and recommends calcium citrate over all other types.

So I guess the point of all of this is..is all of this normal? Do you guys have any tips?

I was also curious if any of you have knowledge or experience with IV therapy. I met an anesthesiologist at the hospital I'm a student at today, and she recently opened an IV hydration clinic. She said that bariatric patients really benefit from it, especially those who are still struggling with taking pills soon after surgery. I have a consultation appointment scheduled for this Thursday, but I'm curious if any of you have experience with this? I would love to not take pills anymore!!

Hi and welcome! I think it is common to struggle to get enough fluids in in the beginning. It took me months before I was able to really hydrate enough. It wasn't until I started drinking warm tea, sometimes lightly sweetened (sugar free of course) and made creamy with cashew milk (higher in calcium than cow's milk, and only 25 calories per 8 ounces), that I was able to get in enough. Now at 7.5 months out, I am able to get in 100-120 oz. a day. Try warm tea - I really have found it very easy to drink. But you still may not be able immediately to get in all of the fluids you need. Do your best, it really is important and will help you to heal and to shed pounds. You are not even one month out, and it is hard at first. As long as you keep trying, keep sipping and keep walking, you will make it. Get enough protein, it is so important for healing. Shakes are a good way to ensure your protein goals are being met, especially in the beginning. I still use chewable bariatric muti-vitamins (Bariatric Fusion) and supplement with extra vitamin A, so I have no good info for you regarding calcium supplements or IV Hydration.

Good luck with everything, and congratulations on your surgery!

Like above said, If cold water upsets your stomach, try warm tea. Peppermint tea can soothe an upset stomach.

We had surgery on the same day. We are in the same boat. My taste has completely changed, and I have no appetite. Looking at food is enough to make me sick. I gag down whatever I can. It?s funny cold drinks hurt your tummy. I am the opposite! Warm drinks make me feel sick, while cold drinks feel nice.

My dietitian says I still need to rely on protein drinks for quite awhile. At least 2 a day (ugh). I?m still not getting all my water in, but it increases every day.

Look out for signs of dehydration. Don?t be afraid to call your doctor. Hydration clinics seem like a cool idea, especially for baristric patients and the elderly, but I wouldn't rely on it too much.

Congratulations on your surgery! I found it was easier to get hot liquids down, and still do. I drink a lot of herbal teas and decaf coffee. If I'm out and can't get a protein snack I will get a non fat latte. I hope you start feeling better.

As others have suggested, changing the temperature of your drinks can help. Adding an artificial sweetener to plain water can make it palatable. I couldn't stand the taste of water in the beginning either, so I thanked god for Crystal Light (I don't like tea). You could use in in room temperature water and see if that helps. Getting your water in is more important than anything else in the beginning.

Bariatric Advantage offers a calcium citrate chew in many flavors as well. I love the caramel (it is like having a treat). I also could not get the monster calcium down, and I couldn't stand having to take so many of the petite ones either.

Congrats on your surgery. It is perfectly normal to struggle with getting enough protein and fluids after surgery. It is certainly a job.

Before surgery I could chug ice water, afterward plain water made me sick. I found that additives such as Crystal Light and Mio drops helped me to be able to drink more.

I also had trouble drinking room temperature liquids. I started drinking (and still do) lots of warm herbal teas. They are great for hydration. I also ate alot of SF popsicles. They count as liquid and also help with the cravings to chew something.

Also you didn't say what you are trying to eat. Once I was off the liquid diet, I started to puree meat with a little broth and eat that. It was very filling and had more protein than the high carb diet suggested by my surgeon. I pureed chicken, turkey, salmon and tilapia and they were all tasty.

Hope some of that experience helps!

I am only 6 months out, so I really remember that first month! I remember looking at that gargantuan water bottle and thinking...there's NO WAY I'm drinking that. Then I figured out that cold fluids hurt, and I found a nice rooibos (caffeine free) tea, and I had my fluids for the day. Somehow it's not so intimidating when it's in a teapot. OR maybe that's just me? ;)

One of the things that I did was find this:

https://www.amazon.com/Bariatric-Choice-Low-Carb-Protein-Con centrate/dp/B01EB64I1K/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=151801088 2&sr=8-4&keywords=bariatric%2Bchoice&dpID=51HmCB8d2qL&preST= _SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

It's a liquid that you put in your water, and it has 15 grams of protein. So I poured it into a half-liter bottle of water, put it next to my bed, and whenever I would wake up during the night I'd drink a couple of swallows. It's at room temperature so not cold and no cramping, and it won't "settle" like the whey protein derivatives. It seriously got me through my first couple of months, and honestly I still use them. They're a little bit too tart for me so I add a little bit of Crystal Light and they go down just fine.

You're normal. You're just figuring out your new plumbing. It'll all smooth out and you'll be sailing easy in just a bit. :)

You can also get the chewable calcium at GNC, I've been told that I can have liquid calcium for the first 4-6 weeks and have gotten some of that.

You're normal! Try peppermint tea and once it's cooled a bit add some vanilla protein powder - it makes a caffeine free latte tea that can feel pretty good on a sensitive tummy. My bariatric office had me counting ALL soft and liquid foods towards my 64 oz so that helped me feel better. I could count my sugar free jello, my yogurts, my protein drinks... Even with that I was still struggling to get even close to 64 oz.

You'll get there!