I am a week out as of today! YAY :)

I have been feeling better and better with each day but I am finding I am having such a hard time consuming all my water and protein right now. I am trying so hard to pace myself through out the day but I am finding by the end of the day I am only half the amount of protein I need. I keep setting goals for myself each day but feel disappointed because I am not meeting them.

My nurse at the doctor's office is really on me that I need to get more down. I just don't know how. I sip and sip all day long  Is this normal or do you think by now I should be getting more down? What have some of you vets done to get the protein down during this first stage?

If you can get some Isopure at GNC you can get your water and your protein in at the same time.  There is also the Nectar's like Fuzzy Navel.  They mix into a fruit drink instead of a shake.
I would think that it is more important to get in your fluids then your protein right now.  Dehydration is a very real risk.  Have you tried thing like herbal teas and sugar free popsicles?  Try experimenting with different tempatures and see if that makes it any easier.

SF popcicles saved my life at this stage.

It's a common problem.

Try making yourself a little schedule.  Like, if your goal is to get 60 grams of protein a day, plan to drink four ounces of a protein shake with ten grams of protein in it before 10 am.  Plan to drink another four ounces between 10 am and 2 pm.  Then four more ounces between 2 pm and 5 pm.  You get the idea.  You can mix your shakes with skim milk or soy milk instead of water to get more protein in the same amount of liquid.  For instance, 1/2 scoop of Unjury protein powder in four ounces water would be ten grams protein, but 1/2 scoop in four ounces skim milk would be 14 grams protein.

Are you eating anything right now or just on liquids?  When you are able to eat pureed stuff, I'll tell you a trick that  helped me a lot.  First thing in the morning, put a scoop of unflavored protein powder in a bowl on your kitchen counter.  All day, whenever you get something to eat, mix in a little bit of unflavored protein powder.  If you just add a little protein, it won't really change the taste of your food, but by the end of the day you'll have gotten an extra 20 grams of protein (or however much is in one scoop of what you use).

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to try a schedule tomorrow and see if that works a little better. They told me I can have cream soups but I havent attempted it yet. I am so worried about getting enough water and the protein in that I feel like there is no possible way to even try soup. I am getting better about the water. Room temperature seems to help better than cold water but I was really worried about the protein.

I am so thankful for this forum and being able to ask you vets these questions. I appreciate it more than you know!!

When you are ready to try some cream soup, you can stir in a little unflavored protein powder.  Just don't do it when the soup is super hot, and don't add too much.

I had a notebook for the first couple of months to help me keep track of everything.  My plan was pretty straight forward - liquids for 2 1/2 weeks and then pureeds 2 1/2 weeks until solids at 5 week followup.  We were to have our meals every 2 hours at the beginning up to 6  or 8 times per day - needed to get lots of liquids and protein, and you don't want your pouch empty, it can cause excess acid, ulcers.

For liquids, GNC makes a Isopure Zero carb protein drinks - they are like coolaide and have 40 gram of protein for 40 ounces.  You can also get muscle milk - they make a premade protein drink in either bottles or little milk boxes and they taste pretty good.  Just read the lables, it is weird because everytime I buy them and each store - the calories, proteins - everything is different = they must have 20 different recipes.  I usually get the  Muscle Milk Light - chocolate flavor.

You can make your own shakes with Whey protein  = GNC has there own brand = Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein.  I love the chocolate and comes in about 15 flavors or so.  You can buy it, save your receipt. IF you dont' like it, return the unused part.  Great for testing out different flavors.  I didnt' like the cookies and cream

I also make protein hot chocolate buy putting chocolate protein powder in SF hot chocolate -just never put the protein powder directly into the hot chocolate - you will get a huge, clumpy mess. You have to disolve the protein powder in a small bowl of cool water first and then combine them first.  It is delicious and 35 grams per mug with 1 1/2 scoops of chocolate whey protein.  My protein shake is 45 grams.

for creamy soups - I love Campbells' Creamy Tomato - I lived on it at the beginning and just started eating it again - it is so good.

for water - just sip, sip, sip.

get little 1 ounce medicine cups - my surgeon gave them to me when I left the hospital.  By 2 weeks, 2 ounces every 10minutes, 3 weeks - 3 ounces every 15minutes, 4 weeks, 4 ounces every 20minutes and progress from there.  I also bought 3 ounce and 4 ounce cups. It made it easier for me to know exactly how much to drink. I filled it up and drank it.  Then I filled it up again and had it ready for the next one.  It was like a job the first month.  If you don't get your fluids in - you will end up back in the hospital.

I just wanted to add that in addition to different temperatures, low-cal flavoring really helps me get my water down.  I really have a hard time drinking straight, plain water - it just hits my tummy the wrong way and sometimes even makes me nauseous.  But if I add Crystal Light, Mio, or (my fav) 4C decaff light iced tea mix, it goes down really well and I can get it down a lot quicker.

I had the same problem with you with my protein drinks as well, and it took me about a month to a month and a half to find the kind that really worked for me post-op.  I found one that goes down for me better than all the others and that's the one I've been sticking with.

Hope that helps!

 The schedule is a good idea..it took me a good 2 weeks at least to get it figured out and i am still not that great at it.  i do get my fluids in but the protein not so much.  I was away for two weeks though so now i am home and can work on the protein.  also i was told only 3 small meals a day..i took it upon myself to add snacks of protein and i feel much better.  i think for me the small meals a day weren't working.  i was suppose to drink milk 3 times a day and that wasn't working...now i try chocolate milk (hot) and also i try for a snack after supper like SF pudding with protein powder or something like that..something to get me more protein until my food amounts go up.  anyways consult your physician if you need ... for me i was starting ot be hungry to often and uping the protein..heading 5 small meals helps me better.