Maybe a dumb water question

It depends on what you mean by normal and it depends on how far out someone is from surgery.  I assure you that it's possible to consume liquid faster than it can empty from your pouch and that's fairly uncomfortable.  Pre-op, I was a big chugger who would reguarly slam 32 oz in about 20 seconds when I was thirsty.  Those days are definitely forever behind me.

So I agree with everything you said.  I can definitely still drink "pretty fast" but I tried to be very specific in my original post.

It is very easy for me to drink large quantities of liquid in just a few minutes.  32 oz is no problem at all.  My chosen sport is distance hiking and mountain climbing.  When engaged in these activities, I have consumed as much as 2 liters of water per hour -- that is ~64 oz -- with no problems at all -- done it hour after hour.  To get in the required calories, which can be as many as 5,000 per day, I drink heavily while eating, especially while consuming calorie-dense snacks during times of heavy athletic activity.  Chewing well and mixing everything into a slurry, this forces food and water through the pouch, which remains mostly empty, and into the intestines, where the calories are absorbed.

 So what is the difference if you drink 32 oz in three or four minutes or in 20 seconds?

My point is that there is noting about RNY that stops the intake of liquids (or calories) for that matter.  If you really need calories, you can consume straight oil - like olive oil - which has around 200 per tablespoon.

There is also nothing about RNY that changes the normal signals the body gives for when fluids need to be consumed.  I don't need to count the water I am drinking - I know I am properly hydrated when I am not thirsty.  During a strenuous hike and as a quick indicator, I make sure urine I am passing is light in color, not strong in odor and frequent.  If the frequency of urination drops and/or the urine becomes concentrated, I drink more to thin it out.  I also enhance my electrolyte intake with sodium and potassium, if sweating heavily.

The "64 oz per  day" thing is an old rule of thumb which, like BMI, is kind of useless when applied to individual people.  You need adjust it as per your situation, just as you need to adjust your calorie intake as your activity changes.

 

Although I understand your concept some people can chug a lot more at one time and in a short time than others.  I still can't drink more than 8 oz at a time or I'm in pain, serious pain like I better get walking and hope it doesn't want to come back up. 

I agree with this. The amount I can drink at one time is significantly diminished. It's getting better the further I get from surgery, but if I drink very much at once, I am miserable. It's not my pouch that seems to be the problem... It's the weird sensation I get when the water hits what I perceive to be intestines that makes me highly uncomfortable. No matter how thirsty I may be, trying to avoid that feeling deters me from chugging!!!

*HIJACK*    Dude, you have a face!   Good to see who we're posting to ...

Haha thanks.  I just can't figure out why some people show a slightly larger profile image when you hover over them but mine doesn't.  

I have rarely felt thirst. That's why I was chronically dehydrated pre-op and have to track post-op. I don't understand why I get so dizzy now when I didn't before. I only had 80 oz yesterday and almost passed out this morning.