Can you still gulp water after surgery?

I love drinking a nice big glass of cold water. After the surgery , and after the first 6 months, can you gulp 2-3 oz of water, or is it only small sips forever?  

Can you take a few small sips with a meal, or absolutely no water with meals?

I am trying to practice before surgery and find this very tough!  Thanks for your input.

Hi.
You will definitely want to take sips right after surgery. I can drink more now, at one time, but I still don't "gulp" water. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I know some can do that, after a few months out from surgery. For me, too, I'm learning to savor whatever I eat or drink (even water).
If you absolutely must take a sip with a particularly spicy meal (or whatever), you can. I just would try to avoid that. The point is that you want to keep your food in your tummy as long as possible, so you feel satisfied. If you think about your banana-shaped sleeve, water can easily flush out your food.
Whatever your doctor suggests, as far as how long before and after a meal you can drink, that's what you should follow. My doctor says drink up until you begin eating, but then wait one hour after eating. It seems more doctors say stop drinking 30 minutes before eating, and wait 30 minutes after eating.
Keep weaning yourself from drinking with meals. You might try using a 2-3 oz. shot glass with water, with your meals, as that will remind you to merely sip, and it will limit the amount you can consume. Plus, you can use it after surgery, when looking at an 8 oz. glass of water looks like an impossible task, to drink it all.
You'll be fine.
Blessings,
Mary

Mary....shotglass idea....FABULOUS tip!  Thanks!

I can glug a nice sized glass of water now, right after surgery - no. 

I do NOT take sips with meals - unless its a dry piece of chicken and the only way to gag it down is to drink something, but I make a point of not having camelbutt dry chicken.  :} 

I DO take a small sip of something at the end of my meal IF I am having vitamins or supplements that NEED to be taken with a meal or else they chew up my tummy.  No recreational drinking during dinner.

I eat on a schedule, so for example, I know that at 9 I am going to have a snack, so at 8:30 I put my waterbottle in the kitchen and the timer next to it, set for 30 minutes.  When the timer goes off - I go get my snack, eat it.  When I take my plate back to the kitchen - I push the timer for 30 more minutes and do not drink it (OR BRING IT WITH ME****il the time is up.   If I have vitamins I need to take, I will take a little sip, enough to get them down, but again, not a big ol satisfying gulp as in days past.

Sometimes, if you are like me, you are so USED to drinking with meals (and I drank a LOT, like I could blow through 2 or 3 glasses of diet coke and a glass or two of water when we were out) you need to put it out of your reach, because its a habit you need to break.

Its a challenge, but its better than feeling like you are going to lose your tiny lunch!  :}

i can drink a good amount after only a couple of months...not like i used to...but i will take the trade off...the small sips arent "forever"...

the only thing that IS forever, is that you cant overeat...if you do, you body will certainly let you know...i havent chucked either, but have been awful close a few times...i dont drink with meals...its one of the few things i am doing right...

ifyour gonna practice anything, practice eating slower...and listening to your own body signs...they are there...youve just ignored them for years...thats how we all got where we are...or were...and practice finding your "patience"...i know that sounds weird, but it is SO very true...find it...hear it...heed it...

youll be fine...

I too was a water chugger too and this concerned me. After about 2 mos. I was able to drink a glass of water pretty quickly again.

I also drink sips durring meals with little problems, my Dr. said that is fine as lons as it is to keep things moist and not to much, if I over do it it causes discomfort.

It all wort it!

 

I am going to totaly miss being able to chug down a bottle of water. i love love love water.
I could live on water and tea, too bad I can't think of any protein to stick in unsweet tea.. I'd for sure get in enough.

I've seen several people say that after the swelling went down that they could drink like normal, so I'm looking forward to that. Maybe, I can't chug, but I'd sure like to think I"ll be drinking 'normal' whatever that may be.

Hi Robin!   

This was my biggest concern pre-op!!! In fact I would not have had the surgery if I could not drink normally again ASAP. I've always had a big thirst and I was fearful I'd lose the ability to drink enough to satisfy it. Four days post-op I was able to drink enough to feel that my thirst was met. More than 2 weeks out now and I can drink 4 or 5 relatively large swallows in a row. The only time it hurts is if my tummy isn't done digesting the earlier meal.

Good to know.  I am 2 days away from surgery and am worried about this too!

Its like a baby that goes from crawling, walking, then running....at first it seems impossible to get anything down in a short amount of time but as time goes on you can drink larger amounts until you can gulp again..