1 week post OP my experience

Okay so it's been one week ago since I had surgery.  I am trying to get my water in via Popsicle, jello, water what ever I'm trying to get it in. The hardest thing for me is drinking the water and getting the protein in I have a protein shake I am drinking at it is 11oz it takes me over an hour (maybe longer) to get that 11 oz in plus I have to do 2 which makes it 22 oz. Gesh this is hard.

Oh did I mention that when I do eat the cream soups I don't even want to eat it so I feel like I am forcing it down. (this sucks) I take my vitamins and meds for pain (my pain is easing everyday) This is hard work.  I find myself setting an alarm on my phone when to eat ,when to drink, when take meds, when to drink protein, but I am always behind because It takes me so long to finish one food or drink by the time I am done it's time to start something else.  I am not sure what to do or even if I am doing it right.............. Good thing is I've lost 14lbs since surgery day.

Are you counting your protein drink towards your liquids? Any water in your food counts. So you can even count the liquid portion of your soups and stuff.
It'll get a little easier everyday as the swelling goes down.

You're doing great!

Your biggest concern right now is ONLY water! I'm deadly serious. IF you can get some protein in, great, but liquids are all that matter right now.
Please trust me on this, just worry abou****er. A week from now it will be even easier and maybe then you can add in the protein from other liquids. I doubt I could get down 1-2 oz of chicken noodle soup broth, never mind cream soups.

Water is your friend. Drink often. You should have a bottle of water or whatever with you at all times. Seriously! It should be the last thing you look at at night and the first thing you see in the morning. Every sip counts.

It gets better. Read some messages about people a couple weeks out and learn from them.

Thank you so much I will do just tha****er water and more water. I do NOT want to be dehydrated!

Found it the same way, I think after the 2nd week of fluids I was able to drink more. It was always a challenge to get all my liquids in. If ya don't like the cream soups don't drink them, stick with protein shakes and if they are 11 oz just pour 4 oz into a glass and work at it that way. Basically ya keep a drink with ya at all times the first 3 weeks, it is your full time job at the time lol.

It will come, trust me. I am just starting mushies today and wait til ya can see how little the amount of food that you will be able to eat. Hard to believe you are not hungry still, so now I am trying mushies, not enough protein from the amount of food I can eat so I will probably still need two protein drinks and lots of water to go yet.

Hi Denean!

I bet it does suck to force down the cream soups!!  Ick!  Lisa is right, the only thing you have to "force" is the water right now.  I am 5-1/2 weeks out and I can tell you it gets easier every day - unless you get dehydrated!  If it's easier to drink 11 ounces of water (flavored or not) than a protein shake, then do *22* ounces of water and 2 shakes right now.  Do whatever you need to do to get in at least 64 ounces of fluids. 

I got some protein hot chocolate from one of the online bariatric stores (they all sell it) and it is yummy (I don't think it tastes like a shake) and sometimes warm goes down easier than cold.  I also liked the Unjury chicken soup flavor protein - it's warm and it's not sweet and it has 21 g of protein in it.  It's also thin compared to cream soups and even some shakes, so drinking it didn't feel like work. 

You are going to do great!  Fourteen pounds in a week is amazing!!  Drinking more water helps increase my weigh loss - maybe yours too!

My dietician said the Isopure protein drinks count as both.

Might want to check with your dietician and see if she/he feels the same way.

Good luck and I hope you feel alot better soon.

Dont beat yourself up.  Your stomach is still healing and of course the fluid and protein requirements will be harder to obtain at this level.  I had my surgery on the same day and spoke to the nurse a few days ago about the fluids and she said  "gradually" you will be at the 64oz of fluids and 60-80 grams of protein.  The first 3 days I was in a bit of a haze so  I concentrated on the meds more so than anything else.  The last thing you want to do is make yourself sick.  Just remember nice and easy out of the gate. 

As of today, I am probably around 30oz of fluids and 20-30oz of protein a this point.  Really sick and tired of the broth, cottage cheese, yogurt, SF pudding.  I left a message for the doctor's office about starting the PUREE STAGE which begins on weeks 2-4.  I am just not sure if the 1st week starts from surgey day or they day I came home from the hospital.

Good luck to you!!

Thank you! I appreciate what you have shared.

Get some clear protien drinks like IsoPure or Proti-diet.  Go to a GNC or other "performance" suppliment store, there are other clear protiens on the shelf.  Those clear protien drinks count as both.  As far as the soups go, I did real well with Amy's organics blended and strained and thinned with milk  I added some unflavored whey protien to get my protien in.  They taste good and you can warm it up not hot, the whey does not like th heat.  Sit and eat it slow with a spoon with the familiy dinner.