SIPPER OR GULPER

I WAS SITTING HERE PLAYING ON THE PUTER DRINKING MY RASPBERRY ICE AND WONDERED, ARE YOU A SIPPER OR A GULPER ? I PERSONALLY AM A GULPER. WHEN I SAY A GULP I MEAN FILLING YOUR MOUTH W/ THE FLUID THEN TAKING 4-5 SWALLOWS. I DON'T DRINK FROM A GLASS, I DRINK FROM A BOTTLE, SO IF I SIPED IT WOULD TAKE ME ALL DAY AND NIGHT TO GET IN THE 16.9oz THAT'S IN THE BOTTLE LET ALONE THE 60oz OR MORE THAT WE NEED TO DRINK. WHAT DO YOU ALL DRINK? I PERSONALLY AM ADDICTED TO WALMART'S SUGAR FREE LITTLE PACKETS, RASPBERRY ICE, GRAPE, FRUIT PUNCH, CHERRY LIMEAIDE. ESPECIALLY THE PUNCH AND LIMEAIDE, OH LA LA, TASTES LIKE DRINKING "REAL" KOOL AIDE. I ALSO DRINK AQUAFINA'S CIRTUS BLEND AND NESTLE'S ORANGE AND LEMON SPLASH. GREAT CHANGE OF PACE. ISN'T AMAZING WHAT GOES THROUGH OUR HEADS WHEN WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO? THIS IS MY DAY OFF AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO A THING EXCEPT TAKE MY WALK LATTER TODAY. HAVE TO BACK AT WORK TOMORROW AT 0640 FOR 12hr SHIFT. BUT I CAN'T COMPLAIN, I LOVE WHAT I DO, WHO WOULDN'T, WHEN THEY DO LABOR AND DELIVERY/ NEWBORN NURSERY FOR A LIVING. THE ONLY TIME IT GETS BAD IS WHEN YOU GET A REALLY SICK BABY LIKE I GOT YESTERDAY. BABY WAS 35wks AND WAS RESPIRATORY DEPRESSED. WE HAD TO INTUBATE THE BABY AND BAG (breath for it) HER FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE SHE'D BREATH ON HER OWN. I'LL CALLED THE HOSP. WHEN I FIRST GOT UP THIS MORNING AND SHE'S DOING GREAT. STILL HAS THE IV I PUT IN HER YESTERDAY BUT STILL BREATHING ON HER ON AND IS NOW EATING. SO THAT'S REWARDING. HOW DID I GO FROM DRINKING TO TALKING ABOUT WORK? WHO KNOWS, THE BABY MUST HAVE BEEN ON MY MIND. THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT. DONNA, SFY

I guess I'm a sipper? I do notice however, in the middle of the night when I get really thirsty, I tend to gulp, and no..I don't hold it in my mouth for a few swallows, I really GULP it down. I drink Tropicanna sugar free drinks - orange ade and fruit punch. Fruit punch is my favorite, I supplement with the orange on occassion. I also don't drink them "straight up" - but mix them just about 50/50 with water. I've also started drinking hot tea (lemon) on occasion and now my new found love...sugar free/decaf International Foods "French Vanilla Cafe" in the mornings - YUM.

PAT, DO YOU MIND IF I CALL YOU PAT? AS A FORMER NEW YORKER WE TEND TO SHORTEN EVERYONES NAME, BUT IF YOU PREFER PATRICIA I'LL CALL YOU THAT. HAVE I CONFUSED YOU YET? I HAVEN'T TRIED THOSE TROPICANA DRINKS YET, THEY'RE NOT CARBONATED ARE THEY? I WOULDN'T THINK SO. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO AND GET SOME SOON. SINCE YOU MIX THEM 50/50 ARE THEY VERY SWEET TASTING? I LOVE HOT TEA ALSO, I'VE BEEN DRINKING IT FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, TWO WAYS, ONE W/ LEMON, AS MY FATHER'S MOTHER USED TO DRINK IT AND SOMETIMES W/ MILK, AS MY MOTHER'S MOTHER USED TO DRINK IT. SO I GUESS I'LL NEVER BE BORED W/ TEA. I'VE NEVER BEEN MUCH OF A HOT COFFEE DRINKER BUT IF YOU OFFER ME COLD COFFEE THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY ALTOGETHER, GO FIGURE. SO NOW, BESIDES THE TROPICANA I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO BUY SOME INTERNATIONAL FOODS COFFEE. SURE, MAKE ME SPEND MORE MONEY. DONNA, SFY

I go by Patti typically. The Tropicanna drinks are non-carbonated and sold in the soda aisle. They are a Pepsi product and come in 2 liter bottles and 12 packs (of cans). I have seen them in Orange Ade, Fruit Punch, and Lemon Ade...regular and sugar free. I love them. They are sweet to me, but then again, I find the Crystal Light drinks too sweet and water them down as well, just makes it easy for me to drink them in larger quantities. Once I get the mix of water to juice right, they taste so good and go right down.

I am a bit of a gulper. Dave yelled at me last week because I was gulping and he said "You're not supposed to do that." I can't wait until he has his surgery and is trying to get in his water or is hungry for something and does something like that or eats something and it doesn't agree with his pouch and he throws up. I do that and he says "The doctor said...." I mainly drink tap water. I have a huge Tupperware cup that I think hold 32 oz. and I fill it with a tray of ice and then top it off with tap water and drink it. I have tried some of the crystal light drinks and they don't agree with my pouch. I also drink a protein shake every day with 12 oz of milk (8oz of skim milk + four 1 oz frozen milk cubes) and I eat SF popsicles. My favorite right now is SF Popsicle Brand Lifesaver Popsicles. MMMMmmmm!!! Hugs, Tabby

I would have to say I am a sipper all day long. I can gulp at times. I try to drink half of my water intake as flavored water and half as reg H2O. I also love the Wal-Mart SF packets favors are Tropical punch, cherry Limeade, pink lemonade, cherry, raspberry ice, ect. Glad to hear the baby is doing well today. My youngest son was born at 35 weeks and without the excellent care from the staff at the hospital I am not sure what would of happened. I think about them every year around his birthday (Feb 18th) and wonder how many more people lives they have touched since they touched ours almost 5 years ago. Hugs~~ Deanne

DEANNE, IT SEEMS LIKE ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING THOSE LITTLE PACKETS. THEY'RE SO EASY TO CARRY EVERYWHERE YOU GO. I'M SO STUCK ON THEM THAT I HAVE A BOX OF EACH FLAVOR BOTH AT HOME AND AT WORK. IT'S AMAZING, THE MORE PEOPLE I TALK W/ THE MORE I HEAR OF BABIES THAT WERE BORN PREMATURE. THEY'RE RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. I LOVE TAKING CARE OF ALL OF MY BABIES ( I CONSIDER THEM MINE TILL THEY GO HOME, AND TELL THE PARENTS THAT) BUT THOSE LITTLE ONES ARE MY SPECIALTY AND STEAL MY HEART. MOST OF THEM HAVE STRUGGLED SINCE THEIR FIST BREATH AND I JUST WANT TO HELP EASE THAT PROBLEM. SO IN THREE DAYS YOUR BABY WILL BE ANOTHER YEAR OLDER, GIVE HIM A FOR ME. DONNA, SFY

TABBY, DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." DID YOUR SURGEON TELL YOU NOT TO GULP? I NEVER REALLY GOT ANY ADVISE AS FAR AS THAT GOES, I WAS JUST TOLD TO DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. I JUST GOT A PICTURE IN MY HEAD OF YOUR DAVE'S PUCH NOT AGREEING W/ HIM AND YOU STANDING OVER HIM SAYING; "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." I WISH I LIKED "PLAIN" WATER. TO ME IT HAS NO TASTE, ACTUALLY OUR WATER DOWN HERE HAS A REALLY BAD CHEMCIAL TASTE, I'VE HAD IT'S CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS CHECKED OUT AND THE RESULTS ARE FINE. IT COULD BE MY TASTE BUDS THOUGH, SINCE THIS SURGERY MANY THINGS DON'T TASTE THE SAME. I WISH I COULD TOLERATE THOSE PORTEIN SHAKES, THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE A STRUGLE GETTING IN ALL THE PROTEIN WE NEED. DONNA, SFY

BOTH! Well sort of LOL. Hot stuff - sipper.. other wise it burns the poor 'ole lips and tongue Every thing else.. GLUPER!!! I can down a 16 ounce of water in no time lolol. I admire NICU nurses so much. My son was born 10 weeks early and weighed 2.6lbs and I got to know our NICU nurses here very well before we finally made it home. I couldn't do what you do. Nope I sure couldn't. Hats of to you!!! *huggles* Felicia =0)

FELICIA, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I ALSO SIP AT TIMES, JUST W/ HOT STUFF. BUT SINCE THAT IS SO RARE I CONSIDER MYSELF A GULPER. NICU NURSE'S ARE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER NURSE, WE JUST DO THINGS ON A MUCH SMALLER SCALE. WHEN I FIRST STARTED OUT I WORKED W/ THE GERIATRIC CROWD THEN WENT TO MED/SURG, THEN ICU, THEN ER NOW I'M WHERE I WAS MENT TO BE. I'VE FOUND THE BEST AND MOST CHALLANGING AND REWARDING PLACE TO WORK. JUST THINK, I STARTED OUT CHANGING BIG DIAPERS NOW I'M CHANGING TINY DIAPERS, GO FIQURE. SO HOW IS THE LITTLE BOY DOING NOW? WEREN'T YOU AMAZED THAT GOD GAVE YOU SUCH A SMALL MIRACLE? AND TO BE WHERE HE IS TODAY IS AMAZING. I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR THE GIFT HE'S GIVEN ME, THE ABILITY TO CARE FOR THESE HELPLESS BABIES. DONNA, SFT