can't hardly swallow
Hi Everyone! I have a question. I tried to see if this has been asked before but couldn't find where it has, so here goes...I'm 2 days post op with VSG. I'm trying super hard to get all my water in but it has taken all day to drink 8 oz. When I swallow the water, there is a very uncomfortable feeling in my chest just for a few seconds. then it's like I can feel it going on down into the stomach and it makes noises too! I was just wandering if anyone else experienced discomfort in trying to swallow water? And if so, how long did it take for the swallowing to get back to "normal."? Thanks!
That's exactly how it was for me. I am 12 days post op and am just now getting in all of the fluids.
It gets easier by the day. Today its no problem, still have a little gurgling going on but no pain to speak of.
First day I got all 72oz of fluid and 100gm of protein. Previously I was able to get ONE OR THE other, but not both.
Do your best, it will happen. Don't let it worry you.
Hope that helps.
Rod
on 11/9/14 5:17 am
You drink a capful at a tIme. Then gradually increase it. This is the time to take it slow. Drink what you can. You are swollen from having a tube down your throat. Just rest, walk to help get rid of the gas they pumped in you and keep sipping.
"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue." --- Dorothy Parker
"You may not like what I say or how I say it, but it may be just exactly what you need to hear." ---Kathryn White
on 11/9/14 6:01 am
If you suck on Sugar Free popcicles the cold will have reduce the swelling.
"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue." --- Dorothy Parker
"You may not like what I say or how I say it, but it may be just exactly what you need to hear." ---Kathryn White
It takes a while, and you probably have to drink MUCH slower than you think.
I had a hernia repair along with my surgery, which may have contribute to swelling, but it would take me 30 minutes to sip 2 ounces ...... I used one of those plastic cups tha come with a bottle of liquid Tylenol.
Eventually, I drank one every 15 minutes, then, every 10 minutes.
But, drinking became a full time job for the first few days . I was asleep, or sipping and walking around the house to move gas around and out.
You might find that different temperature liquids are easier at different times of the day, too.
Warm tea might go down well, or cold water of Popsicles.... Try different things and aim to get more each day until you are up to about 64 ounces a day.
Lots of people have better luck with warm or hot liquids than with cold ones, so maybe try some tea or soup?
VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)
Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170
TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)
Totally normal. My first few days I too could hardly ge****er in. I did it one oz at a time. Focus on keeping hydrated more than the protein for these first couple of days. I found de cafe chamomile tea was wonderful. It went down well and helped with the healing. Some prefer ice cold, warm or room temp liquids. Experiment to see what works best for you. Good luck you will do great. I am 2 1/2 weeks out and drinking is not an issue at this point. Another idea, try sugar free popsciles for the sore throat. My sore throat lasted about 3 days.
Plain water is hard to get down when you first have the surgery. I used crystal lite and that helped a lot. and yes, this is perfectly normal. It takes a few weeks to get it back to normal. Just sip slowly. No doctor expects you to get in 64 ounces right out of surgery. It take some time to build up to it.
Just be patient. It will get better. Really, try the crystal lite and you will be amazed at the difference. Then eventually the plain water will go down easily.
