Timing intake on liquid stage

Hi all-

5 days post-op, doing pretty well. Just have a question for you all that no one in the hospital could answer before discharge:

since im on fluids only, do I need to wait 30 min. after my protein shakes to start drinking fluids? I am having trouble finding enough time in the day to get my extra water in between the protein shakes and the 1/4 cup protein mini supplement meals (soup, pudding, yogurt).

Thanks!

Since you are only eating / drinking fluids, you do not have to wait 30 minutes to drink your water. That is only a rule with solid type foods.

Thanks!

The paper work I got from my Surgeons office said do not drin****il 30 minutes after meal. Then it stated a protein shake is a meal replacement. which means no drin****il 30 minutes after. I would ask your surgeons office.

I don't wait after protein shakes. The consistency of my shakes is about the same as water or milk, so I never saw any reason to hold off.

I didn't start that rule until I was on purees.

My surgeon said it's not necessary to wait after the protein shake because it's all liquid, and that the protein shake could be counted as a liquid. Yes, it's a meal replacement but it's a liquid meal replacement. I didn't have to wait after meals until I made it to the soft foods stage.

If you're unsure, give your centre a call. It may vary from place to place.

Good luck.

I appreciate everyone's input because I asked just about everyone in the hospital and the doctors and no one could specifically answer that for me. So, I'm doing similar to you are. They do have me on strained cream soups every other "meal" and I wait after those because they are thicker.