Carbonated drinks? Gum?

I am 11 years post op. Sometimes I can tolerate carbonation, but other times, not so much. But first couple of years post op, I couldn't tolerate things like that.

As for gum, SF gum had sugar alcohols, and even the small qty in a gum cause me to have very unpleasant gas. Plus I think as I chew gum I may have swallowed more air when chewing gum. A long time ago I gave up trying to chew gum. It's just not worth to have to hold the gas in when I was at work, or even by myself in a car. Nope.

It is amazing to me how MUCH time has changed what WLS peeps do or are allowed to do now versus 25 yrs ago. I guess now that revisions are so much a part of the new 'normal' and insurance pays the Bariatric Surgeons let it go. Anything is fixable. Maybe 25 years ago we didn't know so much about what could happen so it was better to not do things than do them and need another surgery. Still, I think sodas of any kind/type are a non-food and a waste of time for me, and my teeth (the ones I have left from all the years of bile reflux). I'll stay OFF of them. They never did much for me but put weight on me. Gum, now, was a whole nuther animal. I've been chewing sugar-free gum since about age 5 (so 60+ yrs). I bet I could buy a nice new truck with all the $$$$$ I have spent on the gum. The first time I chewed it after my RNY was months post-op and I did it out of habit at work (ER RN). When I swallowed it I had mega anxiety that it would get stuck in the outlet of my pouch's stoma. I called my Surgeon immediately and he told me I'd be OK as long as it wasn't a hug wad of gum (like Hubba-Bubba).

The theory we were taught in our Post Op Support Groups was that carbonated fluids got into the pouch/sleeve and cleared it out of any food that was in it PRONTO. I have seen videos on-line of it and it does do that. We were not allowed to drink ANYTHING for 2 hours after we ate food, back then. I have gotten in that habit and still do that. It allowed food to remain in the small pouch longer and to feel full longer.

Anyway, it's 'to each their own'. I'm not going through another OPEN surgery to eat or drink anything that isn't 100% healthy for my body. Namaste.