oh man..is this normal..

 okay so i am 1 week out from surgery ..at first i couldnt get alot of water down but i could eat what i was supposed to...now im at the soft food stage and i cant eat...for some reason i just get it in my head that ill throw up or something if i do..but i drink alot..still not enough but im trying to get there im always so dehydrated..i just want to know if anyone else experienced this or do i not make any sense at al!!! oh and can i just ask what do you all consider sipping i think im not getting in enough water cause im sipping to little or something...blah i dont know...i  just dont understand what my stomach is doing ive never felt like this before...thanks!!-kristin

Hey Kristin! It's totally normal. I was almost scared to eat after surgery...like I was going to stretch the pouch or the staples were gonna bust or there'd be a leak or something. First, try and relax. Eating and drinking right after surgery creates some odd sensations...it's almost like you're more aware of what everything feels like as it goes down. It's weird! My nutritionist told me that after surgery the opening to your new pouch is about the size of the top part of your index finger - above the first knuckle. So it stands to reason that you can only sip and swallow small portions of anything. It's summer, so it's really important to drink as much water as possible. It will help keep you hydrated and help the weight loss move along as well. As long as you take small bites and chew everything (or breakdown the soft stuff) as much as possible before swallowing, you shouldn't throw up. I have thrown up from not chewing stuff thoroughly, but never from soft foods....from things like chicken or shrimp. Neither of which I recommend for at least a month! Yogurt (with NO fruit chunks), cottage cheese, non-fat refried beans, jell-o...all good protein-rich, soft options. Use a teaspoon and make your bites about half a teaspoon each. Don't be afraid to eat, you could get malnourished! My throat and tummy made all kinds of noises whenever I drank and ate the first couple months after surgery. It gets better, I promise! Nicole

Agreed.  Totally normal.  Time heals all.  Just wait it out, it'll happen!