Question:
Help! I am two weeks post op and I am afraid to even drink water because I am

always feeling nauseous and full even without eating much. I don't feel as if I have a handle on how to eat or time my eating. Please advise.    — diagnostic (posted on June 9, 2008)

June 8, 2008
just take it very slow!!!! you need to pull out your diet packet from your surgeon's office or nutritionist and review it if you are unsure of what to eat....at this point you should probably be able to advance to soft foods. try one thing at a time and see how your body accepts it before you try something else. eat very,very slow and chew,chew,chew your food. good luck and i'm sure you will do fine...hope this helps...Holly p.s. stay away from sugar and carbs!!!
   — RNlvnCARSON

June 9, 2008
Sip your water, do not gulp. Some patients complain of pain with chilled water, so you should probably start with room temp water. There is one woman in my support group that says she can only drink water with lemon in it. At support group meetings I find others that use Crystal Lite daily, to flavor their water. you need your fluids. Without them, you'll be come dehydrated, leading to other health issues. DAVE
   — Dave Chambers

June 9, 2008
I agree with the previous authors, I guess the only other thing I can add is that nausea is common after surgery... call your surgeon and ask him for some anti nausea medication. This goes away after a few weeks usually. Good luck, Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
   — DawnVic

June 9, 2008
As you take things slowly, be sure you drink water. Even if you are nauseous, please drink water. Sip if you must, but in this heat and heat coming, you need water. Just take it slowly, every body is different. Try sipping broth or soup, find something that is of comfort and smooth to eat. Many nibble on pintos and cheese from taco bell. It is very difficult to tell someone what to eat because everyone is so different, you just need to start slow, eat small, and be sure to drink that water. Take care. Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

June 10, 2008
As said before, sip the water, also try room temperature not cold water. You may not want to go past clear liquids while you are nauseaus. I would definatly recommend touching base with the Doctor,why suffer when they can help. Good Luck.
   — melcha

June 10, 2008
It iS hard to get a handle on eating after we have this surgery but don't worry about it too much this soon. When I first advanced to puree at two weeks, I could eat maybe one or two tablespoons of food per meal! I took tiny little bites and took my time. I would even eat by myself if I was feeling anxious so that I could relax a bit. Make sure you are sipping your fluids all day! Try some broth, sometimes warm fluids relax your pouch a bit. Good luck!
   — Nanci H.

June 11, 2008
congrats on the surgery. Everyone is giving you the right advice. I am 4 mos post op. At first when I drank, it felt like a brick going down and sat heavy in my stomach....it even hurt although I was sipping little bits. I got a little dehydrated one day and knew it and it felt miserable. I forced myself to drink more. I also realized that I could no longer drink ice water; so just kept the water jug room temp (but if you are in a hot climate, you may need to put a little chill on it so you're not drinking WARM water. Anyway, take it slow....try to drink it room temp. My doc told me that even though protein is important, it's a goal that you have to get to; as well as the 64oz of water per day....but in the beginnig stage after surgery, water is more important than anything because you don't wanna get dehydrated. THINGS WILL GET BETTER....I'M A WALKING BILL BOARD OF THAT.
   — hatda

June 11, 2008
Just take it slow. Everyone feels this way in the very beggining. What ever you do don't stop drinking and eating it will only make things worse for you. Contact your Dr. for some help
   — tracyv07