Staying Hydrated

Hi to all. I had my colon removed (1st step of 2 step J-pouch surgery) on the 17th of September. I have a temporary ostomy and made the rookie mistake of becoming severely dehydrated and ended up in hospital to get I.V. fluids. They sent me home with instructions to take 4 Immodium / day. My question is, are there any other tricks of the trade to stay hydrated so that I do not end up back in the hospital.
Thanks in advance for any information you have to offer.

Try Coconut Water.

My ostomy nurses told me to sip all day...everyday. Your small intestine is learning that it has to absorb the things that used to be absorbed by the colon now. If you drink a lot at once it just goes through your system and your system doesn't have time to absorb it so you really aren't absorbing what you're drinking. I also drink at least 16oz if not more of G2 (less sugar) every day. They have powder packets that you can add to water and it's a nice taste change from the tea and water that I drink otherwise. Also - be careful of juices and other beverages that you drink as they may contain apple or grape juice as their primary ingredient and these are both diuretics that will speed things up. I learned this the hard way yesterday. 100% juice sounds good - but what kind of juice is it?? I was told I had to drink at least 80oz of liquid every day!! I didn't for just 1 day last week and it's taking time to get back to where I was before that day.

Jay25CA,
where might I find coconut water and is there a particular brand you use?

Also I want to thank you all for the great ideas.

HI THERE. IT IS REALLY SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU DON'T GET DEHYDRATED. BECAUSE WE LOSE A LOT OF FLUID WE CAN BECOME DEHYDRATED WITHOUT FEELING THIRSTY. YOU PROBABLY WON'T EVEN FEEL THIRSTY. ALSO, BY THE SAME TOKEN, YOU WILL LOSE BODILY SALTS SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU EAT SOMETHING THAT CONTAINS A LITTLE SALT. IT'S VITAL FOR THE BODY. YOU CAN BUY REHYDRATION SATCHETS FROM THE PHARMACY WHICH WILL DO THE TRICK. KEEP A PACK HANDY. YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DEHYDRATED BECAUSE YOU'LL FEEL LISTLESS, UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE, AND IRRITABLE.

Jinglebell-
I had the same problem when I first had my ostomy. Prior to, I rarely drank much of any liquids. After my colectomy, I was very aware of what and how much to drink. I avoided soda water since it always bloated me and also dehydrated me. I always carried a water bottle with me and tried to fill it up twice a day (I was in school at the time). I also avoided a lot of coffee since this would go right through me. To change things up a bit, I began drinking Crystal Light or similar drinks to give me a bit of variety. The doctors said that if I was really dehydrated or had the flue (vomiting or diarrhea) then I should either try Pedialite (or similar) or Gatoraide. The Gatoraide they suggested to water down since of the sugar content. The PediaLite apple is actually decent. If it is hot, I would always increase my 60oz to at least 75oz. Also, I try to get most of my beverages in before the evening so I am not up all night in the bathroom!
Good Luck!
-Maureen
____________________________________
diagnosed with UC in 1989
in remission until 2004
total colectomy and j-pouch construction in 2004
ostomy take down in 2005
doing great!