Pain

Hey guys, I am 7days post op. I feel pretty good except, I have alot of tenderness on the left. (just below the breast) Must manuever certain ways in order to prevent severe pain. It tender to the touch. I see Dr. Tiesenga for 1st follow up. Don't know if I've lost any weight. I think maybe inches. I'll take those to. I'm on a full liquid diet and find myself very hungry about every 2-3 hours. Sometimes my stomach is rumbling alot through the night and I can't sleep. I get up and eat a popcicle. I know some of this is gas. I started taking tums the other day. It was all in my chest and back. Had to have some relief. I am lactose intolerant and having difficulty with cream soup w/ water and yogurt. To much tomato soup causes heartburn for me. Any fresh ideas on foods would be appreciated. Hey any ideas for breakfast other than protein shakes can only tolerate it in small does. In the past I have been a big breakfast eater. Example: pastries, steak skillets, pancakes, omelettes etc. I like a hearty breakfast.

Hi Stacey, If you had your surgery done laproscopic then the left side is where they went in with the camera. I had most of my pain on the left side too so that's normal. As far as breakfast..............they have sugar free maple and brown sugar oatmeal at Farmer Jack and that's considered a full liquid if you make it runny. Sugar free pudding is good too. I ate pretty much the same things while I was on full liquids and yes, it does get BORING and my stomach would just rumble and wrench because I was sooo hungry. Once you get to pureed foods in another week or so you fill up a lot more, just remember to take small bites, chew it until it's almost liquid and eat very slow otherwise it hurts soooo bad. I've done it twice already, being a pig and eating too fast which in turn makes you eat too much and it backed up in my esophagus and that is some pain, I'll tell ya!! I take a sweet potato and bake it for an hour or so then I cut me off a little piece, ma**** spray my Smart Balance spray on it and sprinkle it with garlic powder, it's sooooo good. Refried beans with cheese is also good, you can have these in a week when you get to pureed foods. Tuna on crackers is good too, just chew the cracker until it's mushy. Good luck!! Take care, Rachel

I started out with chicken broth and got sick of it in no time. You might want to try various flavors of the original Campbell's condensed soups. The kind you mix with a can of water. I put the soup and water in the blender and liquified the heck out of it. Heated up, its not bad and you do get some variety with the beef, vegetable and chicken varieties. Since the soup is half water, I can usually sip down five or six ounces of it. Be sure to eat only until your full. Eat really slowly. I dip my spoon into the soup and lick it off the spoon over and over forcing myself to take 45 minutes or more to eat it. Be sure to wait a half hour or so after you eat before you eat or drink again. I forgot that a few times and I got heartburn. You may have to wait a bit on the steak and eggs breakfast. You may be able to get away with a scrabbled egg with a little cheese cooked in a little milk (or water if you can't have ANY milk). Just be sure to chew it a eat it slow, slow, slow. Good luck and don't be afraid to look around the forums boards on this site. They are full of all kinds of great ideas from people who "have been there".

Hello. I am 2 weeks and 1 day post op and want to try tuna tonight. I'm going to do the tuna with crackers like you said. Do you know if you can make the tuna the traditional way with mayo and mustard (at least that's my traditional way) or do you have to eat it plain right out of the can? I'm so bored with soups.

Stacey, I had surgery on 9/20 and I have been on a full liquid diet. My doctor's protocol calls for 14 days of liquids followed by 30 days of pureed foods to allow the staple lines to heal properly. So I understand the boredom of limited eating choices. I find that if I drink at least 60-80oz of water a day, I'm able to feel full longer. I was also advised to get in a minimum of 60g of protein per day (I'm shooting for at least 80g per day... I hear it may help to prevent/slow down some of the hairloss). I too am lactose intolerant, so I use Lactaid FF Milk or Calorie Countdown FF milk from Hood (available at Super Walmart) to mix with Campbells Healthy request cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soups. Progresso also has a line of Carb Control soups you might want to check out. Danon Light and Fit yogurt (Carb and Sugar Control - only 3carbs so definately low in sugar content) with a scoop or 1/2 scoop of IDS Vanilla Cinnamon Protein Powder (4 g of protein in the yogurt and 28g of protein per scoop of IDS protein powder) is a good breakfast and sometimes lunch choice. I have also mixed the protein powder into SF Vanilla and Caramel flavored Jello pudding. Nectar Ice Tea protein powder mixed with water has also helped to boost my protein intake (27g per scoop). Tomorrow is the first day of my pureed diet and it's none too soon. More than food quantity, I have missed variety. Best of luck with your weightloss journey! GladysS