5 day update

Hey there everyone! I haven't been online much since my surgery. Between being in the hospital for a couple days, wanting to rest, getting out to walk, and getting to bed earlier just because I can (hehehe Daddy has to take care of Kylie!hehehe) I haven't been touching the computer. So today was day 5 and I am starting to add in some mushies. I've been living on protein drinks, soup/broth, water, and a SF popsicle or two. Today I had a little bit of mashed taters (w/ lunch soup) and then I had a little bit of refried beans (w/ dinner soup). I've been drinking a lot of water in between. Some SF iced tea too. As of this morning I've lost 18 pounds WOOHOO. Let's hope tha****er weight stays off hehehe and I keep on chuggin' along. I picked up some canned tiny shrimp to mash up with a little mayo. That should be good. Also got some ham spread. A band friend and my husband likes potted meat mixed with mayo, but I just can't STAND that stuff. YUCK! hehehe Someone recently posted about blending up some rotisserie chicken with cream of chicken soup. That sounds DELISH! I'll try that or maybe some cream of celery for something different. I f@rted on Saturday and it was the BEST ever! hehehe Each day has been better than the last and this morning I realized I can finally sleep on the side of my port. WOOHOO! The only thing I need to watch for is air bubbles in my belly. They hurt so bad! I had had a lot of phlegm since surgery is that normal? Oh, and is there a place where mushy food ideas are posted on the site??? Heather

Hi Heather. First of all congradulations. Glad to hear you are doing well. As for mushie food ideas - well I enjoyed some of the baby foods out there. In addition, I just blended what ever I made - especially protein wise in the blender. Added blended chicken and/or beef in the soups is great. Have fun experimenting. Try to stay away from that processe crap. It will hang you up later. Make sure you are getting 100-120 grams of protein in. I know the docs say 60 but those of us who have done well have kept our protein on the higher side. It will help you greatly when you are two -three- and four years out. Enjoy your journey. Have fun experimenting. Go slow and be careful. Debra

Hi Heather Sounds like you are on your way! How was the car show on Sunday? Did you go? We ended up in Hershey. We went up on Saturday and stayed over. Spent 5 hours walking around on Saturday (3-8 pm) then we were back there on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and left about 4:30. Hugs, Mo

Hey Heather - Glad to hear you're doing so well!!! Yup, potted meat smells like canned dog food to me! And my Mom loves it!!! ICK!!! As far as some mushy ideas, pretty much any protein you can puree (ick) would serve your purpose. I bought fresh shrimp - believe me, 5 pounds goes a LONG way for us!!! I would divide them into freezer baggies - about 12-18 per bag, and pop them in the freezer. I sautee them in butter (not a lot) and Old Bay, and when I was doing pureed (ick), I would add some light mayo and puree (ick) away. Also, ricotta cheese can be made savory with the addition of Italian spices, you can add mozz cheese and spaghetti sauce for a noodleless lasagna, or add Splenda, cocoa or flavored extracts for a shell-less cannoli filling. You're only limited by your creativity. And believe me, it's amazing how creative we can be. Watch the sugars in the baby foods. The only baby food I ever liked was the custard, and I think that has too many sugars. Sorry I can't help you with the phlegm! Hope it goes away soon! Take care, Tia

Congrats. I mentioned the rotisserie chicken pureed with cream of chicken soup (I guess you could use a chicken broth as well). My newest creation is Crabcake pureed with Cream of Crab soup. Talk about something tasting good. Yum, Yum! Yesterday, I started on soft foods. So, I bought another crabcake. This time, I then put it in the blender. I mushed it up a bit on my plate and mixed just a tad of tartar sauce (I guess you can try a fat-free mayo as well) and I took real small bites and chewed on it extra long as instructed. But don't try this until you get to the soft foods stage in your diet. Stick with the pureed for now.