Ouch! Yuck! What the...??

I went home from the hospital on soft foods so I don't know how soon is 'too soon' but! i do know it snowballs. If you have a ouchie episode you need to go back to smush for a day or so and let your stomach calm down. I made a mistake with that and was stuck off and on for 3 days (cause im stubborn and stupid).

(cause im stubborn and stupid). That's me! (I'm a Taurus...very bull-headed.)

You will quickly learn that what your idea of 'moist' was pre-op is not the same post-op.  Eggs are tough - very tough for many... my suggestion is to make them very watery/runny - if you make them scrambled style add some lf/ff cream cheese to them - it gives good flavor and makes them very slidey and easy to move thru.  With the fish - could have been something with the texture not working out well - even thou you chewed it well. I found the texture of food made the biggest difference of its ability to work with me or not. Its all a learning process so just keep on going. Any time a food doesnt work wait 2 weeks before trying to again... as more time passes it will get easier to tolerate different things.

((((Mare)))),

It takes a while and what doesn't work this week might work next week. All programs seem to vary on when and what to introduce. Mine kept me on liquids for the first 3.5 weeks. Go**** seemed like an eternity. When I did start eating, I had a hard time with eggs unless they were very wet ... so, let the eggs wait a while and try 'em again, very soft.

Not only do you need to worry about texture, but you also need to worry about quantity. Remember that your little baby pouch is much smaller now than it will be next week or the week after, because it's still swollen from the surgery. It takes six to 8 weeks for it to fully heal. I think that may be one of the reasons some that doesn't work this week might work next week, when the swelling goes down.

If you haven't done so yet, go over to Target. Go the isle where the sell silverware and look for the 9.99 set of appetizer cutlery ...  it has 4 canape forks, 4 demitasse spoons and 4 spreaders, but it looks like minature silverware. While you are there see about getting a couple of the tiny white condiment bowls ... I still use 'em ... the hold about a 1/4 cup. I found that eating with these tiny utensils required me to go even slower and take smaller bites than I was taking when I thought I was already going slow and taking small bites.

I hope that helps some.

Re: types of protien to tackle.

** Consider cottage cheese ... sweet w/splenda, vanilla, lemon and cinnamon tastes a lot like cheesecake ... mmm. For a savory solution, try adding tomotoe, basil, a touch of parmesean and you'll have a lasagna type flavor.

** Try refried or smashed beans with a bit of salsa ... mmmmm.

**  Make cottage cheese pancakes ... 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup egg beaters, 2 tbls milk, 2 tbls flour, touch of splenda to sweeten, vanilla and lemon or orange ... Mmmmm. Whip smooth ... I use my magic bullet. Spray a nonstick skillet w/Pam. Make two 3 in pancakes. Serve w/Sugar free syrup or better yet pureed berries. Enter food heaven! Cook the rest of the pancakes now and frig or freeze 'em or just refrig the batter.

** Wendy's Chili ... This will be your friend at home and away. I never had a problem with it, even very early on and it's been a lifesaver when I've been out and about and needed to tank up on something that would reliably go down easy and not make me sick.

I hope that these ideas help you some.

Hang in there kiddo. Honestly you are in the midst of the roughes****ers now, it get easier. Soooo much easier. And it's soooo worth it.

Love you,

Barb

I'm salivating for those pancakes right now! Sounds like a plan to try tomorrow. Thanks much. The hardest thing so far, really, is trying to wrap my head around not being hungry. I honestly didn't think that would be the case. Amazing! I'm so happy I made this decision. xoxo

I am too sweetie!!! I am too!

Let me know how you like the pancakes ... Even Sarah loves 'em!

Barb

I have been "experimenting" with Michael too. He was looking forward to me having this surgery because he thought he would eat better and lose weight. (He could lose 20 lbs, that's it!) Grrr...  Ha! I am still cooking for him all the things he loves. The past 3 days I have been substituting FF items with the "regular" ones and fixing healthier dishes that he would normally say "NO" to. I didn't tell him till tonight that the dishes are the same but the ingredients have been altered a bit. He didn't even notice! He is pleased, though, that the change was made without his knowledge. See? Alot of it's in the head.

So true, so true ... I wasn't sure that I could cook like I used to ... I guess I don't, but I do. I just am more careful and choose better ingredients now.

As you say, this is really all in our heads ... it just that now our bodies are going to work with us, instead of against us!

Love you,

Barb