Will I ever be able to eat real food again?
I am 4 weeks out and I still cannot eat anything solid...such as eggs (in any form), chicken salad (chopped up chicken w/mayo****ep going back to blended soups, yogart and protein drinks. I am getting so tired of drinking my food. Everytime I try to eat eggs or any kind of finely chopped meat it gets stuck in my throat and I end up throwing it back up.
Please let me know that life will get better & I will be able to eat normal food again...maybe even let me know that it will happen soon...my doctor keeps telling me it will get better...that this is normal...but I am getting restless & want to chew on something. 
I am taking small bites, but by the time I chew it 20-30 times it has become a big bite (or at least that is what I feel like). Soup definitely goes down better...where I do not have to chew. Did you find it hard to not drink anything while you were eating? I am finding it extremely difficult, I feel like I need something to help the food go down...plus it seems like I am eating all day to just get the little bit of food in that I am getting in, so then I cannot get the fluid in if I cannot drink...wow this is so crazy...I am trying to be positive about this...I know this will end...I guess I was not prepared for how difficult it was going to be to swallow anything. Thank you for your advice...I will try to take even smaller bites and chew more. =)
I am 6 weeks out and let me tell you, I can eat a heck of a lot more than I could at my 4th week. My 4th week was by far the worst week for me. It was hard for me to eat the foods allowed to me, and I felt funky everytime I ate. Also when I say I can eat more I don't mean amount wise, I mean option wise. Just be patient, you will be able to eat normal again. Like Amy said take small bites and make sure to chew them up very well. That might help as well.
My surgeon's standard protocol is four weeks on full liquids followed by four weeks of purees. So when I was at your stage, I was just transitioning from full liquids to purees and I had to do it carefully! I was just testing out things like yogurt and cottage cheese and had to be very careful. Thinking of trying to eat chicken or eggs at that point seems like it would not have gone well! After four weeks of purees, I did fine with soft foods as long as I kept them truly soft (easy to cut with a fork) and ate tiny bites and chewed very well. And now I can eat just about anything with no problem whatsoever. So I don't think there is anything wrong with sticking at the earlier food stages until you get more comfortable with eating solid-ish sorts of food, and have every confidence that you'll get there eventually. There is no rush!
It sounds like you're trying to eat too fast. Try slow-cooked, moist meat. Go for chicken thighs and legs instead of breast. Try adding some kind of sauce or gravy with it. All veggies should be overcooked and mushy. One thing not tender enough can mess up everything else coming down. Think crock pot for now. Eat very slow, allow time for food to work its way down before your next bite.
Valerie
DS 2005
There is room on this earth for all of God's creatures..
next to the mashed potatoes
Yes you will be able to eat normal food again. Someday. Oh, I so remember feeling like that! It gets better. Take your time. I never did like the ground meats phase. Some parts of this journey you just have to endure. Sometimes our tastes change and change back. Some have said boiled eggs went down easier than scrambled at first.
HW=362(6/14) SW=314(9/14) GW=195 CW=270 (1-26-2020)
All our plans are different. At 4 weeks I was just eating puree foods. Nothing solid. SF puddings, cottage cheese, refried beans, sweet potato, cream of wheat, yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, laughing cow wedges, hummus and my protein shakes and water. I didn't start eating soft foods until 5-7 weeks. It really does get easier. I tried eating a scrambled egg at 4 weeks and my stomach didn't agree with it. But now that I'm 12 weeks, I can now enjoy scrambled eggs! Hang-in-there.
