What to have at home for diet after surgery?

Hi All,

I've been consuming posts on this forum for several days now... I wish I would have found this place sooner.  I think my problem was that I am still in a state of disbelief that this miracle is really going to happen for me!  I never thought I'd be approved and scheduled for DS.  But I am, scheduled for 9/21/11... that's 4 days!!  OMG.  So I kind of stalled on looking for resources, I guess because I never believed this would really happen for me.  I still don't think I'll really believe it until I'm getting ready for surgery on Wed. morning.

Anyway, I have a question regarding preparation for coming home from the hospital.  I am supposed to be on a full liquid diet for the first week, then on to pureed foods.  I have read that your taste buds change, so what is good to have at home for when you come home from surgery?  What is the easiest to tolerate right out of surgery?  What should I have at home for protein sources that I can have on a full liquid diet?

Also, the vitamins... my pre-op appointment isn't until the day before surgery, and I'll be spending all day at the docs and pre-registering at the hospital, so it's not really enough time to get all the info, and then just have one evening to prepare... so should I just take the vitamins that Dr. Stewart offers at his office at first?  I already have Vit D, since I was already deficient, but should I have anything in addition to that for that first week?

Thanks for any input.  I think it's finally dawning on me that this is really going to happen, so I'm starting to get a little freaked out, but in a good way, I think!

Kri

Welcome aboard! First, don't panic--make lists.

Early foods and fluids to have on hand:
Sugar free Popsicles
Diet cranberry juice
Fruit2O
Protein shakes (chocolate Syntrax Nectar is good with little aftertaste)
Lacataid milk
low carb plain Soy milk
herbal tea
fresh lime
Splenda
sugar free jello
cream of "whatever" soup
bottled water...just in case your taste buds kick in and your water tastes like it's got metal shavings in it

Vitamins are second to staying hydrated but checkout www.vitalady.com for a beginners DS vitamin plan. One click. Start slowly and over a couple or 3 months get all of them in.

Good luck!

--gina

If you can swallow ANY vitamins that first week I'll be impressed. You will need to focus entirely on HYDRATION. Supplements will come in a little while.

In those first couple of weeks I did well with yogurt, pudding, smooth soups, egg drop soup, several different kinds of mildly flavored water drinks and a few sugar free popsicles. The protein supplements I liked before surgery gagged me afterwards. The only one I could choke down was Protica Profect protein "bullets."

The awful taste of protein supplements motivated me to get my protein from food ASAP :-).

Elizabeth -

A month out and the only protien I can choke down (besides food items) is the Protica Profect vials too.  Everything else makes me gag or puke.  How long did you stay on these?  I am nervous about the kind of protien it is.

Thanks
Holly

Oh, I suppose it was a couple of months, maybe three, before I could confidently consume 100 grams of protein in food. You don't develop protein malnutrition all THAT quickly as long as you're consuming some protein daily.

People *do* survive just fine without protein supplements. It's just not the greatest of ideas to go that route if you don't have to.

On September 17, 2011 at 4:40 PM Pacific Time, hollyweasel wrote: Elizabeth -

A month out and the only protien I can choke down (besides food items) is the Protica Profect vials too.  Everything else makes me gag or puke.  How long did you stay on these?  I am nervous about the kind of protien it is.

Thanks
Holly



I stayed on them as my protein at first and then in addition to my protein...I know for over six months...maybe a year.  And my protein numbers were fine.

I got freaked out too, it will be fine like EN and MM said at first you will need to get soft foods and as much fluid as you can handle.Every week gets eaiser. i did liquid vitamins the first few weeks then i slowly was able to get my vits in. I was told sip and walk and it made me feel much better. you will be amazed cause this has been the greatest and quickest 2 years of my life.

Major Mom has a good list there. 

The most important thing will be getting and staying hydrated.  Don't underestimate how hard that may be after surgery when your new tiny stomach is feeling even smaller than it is because it's swollen from being cut and stitched.  Drinking will be a full-time job for the first couple of weeks after surgery.  You will probably need to re-learn what a sip is.  I know I had to.  For me, a sip wasn't a gulp and it wasn't even a regular swallow.  It was really small or else it hurt.  Think in terms of a teaspoonful.  You'll need to be sipping all day to avoid dehydration.  And avoid it you will want to do otherwise you'll feel awful with nausea, fatigue, headache, etc.

If you find out tha****er is difficult to drink try changing the temperature of it.  Some do better with ice cold water, others with warm water, still others like room temperature.  Experiment with what works for you.  One of the things that helped me get my fluids in during the early post-op period was grape Kool-aid.  I bought the packets that come unsweetened that call for adding your own sugar.  Except instead of making it according to directions I made it plain - jus****er and the Kool-aid packet.  Then, when I was ready to drink it I poured a glass then added Splenda to just that glassful according to how sweet (or not so sweet) I wanted it.  You may be surprised to find that sweet things taste WAY too sweet and salty things WAY to salty.  The tastebuds do some strange things after surgery.  Again, experiment with what works for you.

One of the things said around here often is to "sip, walk, rest, repeat".  All of those things will help in the recovery phase.

Good luck with surgery!

I just had my surgery on Monday, so I'm on this diet right now. My surgeon requires that you by their pre-packaged products for the 1st 2 weeks after surgery. They are each about 15 grams of protein and I'm supposted to try and get in 4 per day. They go over the full liquid diet that I don't get to start until 2 weeks when I go in for the 2 week checkup.
The products I'm on include protein soup packets (powder that you mix with ho****er), protein jello, and some protein shakes.
I also had to purchase vitamins for the 1st 2 weeks before & after surgery from the surgeon. I'm taking the celebrate chewable mulit & the chewable iron as directed by the doc. They haven't bothered me, I just make sure to take them with a few swallows of water to help get them down after I've had some soup.

I've found my favorite drink that goes down really well is Alpine sugar free spiced cider. I found it at Walmart by the hot chocolate packets. The warm drink feels really good on the tummy.
I also really like the propel zero as they taste better than plain water so I drink more of them.
Crystal light also works well for me, but some people have a problem tolerating it.
Hot tea is supposed to be good, I bought it, but haven't had any yet since I really like the cider.

Good luck to you, it will be here so soon. I freaked out a little too, I think everyone does a little.

What type of prepackaged protein are they suggesting?  Is it "Impact Recovery"?  If so, how do you like it?   I just got my date on Friday - YEAH!   They mentioned that product, but I haven't heard it  mentioned on the board before.  

I'll be switched Oct 14.  YEAH!!!  : )