Question:
When will I be able to eat a salad? Sandwich? Just want an idea. Thanks.

   — Janice P. (posted on February 11, 2002)

February 11, 2002
I was able to eat "sandwiches" fairly early (3 weeks or so) but stuck to thinly sliced deli meat, cheese, and flat bread or wraps or no bread for a while as bread made me dump. I think I ate regular sandwiches at about 1 1/2 months post op but only ate a little of the bread still. Salads took longer but mostly because I was scared to death of lettuce until I accidentally ate some in a taco and didn't die. =) I think I started to regularly eat salads (with a lot of meat and cheese in them for the protein) at about 3 months post op. After 6 weeks my surgeon released me to eat anything I could tolerate which, for me, was anything and everything except breads, sugar, and fried foods.
   — ctyst

February 11, 2002
This only reflects my own experience, but I was able to start eating most anything about 4-5 months post-op. Prior to that, I had to eat a very limited diet - only what I could tolerate. Hope the info. helps.
   — Terissa R.

February 11, 2002
Hi, My surgeon wanted us to wait until 3 months out before we have a salad...and let me tell you, when I finally had one, it was the GREATEST tasting salad I had ever had...Sandwiches, I had at about 3 months also...but only 1/2 and only toasted bread!! Good luck!!
   — chance2lv

February 11, 2002
I am 7 weeks post-op. I ate a p&J about my 2nd week. I cut all the crusts off and then some, it probably equaled 1/4 a sandwich. It went down fine. However, I had a bite of garlic bread and I did not chew as I should have, and had pain for about 15 min. It felt like a rock was stuck in my esphogas.
   — Cindee A.

February 12, 2002
I cannot eat bread at all. Even toasted I can hardly eat a 1/4 of one slice. I was up until Last week able to eat salad. now everytime I do I feel like I need to throw up. Makes me unhappy because I loved Salad before.
   — sbinkerd1

February 12, 2002
LOL...this question made me laugh. I am having surgery the day after tomorrow and a friend is taking me out for lunch (one of last pre-op meals)today. She asked what I wanted and I said, "I'd like to go to the diner for a nice, big, Greek Salad." Her confused response was "A salad????? You are having weight loss surgery and you want one of your last meals to be a SALAD???" I think she still doesn't get it. :)
   — PaulaM

February 12, 2002
I had surgery 6/21/01 and have only begun to be able to eat sandwiches in the last month! I can eat about 1/2 sandwich for lunch--turkey, tomato, mustard on thinly sliced whole wheat. I absolutely CANNOT drink with bread or it swells up in my stomach and causes pain. As for salad, I think I was about 2 months out when I had my first. Lettuce is hard! For the first few months I would eat individual veggies, such as grilled tomatoes with balsamic vinegar or cucumbers with a bit of salad dressing. I found that iceberg lettuce was easier to tolerate than romaine or mixed greens. If I didn't chew well, the lettuce felt like it got stuck.
   — PT LawMom

February 13, 2002
I can eat a little bit of a sandwich, but the bread is so filling and sometimes it doesn't feel like it's going down right...so it's not as easy or "fun" to eat as things that are more soupy or something crunchy, things like that...
   — Craig A.