Question:
I hear people on the message board talk about using meat tenderizer. Why?

Why are post op patients using meat tenderizer? Also, on another website I read that post op patients sometimes use LEMON LIFT TEA to help to keep their stomachs settled down post op. Has anyone here tried it and if so, does it work and where can I buy it?    — kathy S. (posted on May 29, 2000)

May 29, 2000
Hey Kathy: Meat tenderizer can be found in the spice section of your grocery store. It was recommended to me when I got a piece of turkey stuck over Thanksgiving. I was feeling miserable and could not get it to move. I took a sip of water and it came right back up. The water/tenderizer solution softens the meat so it can pass. Hope this helps.
   — Dot W.

May 30, 2000
Hi! The Lemon Lift Tea is good and can be found with your herbal tea bags in the grovery store. As for the meat tenderizer, it is used to help you pass a piece of meat you've swallowed without chewing it small enough to pass through your new tummy's opening into the intestine. One thing to remember: ALWAYS cut meat small enough before you put it into your mouth and this will NEVER be a problem. Easy, isn't it. But, if you get in a big hurry sometime cause you are so hungry that you forget you've had the surgery (and it could happen), then mix some meat tenderizer with water and swallow it. Give it a couple hours to work on the meat plug and hopefully the problem will be resolved.
   — Cindy H.

May 30, 2000
Kathy, I just re-read your post and about the tea, I use peppermint to settle my stomach. Celestial Seasons and Bigalow both have good peppermint teas.
   — jjames-thomas

May 30, 2000
Hi, I'm 13 weeks postop and I use a product I got from my local health food store called "Vitase Digestion Formula" by the Prevail brand. It contains enzymes which helps to break down meats. Not only is it uncomfortable to have meat in my pouch for hours and hours after I've eaten, but I found out that most proteins are broken down and absorbed in the stomach. If meat isn't broken down or digested enough in our little pouches, it won't be properly absorbed down the line, and the protein benefits are lost. So, its a good idea to help your pouch break down animal protein as much as possible. I take two of the enzyme supplements with beef or pork, and one with chicken or fish.
   — Elizabeth M.