Question:
I am preop, but I am really worried about making it through the pureed stage

Anyone have any suggestions about what helped them through this time    — Tanelle G. (posted on June 28, 2003)

June 28, 2003
How long does your surgeon keep you on pureed foods? I was never on them. I went from clear liquids in the hospital to full liquids for a week to soft foods. By three weeks post-op I was eating normal foods. Christmas was about three weeks after my surgery and I had turkey and dressing with gravy. Only a couple of bites but it was good. I will tell you that you won't be much interested in food for a few months. The pureed things probably won't bother you.
   — Patty_Butler

June 28, 2003
I agree with the others. Don't worry about it; you're not going to be hungry, or even particularly interested in food at this point. I ate yogurt, cottage cheese, fat free refried beans, scrambled eggs (though it seems lots of people have problems with eggs), chili pureed in a blender (ANY food you like pureed in a blender would be fine)and creamed soups. There will be many things you can eat, and you'll likely find many that will agree with you.
   — Vespa R.

June 28, 2003
I have a small food processor that I used to blend my foods. I could eat anything I wanted basicaly. I would make grilled cheese and blend that in with a little milk, then microwave it. You can also puree cheeseburgers, chicken, tuna salad, anything. It doesn't always look good, but tasted the same. If you can get past the look of it while you are eating it, you will be okay.
   — Heather M.

June 28, 2003
When I got moved from liquids to soft/pureed, I felt like I died and went to heaven. When you are on liquids, you feel so chewing deprived that moving to the next stage is great. There are other things you can have that don't have to be pureed, like tuna, eggs, etc. I was also told by people in my support group that they didn't like pureed foods either so they would just cut chicken cutlets into tiny little bites and chew it really well. Although the pureed foods didn't bother me (I ate a lot of baby food meats), I tried my chicken cutlet like they suggested and had no problems whatsoever. I even cooked them in plain tomato sauce which gave them an even better taste. Good luck. Don't trouble yourself worrying about those kinds of things before your surgery. You need to concentrate on getting there first.
   — Ceil G.

June 29, 2003
Tanelle- I didn't believe it when I was told this, but your relationship with food dramatically changes (for the better) after surgery. It's tough to imagine now that you just won't feel hunger and that you'll have to remind yourself to eat. It was nearly inconceivable to me pre-operatively that I would force myself to eat proteins first and avoid the carbs (b/c my body would know that protein was needed). Although it does get tougher the longer out you are, the body's changes during the first few months help you alot with the mental changes that need to be made for long-term success. As a result, pureed foods will be an easy stage for you to endure. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi