Week 1 post-op: What I'm eating

One of the big concerns I had was -- what am I going to be able to eat after surgery?! I'm on a full liquid diet for two weeks (then mushies for 2 weeks after that), and I really wanted to be sure that I got delicious things that fit in with the diet so that I won't feel too deprived. I was also concerned about dehydration, but as a practical matter, I'm having no trouble at all with liquids and feel like I can drink the same way I did before surgery (er, except I'm avoiding alcohol and caffine).

This morning, I'm having a Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt smoothie (yum yum! Looking at the nutritional info, though I see that it's got 10 grams of protein (great) . .but 38 grams of sugar. I'm not going to buy any more of these unless I need a special treat to keep me on course). Here are my supplies. . .

Cranberry juice (all natural, no sugar added. . to be diluted), Cream of Wheat, Gatoraid, organic canned soups, skim milk, yogurt smoothie, camomile tea (helps relieve the gas pain. . ), cottage cheese (I'll probably blend before eating), fat free yogurt and tomato soup.

I also can still have the things I had during my pre-op 3 day clear liquid diet, which are below.

Chicken boullion, beef boullion, ISOPURE vanilla shake mix (BLECH!!!), organic chicken broth, ISOPURE protein drink (only had post-op), sugar-free popsicles and Flintstones chewable vitamins .

It was key that I had the beef boullion in my purse for my flight to Monterrey. After 2 days of pre-op clear liquids, I felt very anxious when the flight attendants started handing out drinks and meals. I was really wanting something to eat, though I wasn't even really hungry. So, I asked for some hot water, made my boullion and the feeling of panic passed right away. I did the same thing on the flight back.

Also, the organic broth was pretty flavorless -- I only had it once, then turned to the boullion cubes, which were tastier and easier to transport (not to mention less expensive). The red drink above is not something I had pre-op, but my doctor put it in my post-op kit and I'll probably be having it instead of the shakes. It has 46 grams of protein, no carbs and tastes infinitely better than the shakes.