5 days post op can't do all liquid diet. Anyone else do okay on soft foods?

[nugirl402 4]

Hey! Had surgery On 4/28 with no real issues. Have the premier shakes and they are too strong and taste gross. Trying to do at least 1 a day but have been leaning to Greek yogurt. Took my time, no problems. This morning had 1 scrambled egg and a piece of well chewed bacon. Took 15 minutes to eat it. Feel so much better that I'm eating real food. Anyone else not tolerate the liquid stage? I wanna be successful but can't be miserable the whole time.

[McButterpants 2,846]

My advice is to follow your doctor/NUT directions to a T...that will help ensure your long term success.

My surgeon was very progressive on introducing real food immediately, but my local doctor whom I entrusted with my follow up care was not. I actually had to "regress" when I got home and follow her diet which meant going back on liquids. Just because another patient's doctor allows them to introduce "real food" immediately after surgery, doesn't mean you should.

[liannatx 897]

I had one week on Clear Liquids, and 2 weeks of full liquids. You are right, it was miserable and it sucked. I followed it to the letter. I was more afraid of complications than I was of being hungry.

I think you just have to reach from within, and really pull every ounce of willpower for this stage, but you DO need to follow you surgeons recommendations. This stage is not about comfort or weightloss, it is about healing properly with no complications.

[sharonintx 1,275]

I did fine. In fact, I started soft foods about 3 days post op ( obviously very carefully) and had no issue whatsoever. I did not end up stretching my sleeve, failing to lose weight, nor have I found that I am gaining weight after 2 yrs. I haven't gained a pound back. Not one.

My sleeve works great. This won't be a popular response, but I do not put much faith in the opinions of nutritionists and the like. I am pretty sure we are all capable of making intelligent decisions about our diet and our own best interest.

Those eggs I ate on day 3 after surgery made me feel a lot better about life in general.

Just my experience. I am not suggesting that everyone should rebel against Drs orders.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

This is one of your bariatric mothers speaking...............

Bacon at 5 days?????? Are you kidding me? Dear bariatric daughter, please go to Youtube and watch a real video of the surgery you just had, to remind yourself of how brutalized your stomach is right now. You would not give bacon and eggs to a newborn, so don't expect to go complication-free if you are pushing your recovery schedule up by weeks.

At five days, you might be considering purees. At least then you could take kitchen food and run it through the blender with broth so that it is still wet enough to roll off a spoon. Even those of us with progressive surgeons don't get to soft foods any sooner than two weeks. I know you miss flavor, crunch, and chewing - we all did. But you can't let your taste buds run the show.

I don't know if you are into Bible stories, but consider the Israelites wandering through the wilderness (men did not ask for directions back then, either). God sent them manna from heaven. It was a completely nutritious edible

(although strange) food meant to sustain their bodily needs for energy and health (kind of like our Protein shakes).

But noooooooooo, they missed their leeks and onions and were very vocal about it. They were alotted so much per day (portion control). If they got greedy and gathered too much, it just rotted and got wormy.

So whether you believe it as historical fact or Aesop's fabel, the point is this: can't do liquids anymore and don't want to do liquids anymore are two different things. I encourage you to be strong and resist the temptation to satisfy your tastebuds over the proper healing of your digestive system - you sort of NEED it to survive. If you don't want to be miserable, then don't jump your plan by eating foods your stomach is not ready for. A rupture is a lot more miserable than one more Protein shake.

If you have to, put your shake in a blender and add some yogurt, vanilla, sweetener, very ripe banana, and make it thin enough to pass as a puree. Or get vanilla shakes and add your favorite flavor of fruity baby food. You will pass through these phases soon enough. This is only one month of your new lease on life. You knew going into this that it was going to be inconvenient and uncomfortable for a while. So, chin up.....you will heal in no time if you knuckle down and follow the plan your surgeon gave you. Our surgeons do enough of these that they know what works and what causes complications that you would not wish on your worst enemy.

I wish you good luck and good health. Do you darndest to get control. Your new tummy is now the boss of you and will demand respect. If that is through vomiting, diarrhea, reflux, foamies, or chest pain then Tummy has spoken. Please be kind to yourself.

I am guessing that you will do what the last poster just said and disregard the rest of us, but that indeed is your call. I would give you one caveat: at the first sign of distress, back off to the previous stage. You did this to feel better and be healthier, so if any food you eat hurts or your tummy gives it back, then you were not ready for it yet. Just be careful.

[sharonintx 1,275]

I ate 4 bites of pizza 5 days out. I chewed it like there was no tomorrow. Nothing bad happened.

No leak, no rupturing of sutures or staple line.

It made me quite happy. At that point in time it certainly was about comforting myself.

No regrets in the things I ate post op. None.

[Joz31 90]

@@nugirl402

I am assuming you had the surgery in order to change your lifestyle like many of the rest of us. Our own ways of eating is what led us to having surgery in the first place. This early postop I would certainly never encourage bacon OR pizza. These are both also no no foods on most surgeons post operative plans for the long term. I understand everything in moderation, but it truly makes me shake my head wondering why people would even have the surgery if they're going to just continue to eat the same high calorie foods. I am only about nine days post op and I'm struggling with the same issues you are. But I refuse to partake in contributing to any complications that could arise because of my own gross negligence. Just my two cents...

[nugirl402 4]

Thanks all. I think my process might have been to simple. No insurance problems. Everything done in 6 weeks. No out of pocket, no work worries. I'm not sure I totally thought this out. I'm watching for rejection signs and will be very careful. But maybe there are some of us who can do more than others?

Thanks all. I think my process might have been to simple. No insurance problems. Everything done in 6 weeks. No out of pocket, no work worries. I'm not sure I totally thought this out. I'm watching for rejection signs and will be very careful. But maybe there are some of us who can do more than others?

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I can tell that this is going to be one of those polarizing posts where there are basically two very opposie responses. One is the "How could you?" response and the other is "What's the big deal?" response.

My one warning to newbies is that on this forum, opinions and tact will vary. Both sides are worth hearing out.

We "how could you" people are occassionally called 'goody two shoes' for following our plan as close as possible, banking on our bariatric team's expertise amd experience with many thousands of patients per year.

For the "what's the big deal" people, it is easy to find converts because it is human nature, plain and simple, to not want to deny our mouths of the tastes and textures and volume that it is used to.

There is generally no middle ground. To those who take the chance on going for it, you must be a gambler, hoping against hope that nothing bad is going to happen to you, just like tornado chasers, and teenagers who jump off the roof onto mattresses.

To the original poster, nugirl 402, I hope you will consider that if you are straying from your plan and inventing your own, that you eventually may have to backtrack and start over. It happens.

Nevertheless, you should participate in the forum as often as possible. There is a lot of valuable information here, from both sides of the fence. Your body - your choice.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I agree with Miss Mac. I see so many posts where people say they "can't" tolerate or handle or whatever they are required to do when they really mean they "won't". As my NUT pointed out, nothing we are required to do is forever. The post-op stages and requirements are for my benefit (healing and weight loss). Why would I risk my health and recovery because I don't like a particular Protein Shake or whatever? SMH.

[nugirl402 4]

I can tell that this is going to be one of those polarizing posts where there are basically two very opposie responses. One is the "How could you?" response and the other is "What's the big deal?" response.

My one warning to newbies is that on this forum, opinions and tact will vary. Both sides are worth hearing out.

We "how could you" people are occassionally called 'goody two shoes' for following our plan as close as possible, banking on our bariatric team's expertise amd experience with many thousands of patients per year.

For the "what's the big deal" people, it is easy to find converts because it is human nature, plain and simple, to not want to deny our mouths of the tastes and textures and volume that it is used to.

There is generally no middle ground. To those who take the chance on going for it, you must be a gambler, hoping against hope that nothing bad is going to happen to you, just like tornado chasers, and teenagers who jump off the roof onto mattresses.

To the original poster, nugirl 402, I hope you will consider that if you are straying from your plan and inventing your own, that you eventually may have to backtrack and start over. It happens.

Nevertheless, you should participate in the forum as often as possible. There is a lot of valuable information here, from both sides of the fence. Your body - your choice.

I appreciate all the feedback. I knew it wouldn't be popular. But like you said my body my choice. I just might be one of the rare ones. I don't believe I'm doing anything wrong and my body so far agrees. Thanks all!

Edited May 3, 2015 by nugirl402

[nugirl402 4]

Oh and I might add I didn't do the pre op diet liquid diet. I did just find and still lost 10 pounds.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

@@Miss Mac

I love you, Miss Mac, I just LOVE YOU!!!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

Thanks. Just trying to keep it real.