I was not expecting a date before August honnestly. But today, I got a call. Surgery is in three weeks (June 5) ! I am freaking out TBH.

What is it that I need to prepare ? What food is helpful during the liquid diet and the first week post-op ? Also, I am still not clear about recovery time. Is it realistic for me to be working a week after surgery ? (I am a teacher and I would be on my feet 3h daily than I can sit).

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I basically lived off of sugar free jello, pudding, and popsicles during my liquid diet. I hated it, but that's what I used. To prepare, my fiance made some homemade baby food for me in our Magic Bullet. Mostly chicken and turkey - gotta focus on that protein. Lean protein like chicken, turkey, and fish is better for you. Morning Star vegetarian meals are fairly decent, too. I ate that once I was given the clear on solid foods.

What you need to get beforehand, though, would be some chewable daily multi-vitamins. I had the orange flavor (that of which I wasn't a fan of) and the spearmint flavor (which tasted better).

My recovery time was about two weeks, I think? Might have been three. I would ask my doctor about it if I were you, though, just to be sure.

Sf popsicles for hydration, bone broth, premier protein ready-made (Walmart), Isopure ready-made blue raspberry (vitamin shoppe). This stage bites but you will manage and survive.

For puree stage just use bone broth and soft chicken, I cooked celery, carrots and onion in the broth then strained it out, added chicken and used my stick blender - you can even use some cream of chicken soup. Also blended black bean soup.

Time off - I would take two weeks because you MUST stay hydrated and that means sipping constantly, and because you cannot consume many calories, you can get light-headed and dehydrated before you realize it, and BAM be in serious trouble. Plus it is major surgery - just because it is done laparscopically doesn't mean recovery is a picnic. It's very tolerable, but you need to be careful.