Hi all,

My surgery is is 12 days and I have been slowly getting myself ready for post-op life. I have bought a food processor, water bottles, and a heating pad. As the day gets closer I'd like to buy some protein, soups, etc. Anything else you guys suggest? I will not not be cleared to drive until 8 days after my surgery and will only have someone with me for 4 of those days, so I feel like I need stock up on things now.

Thank you!

Congrats on your surgery date! As for buying a bunch of food before you have surgery, I'd recommend not doing this. It is ok to buy a bit to make sure you have something when you get home, but many people have changes in what they can tolerate after surgery. Some things may taste way too sweet or salty or be just gross. I have been lucky so far - I have been able to tolerate everything after surgery.

I stocked up on chicken broth, chocolate protein shakes, and applesauce. I cooked a bunch of chicken breast and put it in the freezer. For my pureed phase (which I am still on, I'm three weeks out from surgery today), I take the chicken and puree it with applesauce. It tastes ok, but I know it is not for too much longer.

Good luck!

2 minutes ago, macadamia said:

Congrats on your surgery date! As for buying a bunch of food before you have surgery, I'd recommend not doing this. It is ok to buy a bit to make sure you have something when you get home, but many people have changes in what they can tolerate after surgery. Some things may taste way too sweet or salty or be just gross. I have been lucky so far - I have been able to tolerate everything after surgery.

I stocked up on chicken broth, chocolate Protein Shakes, and applesauce. I cooked a bunch of chicken breast and put it in the freezer. For my pureed phase (which I am still on, I'm three weeks out from surgery today), I take the chicken and puree it with applesauce. It tastes ok, but I know it is not for too much longer.

Good luck!

Thank you for all your feedback! Chicken pureed with applesauce sounds interesting...

Bone broth from Walmart, cook some veggies in it and strain, some protein water as shakes are thick and sweet, crystal light, sf popsicles. You will need to hydrate as much as possible. Premier protein shakes are tolerated by many of us after surgery but don't overstock. I also tolerated Isopure ready-made blue raspberry or punch diluted w crystal light. Most important is hydration as it takes all day long sipping. You will not feel restriction or fullness until you get to real food so don't be alarmed that even thick liquids aren't restrictive. What you will feel though is inflammation and swelling, so sip slowly. You may not be hungry or sometimes hunger is acid reflux. You will however feel the effects on your body from lack of nutrition, it will be fatigue, no focus. Drink something and take a nap. Light headedness is a sign of dehydration, do not dismiss this - push liquids even if you do not feel like it. Walk off the anesthetic, the only cure for that and the gas. You might get constipated, ask doc about what to take - I would ask now and get some items.

Good luck.

I suggest NOT buying food things in advance, and then, only in small amounts post-op. Your taste buds might change (sometimes permanently sometimes only for a little while), you more than likely will change your tolerences for certain things, so buying too much in advance can lead to a bunch of stuff not getting used.

My wife wanted to buy things in advance and I had to keep telling her not to, she did some anyway and most of what she bought, never got used.

For the 8 days you're not cleared to drive, the most advanced diet you'll be in is probably full liquids and you won't need a whole lot of it. Besides, most of us experience a change in tastes after surgery. I myself loved Premier Protein shakes pre-op and willingly drank them every day. Now, I can't stand looking at them.

Suggest, get yourself some SF jello and a broth that you like. Have a couple varieties of protein shakes so that you have a choice. Consider maybe some frozen items like SF Popsicles and SF ice cream/frozen yogurt. You will likely get tired of sweet things and crave savory, so get a couple cream-type soups to have on hand for variety. As a priority, make sure you have a plan for getting fluids in. I'm OK with water and I tend to drink a lot of herbal teas, but if you don't, get some water flavorizers like MIO or crystal light.

Do not stock up like you're planning on the apocalypse. You won't need much for those first few days.

I did go ahead and order a heat pad based on this thread. My PA said not to bring one to the hospital, but it didn't occur to me I might want one at home. Thanks, @Oct517!

Just for a sense of what an anxious, over-prepared person might do: I have my normal selection of protein powders, several pints of homemade bone broth (still in the freezer for now), four boxes of store bought no-salt-added bone broth (I bet I add salt), 20ish Powerade Zeros (I drank a few already ), some of those powdered soups you can get from here and Diet Direct (broccoli flavor), a backup box of sugar-free popsicles (I'm already eating those, because they are very good ?), some boxes of sugar-free jello, a container of liquid protein that you add to water, and various water flavorings, some with electrolytes, some with B vitamins, some just plain. I also drink a lot of herbal tea and decaf coffee, so that'll fill in around the edges of the other stuff.

The only thing in that whole list that's at risk of going to waste if I don't use it right away is the powdered soups. Those are really hit-and-miss, taste-wise, and I know that I, too, will be hit-and-miss in the taste department for a while; there's no predicting. But if I don't like those soups by themselves, I can always wait until I can have veggies and put some real broccoli in there to try to save it. That's worked for a different brand of powdered protein soup in the past.

Water... but water that will be soft on your new stomach, gerber baby water or CORE is what I recommend. I personally had a hard time the first 2 months but I lost 50 pounds right then an there. Poland spring, Fiji, and even alkaline water was a bit too harsh. Omg also Apple sauce! Ice pops! I’m not sure if you like chicken broth but that I recommend as well. So happy for you congrats !!!!

I was sleeved 12/14/2016.

Water... but Water that will be soft on your new stomach, gerber baby water or CORE is what I recommend. I personally had a hard time the first 2 months but I lost 50 pounds right then an there. Poland spring, Fiji, and even alkaline water was a bit too harsh. Omg also Apple sauce! Ice pops! I’m not sure if you like chicken broth but that I recommend as well. So happy for you congrats !!!!

I was sleeved 12/14/2016.

Hmmm. I usually just drink water from the sink. Do I really need to go out and buy bottled water?

If you can’t handle water, what else can be done for hydration purposes?

Diluted Diet 5 cranberry juice. Do more jello. And lots of ice

Thanks for all the suggestions! I went ahead and bought some stuff through this website. A lot of varitey packs so that I have options and can see what I like post-op. I am the absolute least picky person currently (pre-op) so its hard for me to imagine being a picky eater or what being a picky-eater is even like.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I went ahead and bought some stuff through this website. A lot of varitey packs so that I have options and can see what I like post-op. I am the absolute least picky person currently (pre-op) so its hard for me to imagine being a picky eater or what being a picky-eater is even like.

Don't over buy, I made that mistake and now have a ton of leftover proteins that I have zero interest in.

Don't over buy, I made that mistake and now have a ton of leftover Proteins that I have zero interest in.

Yeah, like I don't want to over buy but I'm also too much of a control freak/over planner to not buy stuff. I'm hoping if there is any stuff I wind up don't using i can give it to a family member or friend.

Yeah, like I don't want to over buy but I'm also too much of a control freak/over planner to not buy stuff. I'm hoping if there is any stuff I wind up don't using i can give it to a family member or friend.

That is me and shopped the weeks before and it's 4 weeks now and I'm barely using any of it.
Taking up valuable shelf space [emoji17]

like MargoCL, I bought before, I also made a master list with multiple copies, and oh the lines through and additions, doesn't look. the same smooth paper. But you launch your,little boat, float where the current takes you, but remember to take oars just in case, never know when you might have to paddle free!