Just a few more days now until my Surgery… time now to start thinking about (and planning for) what I will need to “eat (and I do use the term loosely) when I get out of hospital.
The aim for the first month or so post-surgery is wound repair and recovery and the focus of diet is protein and fluid.
Liquid Diet
A fully liquid diet will allow for healing without placing stress on my newly formed stomach…. I will need to stay on fluids for 2-3 weeks following surgery. The consistency of the fluids I can drink should be about the consistency of milk.
Hydration and Protein
I will need to focus on keeping up hydration and obtaining enough protein to help with wound repair and recovery. For the first few days I will only be able to tolerate small amounts (20-30ml) at a time although this will gradually increase as I start to heal. After 2 weeks I may be able to slowly drink a whole cup (250ml) at a time (oh Joy:))
I will need to take a high protein drink (60-80g of protein) each day as well as a soluble multivitaim supplement.
I can contuinue to have OptiFast Shakes and Soups, for “meals” and have been recommended to try Protein Perfection Protein Water (who knew suxh a thing existed ???) and also take 2 x BN Multi Chewable Multivatimins each day.
Allowed & Not Allowed
Here are some examples of the types of liquids I can and can’t have :
Allowed |
NOT Allowed |
Skim milk, soy milk, lactose free milk | Porridge, Semolina, Weetbix |
Fruit Smoothies (strained), Fruit Juice, Vegatable Juice (such as V8) |
Thickshakes, ice cream, custard, jelly |
Up and Go, Sustagen | Cheese, Cream Cheese |
Optifast Shakes & Soups, Protein water | |
Thin smooth soups (e.g. pumpkin soup) | Thock soups (thicker than milk) |
Hydralyte, Powerade Zero, Diet Cordial | Soft drinks |
Tea, Coffee, Herbal Tyea, instant soup (strained) |
Hey this is not at all bad is it sounds quite appatising in fact, I might like it – There is also the attraction of making some of the appatising drinks it suggests. (I must say I would enjoy the drinks but not necessarily having to make them) But I suspect you will enjoy that.