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)