Margi Makaleka

Protein, Protein, Protein! Everything you knew about how good veggies were for you is NOW out the window at this stage of your life, now that you sport a VGS. I ate 2oz of FF cottage cheese and chewed it 30 times before swallowing small bits of it. Scrambled eggs and melted cheese was on my approved food list from my surgeon so I scrambled cheese in. Granted I could only (and still) eat ony 1/2 an egg but.... Do Not get the bright idea to make a meatloaf for family and puree some of it for yourself. #bad fail. #Ick Try Protein powder in FF Jello pudding. I use New Direction's products and they have a protein pudding that has 27 grams! Good luck! For me this was the hardest part of the entire event!!!

Distinguishing between mental hunger and stomach hunger is very difficult. I found that if I am constantly sipping on Water or Protein water, I don't get that hungry (stomach). Also sipping on Gatorade low cal. My taste buds have changed too. Don't like the Protein shakes as well. Only using them and P. water to supplement in getting 60gm protein a day. Day 4 of puree diet. Only proteint, no applesause, no baby food (less protein than a pureed boiled egg), then only 2oz. Still don't recomment pureed meatloaf. Like egg best. *Only* 11 more days of it! Keeping in mind that every physician is different, mine said I should only eat pureed Proteins first and 2oz only...every 3 hours. Gonna be a long 11 days!

I was on full liquids for 2 weeks starting the first day home. All that tummy growling is your body trying to re-absorp all that air. I remember thinking: How can I have gas when I'm only drinking fluids? HaHa. I started pureed Thursday. Not easy. I remember having to feed elderly Pts early in my nursing career and the smell and appearance of pureed = ICK! I made a boiled egg, then pulverized it with a TBSP of plain yogurt (instead of mayo). Not bad. Like egg salad. Pulverized some ham salad. Too salty. Going to pulv. 95% lean hamburger meatloaf (ketchp on top cut off). Hoping the appearance doesn't ruin the taste. Hate yogurt but convinced myself I HAVE to like Chiobani Key Lime. No chunks! I think the slower you progress thru phases, the more you will lose too. My Dr. put me on Pepcid for 6 months. : ) No heartburn.

Diann, I have been an RN since '89. Most recently 7 yrs of ED. Currnetly 2 yrs in PACU, which I thought I would get bored with, but ironically not. I really like it. OCC. get the adrenaline rushes that I crave and miss. haha. Here is my email addy: Margicu@comcast.net My surgery date was 4/15. Notice you are an April Sleever too! Would be great to trade notes!

Yeah, I wish someone had warned me of "passing gas" -vs- "passing something more". Only took one suprise though. Have had occsional burps, but they were just that. Wierd sensation continues that when I take anything in by mouth, I can feel it slide all the way down my esophagus, then enter my stomach. More pronounced or just more aware of what is going on??? As an RN, I believe all the stomach growlings I experienced the first 1 1/2 weeks was the air they put into your abdominal cavity to do the surgery. Glad mine stayed in my abdomen. Some ppl have shoulder pain, which I hear is quite untolerable. Anyway, I walked that off...bye bye. Now, just drink, drink, drink. : )

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between stomach hunger and mental hunger. Everything above that I've read is a normal response. I am day 3 pureed. The stomach hunger is minimal at the most. The mental isn't. We just got a new gas range/double oven 1 week before surgery and I'm wanting to cook on it, but its just the 2 of us and husb says not to worry about dinner. You sleevers above are doing great and right on track. One day at a time!