Experimenting with Food

2 Weeks Post-Op
To begin I can report weight loss since I have hit a 10 pound goal.  As of this morning I have lost 14 lbs.  Honestly, I was hoping it was more, but I am impatient.  I have lost 5 lbs since last week and I have never lost that quickly before so I am going to try to be patient.  When I record what I eat and the small number of calories, I guess in my mind I expect 10 lbs a week.  It seems like it has been longer than 2 weeks so I am sure that is why I am anxious for more.

I have learned a lot in a week about the foods I can and cannot tolerate at this time.  I've been blessed because I have not gotten sick so far. I've experimented with several different foods and have had very few problems.  Some foods are really easy to eat and digest.  Once you find those foods, you really want to eat them.  Foods you think you want, that don't digest as well, you really don't want because you know it is going to be uncomfortable after you eat it.  Jerry mentions this often.  He likes specific foods now that he didn't love so much before surgery.  He loves salad and pizza.  He never liked pizza much before but now he says it is easy to eat and flavorful.  Most foods I've tried have been soft and agree with me.  However, a couple of times I made the mistake of trying something I knew I should avoid and it was a mistake.  For example, every year we get tomatoes from a friend that should be in the tomato hall of fame because they are so good.  Who can resist a tomato sandwich?  Jerry convinced me he would fix me a very small portion and I would be fine.  Bread should be avoided at this time.  I ate two bites of a tomato sandwich on soft, white bread.  It was heavenly for about 20 minutes and then it hit me right in the chest.  I felt like I had swallowed a softball.  I figured if I walked it would pass quickly.  For at least an hour I felt a huge lump in my chest.  Even after it had digested my esophagus felt irritated. Without the bread tomatoes are fine.  It was the bread that made me feel terrible.  NO MORE soft bread for me for a long time.  One food that's easy to eat now is boiled shrimp.  The grocery store sells them already peeled and deveined with cocktail sauce.  They are easy to eat and very high in protein.  About 3 of them make a good snack.  Soft crackers like Ritz have been easy to digest as well.  Last night I was creative and spread light laughing cow cheese on three crackers added a shrimp on each and topped with cocktail sauce.  It was a tasty snack. Eating only one thing at a time became monotonous.  It is easy to get sick of something if you are eating it in isolation.  Both Meaghan and I wanted to have more than one item at a meal.  We both noticed that soft, cooked vegetables were easy to eat and digest.  Truthfully I enjoy cooking some in the summer when I am not working.  I began thinking about how to cook small portions and what I could pair together so we could all get enough protein in our diet.  All three of us began thinking of previous recipes and searching for new ones that would work for us now.    The first meal I cooked came from a Pinterest recipe.   Here is a picture of mini lasagna using wonton wrappers instead of noodles.  I used my own meat sauce and ricotta mixture recipe,  but put it together according to directions on Pinterest.  It was delicious, easy to digest and great leftover for lunch today.  The fresh green beans were great too.  They are easily digested and a great side.  The lasagna is high in protein because of the ricotta and meat sauce as well as the italian cheese topping.

 I've increased my exercise.  Instead of walking outdoors now, I have moved inside to the gym to avoid the heat.  I've been able to walk on the treadmill easily for thirty minutes.  I don't walk at the pace I did before surgery, but I've tried to increase and decrease my speed throughout the walk.  In addition, I swam one evening.  

One negative, but also positive issue I have experienced is a drop in my blood pressure.  Prior to surgery I took medication and a diuretic for high blood pressure.  My blood pressure wasn't as high as some, but high enough to require medication.  While in the hospital I was off medication since I was taking in only liquids.  During my hospital stay my blood pressure was normal as well as the day of my first visit to the doctor after surgery.  However, the medication I was taking was a beta blocker which requires you to be weaned from the medication.  The doctor cut my dose in half for a week, then told me to take half every other day for a week before stopping the medication.  On a few occasions my blood pressure has dropped causing severe weakness.  Once I thought I might faint.  Today was my last dose.  I understand I might still have symptoms of low blood pressure for a few days until everything levels out to a normal pressure.

Good Foods (easily digested)
oatmeal
fried egg over medium
bacon (only eaten right after it's cooked)
yogurt (yuck-Greek is highest in protein)
sugar free pudding
canned peaches and mandrin oranges in their own juices or with artificial sweetener
baked/broiled talapia 
lasagna (stoffers/mini lasagna without noodles)
cooked vegetables (soft)
tuna salad
egg salad
tomatoes (peeled)
grits
refried beans
ground beef in sauce or soups
pasta in soups
most soups
starchy beans
boiled shrimp
grilled cheese
toasted bread
Ritz crackers
baked sweet potato


Bad Foods (not easily digested)
bread (soft)
bacon (reheated)
string cheese
grilled shrimp
scrambled eggs


Cravings
Diet coke
BBQ Potato Chips
Chips and Salsa