Puree Stage is not a picnic
RENAEJAE
Posts: 1,135 Member
2 weeks out from RYN and I started the puree stage yesterday. Or rather I was 'supposed' to start it yesterday, but after just 1 oz of fluffy scrambled eggs my stomach was twisted all day. I had a hard time getting in 60g protein so I ended my day with a nap on the couch. Tried again today and I'm feeling a bit better but I'm finding it takes me 2 hours to eat 2 oz of pureed food. I've never felt so full and uncomfortable. Not to mention how disgusting cold pureed food is. Please tell me it gets better. I'm ready to feel good again.
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It gets better, it takes time. I ate cottage cheese with some cinnamon, eggs were hard at first, I got 1 egg in. You will get better soon.0
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hang in there, believe it or not, it does get better. just make sure you get your protien and liquids in0
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I still have trouble with eggs. Refried beans were better. So was greek yogurt.0
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Thanks - I guess I'll ease into it. You're just so ready to taste real food it's also difficult to eat slowly. I'll get the hang of it soon. Sticking with Isopure drinks and pureed tuna today.0
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By the time you get it figured out, you'll be on to the next stage0
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Kidding aside, you'll find a path through this phase and it will all fade to a blur as you move on to smaller and better things!
Hang in there!
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I am wondering...although I didn't have problems with any stages and I am on to full foods now...but if you have trouble with one stage, do you stay there until you DON'T have problems or move on to the next one when the calendar shows it is time for the next stage? I am helping someone in my support group when she has surgery next month, and I'd like to know how to advise her. It would seem that you shouldn't move on until your stomach can handle it, even if you might be able to eat other foods. The idea of taking in foods in stages is to allow for the healing to happen.0
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Big hugs. Things that worked for me in the puree stage was cream of chicken soup made with milk and a 1/2 packet of unflavored Unjury, Dannon Light and Fit Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna and egg salad minced very fine. I struggled with eggs and heavier proteins for the first 6-8 weeks postop.0
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I would try the Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt. I like the cherry flavor the best. It goes down pretty easy.0
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I second the vote for Dannon Light & Fit. I'm trying it for the first time this week and it's definitely the best flavored yogurt out there. It's only 80 calories with zero fat. My favorite is the Key Lime.
Pureed foods was tough. I isopure'd up some mashed sweet potatoes with lite butter/substitute of some sort. Refried beans were a savior. Fat-free cottage cheese was a staple (and still is almost 5 months out) because you can't beat the protein content.
I also cheated a little bit and made things like a simple chicken salad (chicken, mustard, pickle relish) and just chewed very, very thoroughly and slowly until it was totally pureed in my mouth. For whatever reason, it was easier for me to do that than to look at actual pureed meat, which may be the most unappealing looking food ever. If you do decide to puree the meat, add in some non-fat gravy as your moisture and it tends to give it a less bland flavor.
Hang in there! You'll be through this stage before you know it.0 -
Oh man - eggs are tough! I am almost 5 months out and I still have a hard time with eggs. I would certainly try something different like yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta bake, pureed chicken with sour cream and guacamole (my personal favorite)...0
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Being that my surgery was 4/1/15, I badly craved an Easter egg. When I finally smashed one up, it promptly made me sick and I quickly lost that craving. I did eat Gerber ' s Stage 2 meats, but not straight out of the jar! I added salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Oh, and I heated it in the microwave in a small bowl. It wasn't great, but I did get it in.0
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I'm thinking smoked salmon mousse could be a good option...though I would miss the blini and caviar that makes it extra wonderful.0
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I have to add ketchup to my eggs to get them down0
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A lot of people have a tough time with eggs early on, so try them a little at a time. When I first had them I'd hard boil them with a soft yolk (about 8 minutes), and then I would chop up the egg & whip it up with just a touch of Miracle Whip Light to make it creamy. (Not even a teaspoon's worth.)
One thing I did while eating mashed potatoes was that since we'd normally have those with steak I'd take the juices from the plate that the steaks were on & drizzle it on top of the potatoes. So then I'd have my steak & mashed potatoes!
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Thinking of you and hope the last few days have been easier!0
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Thank you all for the support and ideas. I'm still sticking with the Dannon 80 cal greek yogurt in the morning, a protein shake throughout the day, and refried beans with a couple tablespoons for tuna or salmon for lunch. Dinner is when I experiment a bit and still find it a big struggle to get more than 3-4 bites in before I feel maxed out. I may just stick with soup and unflavored protein powder in the evenings this week. I enjoy cooking and it doesn't bother me to make a nice meal for my family and sit with them while they enjoy it so I feel blessed about that. My emotional adjustment has been positive - thankfully!
Someone asked about going onto the next stage when the date rolls around - I haven't had much luck with that so I'm going at the pace my new stomach can handle it. Reaching my protein goal each day is a bit of a roller coaster, but I have been able to exercise again and am feeling much better physically. I know it's just a matter of time before life gets a little more normal so I'm just taking it day by day. Thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate the help.0 -
Reaching your goals is definitely more important to worry about than stages, at least in the first month or so.0
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A lot of people have a tough time with eggs early on, so try them a little at a time. When I first had them I'd hard boil them with a soft yolk (about 8 minutes), and then I would chop up the egg & whip it up with just a touch of Miracle Whip Light to make it creamy. (Not even a teaspoon's worth.)
One thing I did while eating mashed potatoes was that since we'd normally have those with steak I'd take the juices from the plate that the steaks were on & drizzle it on top of the potatoes. So then I'd have my steak & mashed potatoes!
I found that to be so odd that eggs are tough. I haven't had the surgery yet but my Dr's post op 3 week diet is one egg plus the first 2 week's food. How am I going to follow is diet if eggs are so tough for everyone?0 -
ssbeadlady wrote: »A lot of people have a tough time with eggs early on, so try them a little at a time. When I first had them I'd hard boil them with a soft yolk (about 8 minutes), and then I would chop up the egg & whip it up with just a touch of Miracle Whip Light to make it creamy. (Not even a teaspoon's worth.)
One thing I did while eating mashed potatoes was that since we'd normally have those with steak I'd take the juices from the plate that the steaks were on & drizzle it on top of the potatoes. So then I'd have my steak & mashed potatoes!
I found that to be so odd that eggs are tough. I haven't had the surgery yet but my Dr's post op 3 week diet is one egg plus the first 2 week's food. How am I going to follow is diet if eggs are so tough for everyone?
eggs aren't a problem for everyone. i had no problems with eggs, and could count on being able to eat them when other foods didn't work. just make sure you don't overcook them or they will be rubbery0 -
Eggs - oh how I miss my over easy eggs. Today I was finally able to eat 1/4 cup of egg beater egg whites scrambled. It took me 40 minutes to get them all in but they didn't make me feel bad so I'm happy about that.
If your'e planning to try eggs in the first two weeks I would recommend NO YOLK! That would be very tough on the stomach, and I'd add water or milk and scramble them up as light as possible. Good luck!0 -
I also have not had any problem with eggs, thankfully. The best scrambled egg I've ever had was the first one I could eat after surgery.0
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I had scrambled eggs in the hospital that were disgusting - haven't been able to look at a scrambled egg since.
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My first solid food post surgery was an egg as well. Two weeks pre-surgery on liquids, two weeks post surgery and the the doctor told me I could try soft foods and skip purées if I could tolerate them and get enough protein in. That first scrambled egg was heavenly!0
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I was told to avoid eggs for about the first 6 months as they are very dense and harder to digest than other food. In that stage I was pretty much taking regular food and running it through the blender with some broth. Whatever the husband was eating protein wise is what I used (well other than his beloved hot dogs). So for instance, baked chicken with some broth until smooth. One breast would feed me for several meals. Like everyone else said, hang in there. These phases seem to pass really quickly.0
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Eggs were rough until I whipped in a tbsp of whipped chive cream cheese and don't overcook them - made them fluffy and light and don't sweat not being able to eat the whole thing in the beginning a tablespoon or two was all I got in so that is what I logged I am three months out and some days a 1/4cup is toughand yet I see others eating a lot more - every pouch is different, you are doing just fine listen to your body...you will get there
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Thanks - I've tried to listen to by body. That over full feeling is delayed by about 5 minutes so I guess I need to start counting my bites. I just had to throw up for the first time after lunch today. I keep making the mistake of trying to wash my food down with liquid. An old habit that is much harder to break than I'd imagined. It will take me a while but I'll get it. As far as my pouch size I'd have to say VERY SMALL!! Using a baby spoon and I'm luck to get 7-8 spoonfuls in at one sitting. It also depends on the food. Today it was tuna and cottage cheese. The isopure I sipped on after didn't fit very well. Live and learn.0
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I have trouble with any cooked meat. If I can shred it and mix it with a little avocado it goes down easier. Sometimes the dryness of the food makes it feel stuck so marinating or mixing with a good fat helps. Texture seems to be a big one for me.0
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No drinking while eating was a big learning step for me. I threw up more from that than anything else eating related. After I eat, I do my best to wait 30 minutes before drinking anything. I learned that this wait is for two reasons. One, I won't have room in my stomach for the liquid, and two, the liquid will wash out what's in the stomach and I will feel hungry more quickly. Lots of reasons for me to break the eat/drink habit.0
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Thanks - I've tried to listen to by body. That over full feeling is delayed by about 5 minutes so I guess I need to start counting my bites. I just had to throw up for the first time after lunch today. I keep making the mistake of trying to wash my food down with liquid. An old habit that is much harder to break than I'd imagined. It will take me a while but I'll get it. As far as my pouch size I'd have to say VERY SMALL!! Using a baby spoon and I'm luck to get 7-8 spoonfuls in at one sitting. It also depends on the food. Today it was tuna and cottage cheese. The isopure I sipped on after didn't fit very well. Live and learn.
One thing I learned early was my "full cue". It's not the same for everyone and the person who turned me on to this said hers is when she starts hiccupping. Well I found out that by the time I start hiccupping I'm overfull and need to throw up. For me, the full cue is when I feel like I need to burp and if I don't stop eating at that point I will throw up. I won't lose the whole meal, just the "too much". Even if I do burp, I still need to be done at that point. And adding liquid after I hit my full cue? Another not so good idea for me. Again, everyone is different, so as others say "listen to your body", figure out what your cue is and then watch for it as you eat. Knowing this makes your life a whole lot easier.
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