Had My 9-Day Checkup from LNF

I went back to my surgeon, yesterday. I got a great report. He told me I could use ground beef in spaghetti sauce, start eating steak and bread in 2 weeks and in 6 to 8 weeks after my surgery I will be eating everything I was before the surgery. I was very surprised, but grateful for this news. I am sooooo glad I found this website. There is a wealth of encouragement and help here.

Hi Charity,

I second Bill's warning.  My surgeon, who started me on "anything that could be chewed to a liquid" on Day 5 or 6, said that I should avoid soft bread and steak for at least 8 weeks.  Even then, I was careful to take tiny bites and chew, chew, chew.

 

Bread works great as long as it is toasted.  Then it can be chewed to a liquid without trouble.

 

I would suggest that in addition to the positive eating release you received, you remember to take very small bites and chew, chew, chew until what you're eating is in a liquid form. Then you should have not trouble.

 

I found that a slow cooker was a great option for getting beef tender enough to handle.  Try putting some in a slow cooker with carrots, potato, a little onion (dry onion soup mix seasons things nicely as well), some liquid, and cook it for 10-12 hours.  There are lots of recipes you can find online. 

 

Here is the URL to a PDF document providing some good information regarding eating post-Nissen.

slhhn.org/docs/pdf/keystonesurgical-fundoplication%20diet.pdf

(This link will have to be cut and pasted into your web browser to work.  I couldn't get it to work with a direct link.  Sorry!)

 

Like you, I was set free to eat whatever I wanted to at a very early stage.  Many here were kept on liquids and soft foods for many weeks.  I think that our instructions make recovery much easier.  That said, it places much more responsibility on our shoulders.  We were made responsible to choose food carefully (I deposited anything that couldn't be chewed to a liquid in a handy paper napkin), take small bites, and chew, chew, chew, chew.

 

If you do those things, you'll do just fine!

Glad you've joined us.  Stick around and ask any question that comes to mind.

Happy Healing!

Denise

Hi Charity,

That's interesting.  Most of us have found chicken to be one of the easiest meats to chew to liquid. 

It's amazing how different surgeons are regarding eating recommendations.

Happy Eating!

Denise

Charity

congratulations on your success and your perseverance

you progress is inspiration to those of us who may be traveling in your foot steps!

enjoy!

best wishes
Mock turtle

Hi all,

I am grateful for my progress. It seems I am having (I really do not know the right words to use) an unusually successful recovery. It does not have anything to do with my age. I am 68. I have a friend who knows several people who had the LNF and none of them have had the results I have. The only problem I seem to have is being unable to determine if I am eating too much when I am eating. I have not taken a Nexium since the day before my surgery. My biggest problem was the cough. It is much better, but still there for now. Time will tell if it is from reflux or sinus, allergies, etc. I go to my pulmonary doctor, Friday.

I wonder how much it has to do with our surgeons? The one I have has good success with the LNF. When he told me 6-8 weeks from the date of my surgery I would be eating everything I was eating before the surgery, I told him of this forum and how some have recovery periods of 6 months to a year. He just could not imagine unless there were some problems some had that would cause this healing delay. I know of others who had this same surgeon. He is highly thought of by his patients, as well as, the other physicians in the area. In fact, there was only 1 other surgeon my GI doctor said he would recommend besides mine, and the one I chose was his top pick.

I have a lot of people praying for me also. I am going back to work today.

I am just very thankful. Thanks to all of you.

Thanks Kitt!!!