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Posted 7/6/2012 5:21 AM (GMT 0)
yet another question. Thanks all for your help so far. day 22 post op. Still soft foods,mashed potatoes,yogurt,pudding,ice cream.When do you move on to more? Very little info from Hospital/dieticians and even less from surgeon. Am I limiting food amount because of stomach stretching or because of digestion issues? I stop after a spoonful of potatoes. swallowing appears to be ok.Liquids are still sips,not big gulps. What is the issue with the carbonated drinks,was told don't do for first 4 weeks, but it sounds like the consensus is they need to be avoided longer. Will eating the wrong food or too much too soon cause the stomach to stretch and perhaps loosen and looose the wrap? Burping appears to be ok at this point. lots of gas-everywhere!

 

Posted 7/6/2012 10:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Boots.
I've just had my 6 week check with my surgeon and as I had the exact same worries about eating after surgery I asked my surgeon what the deal is.

What he told me is everyone heals differently and everyones wrap is different with some being tighter than others.

When the surgery is done the surgeon dosn't know in advance how your body will react and how much swelling there will be so the reason they tell you to eat and drink soft foods is so you start at a safe place.

If like me your wrap is perfect and have minimal swelling then you can introduce foods faster than if your wrap is tight.

If you are swallowing soft foods with no problem then you can try to move on from there chew your food properly and see how it goes.

I started eating most foods at the end of 2 weeks including chicken, steak etc and had no problems at all.

I can eat bread and have no problem with salads and raw foods now the only thing I haven't tried yet is carbonated drinks because I dont burp so well and dont want to have all that gas trapped inside cos it will hurt!

If I was you I would definately have a go at "real" food I think you will find you can eat more than you thought. :)
Posted 7/6/2012 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Boots,

I agree with kiwidreamer.  You can definitely try eating some regular food.  Just use your head and common sense.  Take very small bites and chew, chew, chew.  If whatever you eat doesn't chew to a liquid, creamy texture, don't swallow.  Just deposit it in a handy paper napkin.  My surgeon turned me loose to make my own eating decisions after my post-op appointment on Day 6.  I had very little trouble, but used my head.

If you overfill your stomach you can get extremely uncomfortable.  I still am careful about carbonated beverages, and drink them very sparingly.  I never drink from straws, either.  I'm three and a half years post op. 

Here are some eating guides that you've probably already seen, but just in case you haven't, here they are.

 

http://www.preopguide.com/PostFundoDiet.html

http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/nutrition/Pages/diet-after-nissen-fundoplication-surgery.aspx

http://www.nissenfundoplication.com/nissen-fundoplication-diet

Here is the link from my early recovery journal thread here at HW.  If you haven't seen it, it might give you an idea about how I handled eating.

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=45&m=2183443

Crock pots are a great way to cook meats and veggies to a very soft consistency.  There are some great recipes.  Just make sure you cook everything the longest suggested time.

Happy eating!

Denise

Posted 7/9/2012 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
My experience was that you can progress as tolerated. Everyone's swelling goes down at a little bit of a different rate. Chew a ton and take small bites, but I bet you can eat some more solid things. Think of your teeth as blenders :) I haven't had problems with carbonated drinks, but I usually try to get most of the fizz out first, to avoid bloating and gas.
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