here are some thoughts
and i'm sure there will be other along the way.
first, because of the malabsorption, rny patients can't absorb much more than 20-25 gram of protein at a time, so be careful not to overload with a 40 or 50 gram shake. john won't feel a thing, but it's a waste of protein and he'll end up getting less than he needs
ok. right after surgery, it was hard getting out of the chair and up from the toilet, but i did it alone. just slowly. but i just couldn't get my shoes tied for the first couple of days!!!
make sure there's plenty of clear chicken and beef broth [protein!!!]. and i found that tomato soup with melted cheese was wonderful after a couple of days.
sugar free popsicles.
and perhaps the most important thing: HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO SIT ON HIS BUTT ALL DAY LONG!!!! even if he just gets up and marches in place during commercial breaks, he MUST get up and move!!! helps the healing more than you can imagine. and YES, it hurts. but the more he moves, the better he'll feel.
as he's allowed to eat, his new tiny tummy will hurt, but he has to force himself to eat the two tablespoons of food. really.
and when he throws up, don't worry about it. it's really not a big deal, although the first couple of times can be scary.
and don't rush into eating real food.. we were told that we have just had serious stomach surgery, and we're following a diet for HEALING A STOMACH AFTER SURGERY, and the weight loss program starts a little later. but first, ya gotta give the stomach a chance to heal.
and just in case no one has told you what 'small bites' means [i had to guess!!!] i've decided that it's about the size of my pinky fingernail,. and it hasn't failed me yet, especially when i was trying out new foods. like steak. which sits just fine with me when i eat it this way.
oh. and about food., some days something will sit just fine, and other days it won't. if something doesn't work, wait a week or two and then try again,. my advice: don't get into a rut about only eating certain things because 'last time it came up.'
there will come a day when it will stay down. very well. and you'll have something else to enjoy.
of course, i'm still having trouble with turkey, but gravy helps.
oh. and gravy DOES help. just a tablespoon or two. it's ok.
more as i think of it...
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