[RobinD]

After having a CAT scan or of my neck last week and a fine needle biopsy yesterday, it is confirmed that I have a tumor on my perotid salivary gland. The good news is that 80% of these are benign; results will be back next week. Either way, it's coming out on November 11th, and it's fairly invasive surgery, as there are a lot of nerves and vessels in that area; this surgery means an overnight stay and about 2 weeks recoup time. If the biopsy returns a positive result, well, it would be even worse.

When one is healing from something like this, is it advisable to remain on weight loss calorie levels, or up them to closer to maintenance during healing? What types of food are best? Someone must have researched this. :-) I know that recovery is physically demanding, and odds are it will be painful to eat (they are removing a salivary gland) so this may be moot, but... well... ok, I'm afraid. The word 'tumor' is freaking me out. So far I've avoided blowing my calories due to stress eating, and I will keep doing my best. I've had surgery before, but not while dieting. I need a plan.

A virtual hug wouldn't hurt,either.

[RobinD]

How would you handle being unable to cook for yourself for a while? My hubby can reheat and make simple things like eggs, but not the kind of food I've been feeding us. Packaged food is generally simple-carb-laden, salty and expensive. I have two weeks to prepare for this. Ideas?

[goal4agirl]

Robin I will be praying for you. I had never heard of this kind of surgery before so I googled it and read some about it.
I have had several surgeries because I have Crohns Disease. But along with those surgeries I've had one of my parathyroid glands in my neck removed, gall bladder and hysterectomy.
I have always lost weight when having surgery. You have the not eating after midnight thing and then when you can eat again you don't feel like eating anything heavy. You really need to try and eat each day when you get back home- so you can get strong and get back to your life again.
You have 2 weekends before your surgery maybe you could make some food and freeze it. That way all your husband will have to do is thaw and heat. If you like chicken soup that would be something good and light on your stomach and it freezes and reheats good. You could use fresh chicken and the veggies you like. All the fats will be at the top when froze and that could be skimmed off to make it even lighter. When I had my surgeries my husband made sloppy joes (easy) for him and my son and I ate soups.
The time waiting on your surgery is the hardest. All these weird thoughts torment your mind. But you just wait and see it will be over soon and you will be back home and you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving and be so thankful this is over and behind you!

[RobinD]

Thank you, goal4agirl; it's been a long time since I had surgery (and never anything as icky as this) so I'd forgotten that the challenge is more to make oneself eat. I'd thought of the soup, as we eat a lot of that anyway; I do a lot of home canning so perhaps I'll get a couple batches put up before the surgery so all DH has to do is open, dump in pan, turn on flame. I guess I can just make him some simple 'recipes' using the home-canned food in my pantry - why didn't I think of that before?

And yes, you are right - I can't WAIT to get this nasty thing out of me and get on with my life. I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year (too much, too soon after the surgery) so I won't even have to deal with that!

If only I actually like being spaced out on pain drugs feeling helpless and ineffectual, I could really enjoy the break. But honestly, the only thing I'm looking forward to is putting the whole mess behind me.

[thaisccs]

I don't have a lot of insight on this kind of surgery but I'm here for the last sentence:


Stay calm, it'll all work out! I'll be here, praying for you!

[PaulaM]

My SIL had that surgery and she was just fine, try not to stress too much in advance about it, I swear worry is worse for you than anything else. Try and put your mind on other things, I know it's easier said than done. I'll pray everything comes out fine for you.