I’m building this blog in the hopes it can help other families going through this same experience. A friend’s surgery is tomorrow and when I got to talk with her, I realized my food log so far will help people understand what I’ve been able to eat post-op as each day progressed.
As for what I ate in the hospital… The first 4-5 days, I ate/drank nothing while the esophagus to small intestines connection healed. My IV kept me hydrated and my feeding tube was starting up to help me get nourishment. Then I was allowed to do liquids for 1-2 days. If it went well, it was onto a soft diet. The nurses were helpful and reminded me to just go slow and take it easy. Just start with sips. Clear liquids went well. I was pushing to go home Friday, but then my hydrocodone reaction happened. I stayed in the hospital because I felt horrible and hadn’t done much soft food to prove I’d be ok after I went home. Got my heart to heart with the surgeon about how he’d not want me to go home and get dehydrated and very sick, then have to go to the ER. I’m a stubborn gal, but I’m secretly smart enough to know he was right. And this surgery is so unfamiliar to doctors outside of these specialists, I wouldn’t be comfortable discussing complications at a local ER. So I made sure my soft breakfast and lunch went down well that Saturday morning before I was discharged. The nursing staff increases your feeding tube very slowly when you’re in the hospital, so those first days, you must be losing weight. The combination of my pre-surgery liquid diet day, my days without eating solids and my soft food day while my my feeding tube rate was amping up, I lost my 5 lbs.
Eating was all slowly uphill after that, minus my eggo morning and goldfish afternoon. Here’s my detailed log. Hope it’s helpful. I originally logged my liquid intake, but once I was able to do 3 large water bottles a day, I stopped logging liquid. I just check my pee…too yellow, focus more on hydration. To eat all the foods I listed below, just chew about 4 times longer than you think is necessary. My problem is usually on the first bite when I’m excited about a tasty food and forget to chew, chew, chew… And just know most food takes me a while to eat.
Food Diary
6/15 – after left hospital
5 cans
6oz water
12oz vitamin water
Piece of garlic bread
3pm – 20 ml ibuprofen
8pm – 20 ml ibuprofen
9pm – 1/2 cup of spaghetti with meat sauce
6/16
5 cans
1 scrambled egg. Ate too fast. Hurt going down
1 cup vanilla yogurt. Maybe too much sugar, not fake sugar kind
1/2 pbj sandwich
Some fritos
1/2 pbj sandwich
3/4 cup jambalaya (took forever)
3 bites ice cream sandwich
6/17
5 cans
Breakfast bar
2 slices cinnamon toast
Spaghetti with meat sauce
20 oz water and a 12 oz G2
6/18
5 cans
Breakfast bar
Greek yogurt with strawberry stuff
Spaghetti with meat sauce
Half bowl honey nut Cheerios with almond milk (too much sugar. Felt a bit off afterwards)
20 oz water bottle
12 oz vitamin water
6/19
5 cans
1 slice cinnamon toast biscuit/ham/eggs empanada
Cup shredded chicken and turkey sausage jambalaya
12 oz water
20 oz Gatorade
Pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans
More water
6/20
5 cans
Breakfast bar
Bite of banana
Some coffee
20 oz Gatorade
Snack bag of cheez its
Half bowl la Madeleine tomato basil soup
Half slice bread with jam
Remaining bowl of soup
2 half slices bread
6 grapes (spit out skins)
Half slice of cantaloupe
6/21
118 lbs
5 cans
Empanada (1 biscuit with egg &ham)
Cup and 1/2 coffee
Half large banana
Snack bag of cheez its
2 oz Pork loin
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 banana
2-3 oz chicken fried steak
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
3/4 yeast roll
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup banana pudding
20 oz Gatorade g2
18 oz water
6/22
117.4 lbs
Biscuit empanada with egg/ham
1 strawberry
1/2 slice cantaloupe
1/2 double Dave’s pizza slice
3 bites vanilla cake
28 oz water
20 oz vitamin water (no calories)
1 baked chicken strip
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup Mac & cheese
1 cheese slice
6/23
117.6
5 cans
1 bacon slice
1 eggo with 1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup coffee
2 oz baked chicken w/ sour cream/spice/breadcrumb breading
1 cup baked beans
1/2 baked potatoe with 1 tbsp margarine
1 peanut butter cookie with Reese’s pieces
1/2 cup goldfish
40 oz water
Grilled cheese (one slice) with 2 tbsp butter
6/24
118.6
5 cans
1 eggo with 2 tbsp peanut butter (sugar crash, yuck)
1 slice pumpernickel bread with 1 tbsp butter
1 cup spaghetti with meat sauce
1 cup chicken noodle soup
1/2 cup cheez its
28 oz water
20 oz Gatorade g2
1/2 chocolate chip cookie
Tried bite of chicken patty (threw it up)
Tried chicken kabob with rice (also got stuck & threw up)
1/2 cup oatmeal success
6/25
120 lbs
4 cans
Breakfast bar
3/4 cup oatmeal
20 oz g2
20 oz water
1/4 cup goldfish (felt like puking)
1-2 oz baked chicken ( nausea..not enough protein? Dehydrated?)
1 bread roll
1 oatmeal raisin cookie from Zoe’s
1/2 cup spaghettios
6/26
119 lbs
4 cans
2 mini sausage biscuits
1/2 cup coffee
3 bites banana
1/4 slice bread with 1 tsp cream cheese
1 small avocado
2 slices toast with 1 tbsp margarine
8 oz almond milk with 1 scoop protein powder (GNC wheybolic)
12 oz g2
20 oz water
1/2 hot dog with bun
1/2 cup cheez-its
6/27
118 lbs
4 cans
I egg/biscuit/ham empanada
8 oz almond milk with 1 scoop GNC wheybolic protein
HEB butter tortilla
1 lg banana
12 oz Gatorade g2 grape
40 oz water
1 cheese pizza slice
1/2 proasis protein shot
1 cup bean and chicken chili
1/4 cornbread muffin
1 Oreo
6/28
117.8 lbs (hydration from heat?)
4 cans
1 empanada
2 oz almond & 6 oz 2% milk with 1 scoop protein powder
1 HEB tortilla
1 cup chicken noodle soup
40-60 oz water
1/4 cup cheez its
1/2 hot dog with bun
1/4 avocado
Few bites meatloaf and mashed potatoes (meatloaf gross. Too hard to chew down. Found adding hummus as a binder with each bite fixes that yucky texture.)
6 oz grape g2 Gatorade
6/29
119ish (late weigh after food)
4 cans
3 bites cinnamon roll
2 slices cinnamon toast with 1 tbsp smart balance
Almond milk protein shake
3/4 pizza slice
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
Almond milk protein shake
2-3 oz chicken
1/2 oz fish
1 new potatoe
1/2 role with 1 tbsp butter
3 bites cake
40 oz water? (1 20 oz bottle & 1 glass at wedding)
10 oz Gatorade g2
Wedding, bday party & very hot out
6/30
117.2 (seem dehydrated)
4 cans
1 egg scrambled
1 piece bacon
1/2 tortilla
1 1/2almond milk protein shake
1/2 cup bean chili and some chicken
40+ oz water?
6 peanut butter crackers
3 oz smoked chicken with a little cornbread stuffing
4 oz yoplait Greek yogurt strawberry
7/1
116.8 lbs
4 cans
1 slice bacon
2 slices cinnamon toast
1 protein shake with almond milk
1 large banana
1 package (6) peanut butter crackers (my new staple. Easy to eat. 180 calories)
1/2 cup chicken/bean chili
3 oz salmon
2 tbsp hummus
Some cous cous
1 chocolate chip cookie
3 bites cupcake
1 serving cheez its with 2-3 tbsp hummus
7/2
Forgot to weigh. At night 118
4 cans
Protein shake with whole lactose free milk
1/4 cup cous cous with 2 tbsp basil hummus & 2 oz ground hamburger
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich
1 oz chicken
3 bites cupcake
1 yeast roll
1 cheese slice
7/3
117
4 cans
8 oz whole milk with 1 protein scoop
Cous cous with 2 tbsp basil hummus with 2 oz taco meat
6 peanut butter crackers
40 oz water.
6-10 oz Gatorade
7-8 chips with salsa
3 oz of chicken enchilada
1 oz margarita 😉
2 small yeast rolls
7/4
117.5
4 cans
2 slices cinnamon toast with 1 tbsp smart balance
8 oz while milk with 1 scoop protein
30 oz water
1/2 cup coffee
2 peanut butter crackers
5 wheat thins with 2 tsp cream cheese
1 oz pork chop
1/2 cup Mac & cheese
2 peanut butter crackers
20 oz water
1/3 coke zero
1/2 grilled cheese sandwich with 1 tbsp butter
7/5
117.4
2 baby sausage rolls
1/2 glazed donut
2 oz rotisserie chicken with 2 tbsp basil hummus and 1/4 cup large cous cous
20 oz water
1/2 thick tortilla
4 chick fil a nuggets
1/4 chick fil a fries
8 oz chick fil a diet lemonade
7/6
117.8
4 cans
1 pillsbury cinnamon roll
1 Greek light & fit yogurt
1 tortilla
8 oz protein shake with almond milk
3/4 grilled cheese sandwich with 1 slice velveeta and 2 tsp butter
4 tortilla chips with 1 tbsp guac
1/4 cup mix of Oreo,cream cheese & cool whip
1 small sausage ball in sauce
1 shrimp
4 saltine crackers (grazing at MIL house, hence the random bites of food. Very conducive to stomachless peeps)
5 ritz crackers
4 fish sticks
1/4 cup fiesta beans
1/4 doughnut
50 oz water
1/2 coke zero
7/7
117.6
4 cans
Greek light & fit
2 slices cinnamon toast with smart balance
3/4 of bun length hot dog with bun. 1/5 large mango
3 peanut butter crackers
1/4 cup cheez-its
1 pulled pork slider with 2 oz pork and 5 pickles
Thank you for this I am 23 years and found out I had to have my stomach removed due to gastroparesis and I am nervous and have no idea what to expect
Hi Becca!
You’re welcome, and I’m so glad this is helpful. I’ll keep posting what I learn as I go along and hope it helps to read through. Before my surgery, we mulled through every tidbit of information we could find about gastrectomies. 🙂 You will be in our prayers.
My husband had his entire stomach removed this past May and is still having difficulty eating or even keeping food down. This morning he had a cup of instant oatmeal and within 30 minutes it all came up………
Do you have any suggestions?? When I make suggestions….he tells me I have no idea what it’s like. Granted that may be true….but I’m trying to help.
I know everyone’s bodies react differently. I know the instant oatmeals I have on-hand have too much sugar. For any sweet flavoring, I’m using sugar substitutes. The only thing for keeping it down is chew 4x longer than I think is absolutely necessary. There’s also a lot of people with good ideas on the Facebook group called “Support group for partial & total gastrectomy patients”. If oatmeal just doesn’t work, try cream of wheat with a milk substitute or try something else. I’ve kind of noticed “kid foods” that are overly processed work pretty well for me personally & peanut butter crackers. I can chew & chew to a mush before swallowing. And if air goes down with the bite, eating slowly & little burps in between seems to keep more down.
It’s not an exact science. My doctor said everyone is different & I realize my recovery has gone well so far. Just keep trying to graze all day. It’s not easy.
My really bad day seemed to be related to not enough protein. That was when I had oatmeal early morning and then by 5 that night tried to eat goldfish and had to throw them up. My protein shake is 8 oz almond milk with 1 scoop of protein powder (it says 3 scoops for serving size on the can). Any more than that is too thick, but I figure I’m getting good quality protein, some calories and essentially a multivitamin since those powders have so many vitamins and minerals built in.
If food still isn’t staying down, I’d talk to the doctor. I’ve heard of a few people have stricture & would want to make sure he’s ok.
Marne
I have been following your stories and eating as my husband had his stomach removed in April,and is still having good and bad days, but I think getting better most days.