Things seem to be progressing very well.
My wound care has ended, so I no longer have to peel band-aids off my torso every day. That's a nice change.
I had been experiencing pain or discomfort in my upper abdomen -- exactly where the highest scope wound is -- when I would swallow liquids. (This is normal.) It's occurring less frequently and less severely. Yay.
I can now drink six ounces of most fluids without pain or discomfort, as long as I sip them slowly.
I'm finding more ways to make a plain protein shake taste better. I didn't buy artificially flavoured protein powder or pre-mixed protein shakes. I usually don't like the taste of any flavoured beverages, and they are always too sweet for me. The plain (unflavoured) protein powder in milk (or coconut milk) was fine with a cup of frozen fruit blended in, pre-surgery. But I can't have fruit yet, and the plain taste was pretty dismal.
I thought of these ingredients to bring flavour to the mix without adding anything I can't yet eat. I'm using combinations of:
-- vanilla extract
-- cinnamon
-- cacao powder
-- mint leaves
Huge improvement! I'm all kinds of pleased with myself for thinking of this on my own.
The wonderful RD also told me about PB2, peanut protein with all the fat removed. I don't know why I had never heard of this before? Perhaps because I'm not vegan, so I'm not actively looking for protein sources. I don't know if I can get it in our town or if I have to order it, but it sounds like a good option.
I'm walking every day. Only a little so far, but it feels good to get outside.
I get a daily email from the Government of Canada, asking me to confirm that I am still isolating, and declare whether or not I have symptoms of covid-19. I've also gotten a phone call from a public health worker, asking about my self-isolating plan and how it's going.
This morning I am cooking another batch of dinners for my partner. He did the shopping and he washes the Instant Pot insert in between dishes I'm cooking. It's not making me hungry, although I do have to watch the impulse to taste things, or even lick a spoon.
While I'm cooking, I'm making chicken broth for myself, then re-purposing the chicken in a dish for A. This will be much tastier than the pre-made broth. I don't buy canned soups because of the high sodium content, and the broths made for cooking are not very tasty by themselves.
I can't imagine cooking food I won't eat (I am so selfish!). It just reminds me of making lunch for my kids and now my grandsons on Yom Kippur!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping I can eat some of it pureed. But I enjoy cooking, and I was happy to do it. Plus it's only every 3-4 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting opeion---to puree it. And I wish I enjoyed cooking. I've actually enjoyed it more in the last seven months than ever before. We are eating a much better array of foods, and my varioius digestive issues have never been under better control.
ReplyDeleteThat's the next phase of the post-op diet, pureed food, consistency of baby food.
ReplyDeleteRe your cooking and eating, that's great! Is it linked to the pandemic and restaurants being closed?
Yes, in part. I think that's why my stomach is better---not eating out. But I think I enjoy cooking more because our life is less hectic. Since we haven't been going to stores very much (we use Instacart), I need to plan ahead more than I ever did before. So that means I have what I need in the house to make a meal without last minute plans and shopping. I know that sounds crazy---we could have always done that. But we didn't. So we are eating better both because we aren't eating out and because I am planning and making better meals. And this my digestive issues are also better.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't sound crazy at all! It sounds wonderful -- and also fairly common among families with the means. There's a reason Michael Pollan says "get to know your kitchen again". So many people rarely use theirs.
ReplyDeleteEating healthfully requires a lot of planning. There's no getting around it, and it's a huge obstacle for a lot of people.
I enjoy cooking when I'm not rushed, and *not* after working all day.
Your digestive issues improving is fantastic. Interesting that going out less has resulted in feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI've learned that restaurants must put lots of crap in their food to make it taste and look better. That crap doesn't agree with me. I prefer to eat simply and know what I am eating.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura, and I hope your change will also make you feel better.
Yup, there must be unnecessary ingredients, preservatives, and who knows what else. I'm a big proponent of using high-quality ingredients to make delicious, simple food.
ReplyDeleteI have always eaten healthfully -- but too much. Portions too large, and too often.
Over the last two years, I have eaten whatever I wanted. Which means healthy food plus not-healthy food. Now I'm glad I did, since I won't be able to anymore.
I will write about this in a post.