Starting with Children’s Meals

We started with children’s meals, specifically “Little Dish.”. These meals come in small portions, perfect for our new stomach sizes. The variety was appealing: cottage pie, mac and cheese, fish pie, chicken and veggies, or pasta Bolognese. We would sometimes share one meal between us to start, each having half, and even then it was difficult to finish. It was strange to waste food when the portions appeared so tiny, but this was one of the adjustments we should make.

Recognising Fullness Signals

During this stage, it became clear that our bodies would let us know when we had enough to eat. First, we became uneasy, and if we continued to eat, more specific symptoms would appear. James developed extremely loud, unfamiliar hiccups, and Kirsten’s nose would run. Other potential signs of fullness included sneezing, burping, and eventually vomiting. Burping was rather weird; most of the time, it felt like the burp would not come out and that might be painful. We learned that if one tried to press hard on it, it could make one sick, so it was better to let it go in its own time.

Experimenting with Other Soft Foods

We also tried other soft foods such as mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, and protein Weetabix. These, however, turned out to be such a waste of food that we returned to our trusted “Little Dish” meals. We also tried other soft foods like beans and spaghetti hoops and we found these didn’t sit well in our stomachs so we were unable to continue with them.

Success with Slow-Cooked Curries

One of the successful strategies was to make slow-cooked curries. We would cook 400g of diced chicken in a slow cooker with curry sauce and then have three pieces of chicken multiple times a day. We had most of the types of curries available—Madrasi, jalfrezi, korma, rogan josh, bhuna, and balti. Most were too spicy, and some caused discomfort, especially for James.

James suffered terrible pain after eating the jalfrezi and had to return to a liquid diet for a week to prevent the healing stomach lining from further damage. We were made very aware, quite suddenly, of the importance of following our nutritionist and surgeon’s advice very closely and adding new foods very slowly and with care.

Moving Forward

As exciting as it was eating again, you have got to know that the journey is dotted with its highs and lows. James had to go back to liquids, while Kirsten continued pressing forward at soft foods, but together we pushed on to the next step.

Dishes Mentioned

Children’s Meals (Little Dish)

• Cottage Pie
• Mac and Cheese
• Fish Pie
• Chicken & Veggies
• Pasta Bolognese

Soups

• Tomato Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Scotch Broth
• Lentil Soup

Soft Foods

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Mac and Cheese
• Protein Weetabix
• Beans
• Spaghetti Hoops

Slow-Cooked Curries

• Madras
• Jalfrezi
• Korma
• Rogan Josh
• Bhuna
• Balti

By the end of this stage, we were ready to move on to the next phase: regular foods. Sharing our experiences, we hope to provide clarity and guidance for others navigating the complexities of post-surgery recovery. Please remember, this is our personal experience and not medical advice. For medical guidance, always consult your GP.