>> Right after you have surgery,
you'll be sent trays of clear liquids. These are already prepared for you and include
diet juices, diet popsicles and chicken or beef broth, etc. You'll receive more fluids
than you can tolerate, so just take what you like and the nurses or nursing
assistants can bring you additional water. Please triple check that all of the
beverages you receive are appropriate for you and sugar free and alert someone if
the foods are not appropriate for you. Your goal in the hospital is to sip your
liquids, hydrate your body and rest.
The nurses will get you up from the bed several
times per day to help you in your recovery. Remember, do not use any straws and
do not drink any carbonated beverages. You may also be receiving IV fluids during
surgery for a short time after surgery. It's normal to be up in weight after surgery. After your first night in the hospital,
you'll be advanced to full liquids. These are all the clear liquids you received the
day prior, with the addition of protein shakes.
The protein shakes you'll be receiving at
the hospital are not ideal for our patients, so it is recommended that you bring a
few packets of your own protein powder to drink while you're in the hospital,
along with your shaker bottle. The nurses can bring you
milk or milk alternatives or water to mix with your protein powder. This is recommended, but not required. The nurses will also provide you with a 1
ounce medicine cup to sip from and sip, sip, sip sheets to track your fluid intakes. This is a great way to aim for your 64
ounces of fluids per day and you may want to continue practicing this once you get home.
The first stage of the diet
progression is the liquid stage. You'll be on liquids for the
first two weeks after surgery. Your goals are to sip, sip, sip all
day long in order to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink at
least 1 ounce every 10 to 15 minutes. You'll be sipping on sugar free
liquids and protein shakes. The protein shake goal is to get in three shakes
per day or at least 60 grams of protein per day. It may be challenging to get in three
shakes per day for the first week. Just keep experimenting and
trying to get them in. It's recommended that one shake takes
about one to two hours to finish. You can make your shakes with
less fluid to help with tolerance. For example, you can use one scoop of protein
powder and 4 ounces of liquid to help you get it down a bit more quickly instead of using
8 to 12 ounces as you might usually. In addition to protein shakes, try to get
in at least 64 ounces of sugar free liquids or water per day to stay hydrated. If you are very sleepy after surgery and resting
much of the day, it's a good idea to set alarms or have someone wake you
up to get in enough fluids.
Make sure you're also getting up and
moving around to help with healing, but also take time to rest and recovery. Remember, your body needs rest to heal properly. Here's a list of acceptable
liquids during the liquid stage. A good rule of thumb in general
is that any liquid less than 5 calories per serving are acceptable. Please ask if you aren't sure whether
or not something is okay to be drinking. Acceptable liquids include your protein shakes,
milk, Lactaid or unsweetened milk alternatives, water, infused waters, calorie free flavored
waters, diet juices or diet sport drinks, diet popsicles, diet Jell-O is okay, chicken,
beef, vegetable or bone broth are great, tomato juice, and it's okay
to use sugar free applesauce to take your medications and supplements with. You may want something a little extra in
your pouch to tolerate your medications..
