After Laparoscopy Food and Drink ?

[KirstieX13]

Going in for a first Laparoscopy in a few weeks and want to start getting some stuff in during the weekly shop ?

What do you guys suggest getting..

Like;

What food(s) should I get in

What drinks should I get in

[luthien]

complan is good for post surgery or any milkshake / vitamin drink as it has all the calories and vitamins / minerals / nutrients of a small meal for when solid food just feels too much effort! frozen fruit, that's brilliant for smoothies and is actually fresher and sweeter than fresh fruit, plus keeps longer. peppermint tea, if you don't like that then peppermint capsules (health food shop) they help shift the gas after op. lots of fruit drinks to get the water in. look for things high in protein as that will help heal the muscles. get some ready / quick / dehydrated / microwave meals for the first few days when standing to cook really doesn't feel nice. you'll need comfort foods; trust me the sugar is used while healing

[KirstieX13 in reply to luthien]

Thank you very much... I’ve seen everywhere about peppermint tea so I went out and got a small box to get myself used to drinking it..

I don’t plan on doing any cooking get my mum and my boyfriend to do that for me

[Catness]

Hey this is a reply I posted to someone asking for some post lap advice a while ago. I’ve just cut and paste it here but I’m hoping some of the info will be of use to you as this is your first lap:

*****

Hello

I’m about to have my fifth lap so I hope I can pass on some tips which I have found helpful.

I think the most important is not to put expectations on yourself. I told myself the first time that I *should* be back up and normal in 2 weeks and gave myself a really hard time when I wasn’t. After laps which have included excision surgery (as opposed to burning/abalation) it’s taken 2 weeks to get back on my feet and around 6 for my energy to come back and to start to feel ‘normal’ again. The first 3-4 days is usually just spent completely resting and getting used to how your abdomen is feeling. It can be a bit of a shock as the surgery scars don’t look like much on the outside but there has obviously been quite a lot done inside. Feeling a bit down about it all is perfectly understandable! If you are able to I would tell your boss it will be 2-3 weeks off is fairly standard to be on the safe side.

I found one of the worst things to deal with post-surgery is the shoulder pain from the trapped gas which they fill your tummy with in surgery. Peppermint tea really helps to clear the gas, as does moving around little and often in the first couple of days (even if it’s just a supervised trip from one room to the other). Also eat very lightly after surgery (I have a chunky veg soup) as all the pain killers and anaesthetic drugs bind you up and the first bowel movement can be quite uncomfortable. I really advise asking your GP or consultant for some Laxido, or something similar, when you are discharged. It’s a stool softener and just makes ‘going’ a little easier!!

I don’t have children, but I do have a very needy lap cat and she managed to pop my stitches by jumping on my tummy after my first surgery. I imagine with little ones that could also be a worry so best to keep a pillow on your stomach to avoid any unwanted surprise hugs.

I’ve found that sleeping on my back for the first few nights most comfy but other ladies say they prefer a reclining chair to sleep in as it can be very painful trying to get vertical from completely horizontal. I always have to get my partner to help me up in the night.

I have always been told by various consultants that I can’t drive for a full 6 weeks after surgery due to the wounds healing and in my experience (though it’s different for everyone) it’s very uncomfortable to have the seat belt on my stomach. When you’re being driven home from hospital ask whoever is with you to bring a pillow with them to put between your tummy and the seatbelt as it will be far more comfortable.

I would take some pads to hospital with you as you will bleed and they will insist on putting those banana-boat maternity pads in there. They’re very uncomfortable and just being able to change into something a little more discreet always makes me feel a little better. I also find knickers with a waist band that isn’t too tight more comfy and either take a sleeping top to hospital (I always have to stay over at least a night due to my other illnesses) or I’ll find loose fitting PJ bottoms.

Some ladies do get a touch of post-surgery blues after a lap - I have a couple of weeks where I feel very blue and down. If this does happen it’s very normal and will ease up, as will the pain. Pain-wise Lots of ladies recommend taking your pain killers as prescribed to ensure they’re not taken off guard by pain (as opposed to not thinking you need to take it and then chasing the pain when it comes on).

Food-wise my advice would be not to eat nothing stodgy (bread/ pasta etc) until you’ve managed to have a bowel movement after surgery. I make some homemade soups and have very light stuff with veggies for the first couple of days just to make sure I’m helping my bowel as much as possible. Peppermint tea is a godsend but just drink a lot of water to flush everything out.

That’s all I can think of for now - best of luck with everything and if I remember anything else I will come back and post again xxx

[KirstieX13 in reply to Catness]

Thank you for the advice

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

Peppermint tea!

I found I just wanted really easy meals that were not a lot of effort to prepare as I was really tired.

I also really craved ready salted crisps once the nausea from the general anaesthetic subsided.

[KirstieX13 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Thank you! Fair enough. So wasn’t told by the nurse what to avoid?x

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to KirstieX13]

Don’t think you need to avoid anything as far as I know.

[KirstieX13 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Okay thank you