Can anyone advise on foods my wife can have different than soups all the time.
Currently she is in hospital has had 2 chest infections close together. On intravenous anti biotics for this. Been on drip for few days for hydration too!
Dietician probably told us all this about foods. But like to hear from others
Thanks
What diet have the hospital prescrbed? If soft then porridge, soup, mash.
, ice cream, rice pudding. Items your wife may enjoy is most likely to be consumed.
It's difficult in hospital & one of the things I keep meaning to write to them about, especially only having access to food 3 times daily when they themselves recommend 6 small meals! Cuppa soups are useful but I tended to avoid bread & still do.
Hope you find this useful
Z
Xx
Yes anything is helpfull.
Soups pureed are only thing she will have. Cannot have breads or pastries. Has stent fitted and advised they want to do a 2nd stent soon. Brachytherapy maybe in future.
Still stresses over food and frightened to try mash or any puree meal with gravy!
Thankyou
It can be daunting when things get stuck or feel to be stuck & you can get yourself into a panic thinking you are going to choke. I tend to really chew any meat when I eat it, not as often now, & I eat food I really fancy at the time which can be very bizarre, I craved grapefruit, got it in a tin, I really enjoyed it but have to be careful as it is acidic. I do find pasta is my go to dish now but until your wife feels confident there is no point in pushing. I saw a hypnotherapist to help with my panic over eating, the nausea & general new negative attitude to eating as I knew it was all in my head. This helped tremendously & really quickly. That maybe something to look into. In the meantime ask your wife what she would really like & get her a very small portion. Then let her nibble it, chewing really well. Don't force it as this will only cause issues. If she manages a couple of bites that alone will slowly build up her confidence but remember what she may like & what works today, may put your wife off tomorrow. The drugs mess with our taste buds & the trauma of being poisoned etc messes with your head. It's very confusing & can have a major impact on your whole attitude to food.
I hope she finds something she likes. Oh I got sweets as well, boiled to duck & some chewy fruit pastels, see if something like that interests your wife.
Good luck
Z
Xx
Scrambled or poached eggs might be nice if she fancies something savoury, especially if she could manage a little bread and butter with them. If she is able to manage a small amount of bread perhaps she could try some of the sandwich spreads. For something sweet there's bananas with or without custard - (or vice versa) yoghurt, mousse, creme caramel maybe even a nice soft sponge pudding with custard, or bread and butter pudding. But - only very small amounts of whatever she has. Wishing you both well.
Hi Alan2151, I have had swallowing problems for many years now and after losing a significant amount of weight I was facing having a feeding tube fitted. However the dietician put me on prescribed supplement drinks which have helped me enormously. Unfortunately they are not to everyone's taste and they come in the form of a milk shake, all different flavours but at least your wife would be getting valuable vitamins and minerals and a variation to soup without the pressure of trying to swallow other foods.
Kind Regards
Xene
I too used these drinks. The flavours I liked are not what I would choose normally. The ones I liked the best were orange, banana, chocolate, caramel. They are like a thin milk shake. Mine were Nutrasip. Mashed banana goes down well and I found some small round soft cheeses were good for nibbling on as they melted in my mouth. I liked chicken flavour Complan when I craved something savoury. All best wishes. Maisie
There are some ideas in the booklet 'Swallowing when it is difficult' that you can download from the OPA website.
Allow your wife decide, and please don't pressure her. Feeling uptight will only make things worse. For sure dieticians are worth their weight in gold. If your wife does want to try something more than soup, encourage her to drink lots while eating just small amounts. I also find liquids out of the fridge just tenses everything up, but I know of others who find cold things help. Every day is not the same - and always remember she knows her body better than anyone!
I found that just thinking about food made me feel ill and my husband did his best to tempt me to eat but in the end I had to ask him to stop asking me what I wanted and just give me small amounts of what he had made. I found I could eat ice cream and tinned fruit and Ive always been able to eat pasta - but everyone is different and it's a case of trial and error. Do try looking at the OPA website as recommended by Alan. Best wishes
I don't have swallowing problems but I care about getting nutrition in me - some of my best foods are baked butternut squash, baked apple, mashed chick-peas, baked sweet potato - live fresh yogurt mixed with honey. Green tea is awful but supposed to be good - try it with fresh lemon to get vit c.
Smoothies.......I lived on slimfast.......mashed potatoes with LOTS of gravy.....canned chicken breast that you chop up in a blender.....I added some mayo. Oatmeal put in a blender first before cooking. Small bites. Slow, slow, slow and chew then chew some more then chew some more then chew some more. I crushed my meds and put them in sugar free pudding.
Problem Swallowing before treatment
Survival rate of esophageal cancer. 
Swallowing issues and bile reflux
Post 13 yr. open Ivor-lewis esophageal surgery - 
