I just had my surgery two weeks ago and I did not plan for the boredom while I heal at home. My go to is to eat in boredom (not good) so I am struggling. I know I need support of some kind and meet with a nutritionist next week. But what about now. Not looking forward to puree food because of the texture. Do you all enjoy it? How? Please help me deal. I know its one day at a time but I feel so alone and hate being bored. I am reading, tv sucks, I watch all news which is bad and repetitive. Don't want to blow this great new life ahead . I know I am blessed to have this opportunity. Just need to vent!
Bored while I heal
- Thread starter NewlifeCO
- Start date
JudyNY
Member
Congrats on your surgery! I can only say that if you struggle with the different stages of post-surgery eating, remind yourself it is temporary. In time you will be able to eat regular food, but healthier and small portions.
If you like to cook, experiment with different flavors. Try new recipes. There are cookbooks for post-surgery patients. Perhaps get into meal planning where you can take one or two days a week where you prepare your food and then portion it out for the week.
Find a new hobby. Or stream a TV series (even an old one) and binge watch it. Catch up on reading. Whatever you can do to keep the mind occupied.
Good luck! You can do this!!
If you like to cook, experiment with different flavors. Try new recipes. There are cookbooks for post-surgery patients. Perhaps get into meal planning where you can take one or two days a week where you prepare your food and then portion it out for the week.
Find a new hobby. Or stream a TV series (even an old one) and binge watch it. Catch up on reading. Whatever you can do to keep the mind occupied.
Good luck! You can do this!!
Venting is good. Putting your obstacles in writing it is good also. Now you can make a plan. Have you checked out any books from library to get away from tv? I got the apps from local library for digital and audio books. Have you tried audio books. I like sci/fi , fantasy, wizard, dragons stories. My son set me on The Spellmonger series, by terry manticore ( I may have spelled author last name wrong) You could put a puzzle together while listening to a story.
Have you got your before pics picked out? Your measurements written down? Have you written down your goals yet? Have you started going through your closet to deem what you are keeping and what you want to get rid of? I have way too many clothes to find new homes for. Work on making some weekly menus and find creative rewards for accomplishing goals. Example having a fingernail painting day, getting your hair trimmed. Making time to do extra exercise or yoga moves. Reward yourself with kettle bell or hand weights. Just ideas.
Have you got your before pics picked out? Your measurements written down? Have you written down your goals yet? Have you started going through your closet to deem what you are keeping and what you want to get rid of? I have way too many clothes to find new homes for. Work on making some weekly menus and find creative rewards for accomplishing goals. Example having a fingernail painting day, getting your hair trimmed. Making time to do extra exercise or yoga moves. Reward yourself with kettle bell or hand weights. Just ideas.
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Way to go Judy you got some of my ideas posted while I was writing my ideas out.
TraceyT
Member
Hi New! Congrats on the surgery! I got through the pureed stage with egg salad. I don't like eggs - but I'll eat my own egg salad and deviled eggs. I also ate no sugar added apple sauce, puddings, and so forth. I'm not one of those people that can put meat, potatoes, broccoli and gravy in a blender and drink/eat that stuff. But some people can.
My pureed stage lasted a week - then to soft foods. I thrived on egg salad, protein shakes, cottage cheese, and other soft foods with protein powder added to them for several weeks.
Just go slow - tackle one issue at a time. It sounds like boredom is the main thing right now. I listened to a lot of music during the first few weeks after surgery. I'm a die hard Freddie Mercury/Queen fan - so I was up moving - shaking my booty - to pretty much anything Freddy was singing! It's how I got in exercise too. Nothing like shakin' ya booty to "Fat Bottomed Girls"... I also wrote in my journal every day. It gave me a place to vent - where there was no judgement - finger pointing - just whatever raw emotions I was going through that day and what was going on around me. It was/is very therapeutic for me.
You can do this. Just do it one day at a time. Tomorrow is a clean slate new day, you can start over. Best of luck to you on this awesome life altering journey.
dianeseattle
Member
I am! So glad you mentioned this, TT. There's a benefit to doing this aside from the obvious one. A lot of meats are very stringy and can cause choking if not well-chewed. I found myself digging wads of meat out of my throat because they didn't go down. I overestimated the capacity of my esophagus after my big RYGB.
So I did puree a lot of meat, using gravy to thin it. It tasted great but had the consistency of baby food.
Weirdly, this worked really well with the foods from a Thanksgiving meal. I included thinned mashed potatoes and smooth cranberry sauce.
dianeseattle
Member
So this thread is what brought on the Freddie mercury pic. I like it
dianeseattle
Member
Yeah, I've been having trouble formatting and attaching and other system functions, so after several tries to attach as a response, I just uploaded it. Tracey, what did you think?
suzannethemom
Member
I started doing puzzles for the first time ever thanks to the Covid pandemic. It’s kinda relaxing and therapeutic. The only tricky part is having a designated table to put it on. I also tried one of those adult advanced coloring books, but it wasn’t for me. I’m not artsy.
They have puzzle mats. You can roll your puzzle up with it and it stays together. My grandmother used to use them before she got a designated puzzle table. haha
suzannethemom
Member
Great idea! I just ordered one from Amazon.
dianeseattle
Member
OMG, I've never heard of this! Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing!
I too have been very bored at home after surgery. Not quite 2 weeks out right now, and I have increasingly realized how much time I spent thinking about food, preparing, shopping, eating.... have been reading books, watching TV, going for a walk outside, planting seeds inside for summer garden, puzzles (on a puzzle mat too!), cooked a couple of meals for my family, scrubbed the fronts of some kitchen cabinets. I feel quite well, so I am not sure why the recommendation from my surgeon to stay off work for a month afterwards. I have my post op visit tomorrow with the PA so am going to ask why I am not supposed to go back to work yet.
Wow- Glad to know you are doing so well. Maybe if you have a sedentary job they will let you return. I think part of it is to be off of narcotic pain meds so you can drive.
missyinacage
Member
You can also use clear contact paper to basically laminate your puzzles once they are complete if you want to keep them. I only do Christmas puzzles but I then laminate, frame and hang them up.
As for being bored .. find something, anything to do with your hands. When I quit smoking, I had to keep my hands busy or I was going to eat, eat, and eat some more. Paint by numbers, crochet, macrame, puzzles, basket weaving, latch hook, embroidery; there are a million things out there. Find one that keeps you entertained.
As for being bored .. find something, anything to do with your hands. When I quit smoking, I had to keep my hands busy or I was going to eat, eat, and eat some more. Paint by numbers, crochet, macrame, puzzles, basket weaving, latch hook, embroidery; there are a million things out there. Find one that keeps you entertained.
suzannethemom
Member
Wow, that’s impressive! It sounds like you have a pretty good energy level. I know that everyone has a different recovery rate after surgery. I am hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I am making an effort to finish the house projects that I was procrastinating on and doing some “spring cleaning” before I get my surgery date.
TraceyT
Member
Diane - I LOVE anything Freddy!!! I truly loved shaking my fat booty -to Fat Bottomed Girls...it was my favorite thing to do. My husband took me to see Queen with Adam Lambert - it was a wonderful concert - but would have been perfect with Freddy. I remember watching Live Aide in the mid 80's - I loved it all!
What a brilliant idea clear contact paper.