Cooking for mom after surgery....

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit my
mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from back
surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating,

One suggestion I can make is that you focus on fiber and lots of
vegetables and fruits (within her diabetic diet) as pain medications can
often cause slowing down of the gastric tract, and constipation is a
common side effect.
Protein is important for wound healing also.

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit my
mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from back
surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing spicy
or exotic. I was thinking things like butternut squash soup, chicken pot
pie, pot roast or beef stew. Mom is diabetic, so I need to take that into
consideration (even though *she* doesn't seem to). And we'll have very
simple things on hand, like chicken broth, jello, etc. if she's really not
feeling up to eating much.

Anybody have a really simple, comforting dish that they'd recommend, or any
general tips for helping somebody recover from back surgery (not sure
exactly what kind -- doing something with a few vertebrae...fusingthem? I
don't know).

Thanks,
Chris

One of the hardest things to do when your back hurts is to sit.
Anywhere. And pain meds & anesthesia can play hell with yer
regularity, ya know what I mean? People who are healing need
more calories, but more protein and less carbs & fats. Figure in
some salad, cooked greens, oatmeal, raw apples (are supposed
to even out blood sugar!), and veggies one can pick up with
the fingers in case she doesn't feel like sitting up. You might want
to leave out drippy stew stuff and keep the broth in a cup.
Figger in "wraps" perhaps in lettuce to cut back on the carbs.
Grilled meat and seafood is a pretty good nutritional bet. Low
fat cheese slices or cubes. Make dips with lo/no fat yogurt or
sour cream, dill, garlic, herbs. I liked cold boiled shrimp &
seafood sauce, lo fat club crackers, plenty of those flavored
waters. hth.
Edrena

"Goomba38" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit
my mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from
back surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll
feel like eating,

One suggestion I can make is that you focus on fiber and lots of
vegetables and fruits (within her diabetic diet) as pain medications can
often cause slowing down of the gastric tract, and constipation is a
common side effect.
Protein is important for wound healing also.

Thanks, that is good advice.

Chris (who remembers the fear of constipation after childbirth and will
definitely ply Mom with fiber)

"The Joneses" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit
my
mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from back
surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll
feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing
spicy
or exotic. I was thinking things like butternut squash soup, chicken pot
pie, pot roast or beef stew. Mom is diabetic, so I need to take that
into
consideration (even though *she* doesn't seem to). And we'll have very
simple things on hand, like chicken broth, jello, etc. if she's really
not
feeling up to eating much.

Anybody have a really simple, comforting dish that they'd recommend, or
any
general tips for helping somebody recover from back surgery (not sure
exactly what kind -- doing something with a few vertebrae...fusingthem?
I
don't know).

Thanks,
Chris

One of the hardest things to do when your back hurts is to sit.
Anywhere. And pain meds & anesthesia can play hell with yer
regularity, ya know what I mean? People who are healing need
more calories, but more protein and less carbs & fats. Figure in
some salad, cooked greens, oatmeal, raw apples (are supposed
to even out blood sugar!), and veggies one can pick up with
the fingers in case she doesn't feel like sitting up.

Good idea.

Quoted message said:

You might want
to leave out drippy stew stuff and keep the broth in a cup.
Figger in "wraps" perhaps in lettuce to cut back on the carbs.
Grilled meat and seafood is a pretty good nutritional bet. Low
fat cheese slices or cubes. Make dips with lo/no fat yogurt or
sour cream, dill, garlic, herbs. I liked cold boiled shrimp &
seafood sauce, lo fat club crackers, plenty of those flavored
waters. hth.

It does, and thank you so much!

Chris

Chris said:

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing spicy
or exotic.

Don't plan big meals. Mom may not have much of an appetite, and may find
it tiring to eat a lot, especially if she is bedridden. It'll be easier
to bring another plate of food to her if she wants it later. She may
want juice or snacks where she can reach them if she wants a nibble.
Something like cut up fruit or veggies that you can leave at room temp
for her.

Her tastes may change due to the drugs or the stress. She may find
things don't taste good to her that she used to like, or that things
taste flat or just odd. It may not be a reflection on your cooking.

Dawn

Dawn said:

Chris said:

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing spicy
or exotic.

Don't plan big meals. Mom may not have much of an appetite, and may find
it tiring to eat a lot, especially if she is bedridden. It'll be easier
to bring another plate of food to her if she wants it later. She may
want juice or snacks where she can reach them if she wants a nibble.
Something like cut up fruit or veggies that you can leave at room temp
for her.

Her tastes may change due to the drugs or the stress. She may find
things don't taste good to her that she used to like, or that things
taste flat or just odd. It may not be a reflection on your cooking.

Dawn

But don't forget Dad....he will still have his appetite...LOL..Sharon,
who is having outpatient hernia repair on the 22nd.

"Dawn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Chris said:

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll
feel like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting
meals...nothing spicy or exotic.

Don't plan big meals. Mom may not have much of an appetite, and may find
it tiring to eat a lot, especially if she is bedridden. It'll be easier to
bring another plate of food to her if she wants it later. She may want
juice or snacks where she can reach them if she wants a nibble. Something
like cut up fruit or veggies that you can leave at room temp for her.

Her tastes may change due to the drugs or the stress. She may find things
don't taste good to her that she used to like, or that things taste flat
or just odd. It may not be a reflection on your cooking.

Thanks, Dawn. I will keep that in mind. I hope she does ok w/ the pain
meds....when she had a knee replacement, they had to keep trying different
pain-killers because they all made her sick. Ulp.

Chris

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:N3lef.13808$w85.1900@trnddc02...

Quoted message said:

Thanks, Dawn. I will keep that in mind. I hope she does ok w/ the
pain meds....when she had a knee replacement, they had to keep trying
different pain-killers because they all made her sick. Ulp.

Yep that happened to me too. I do have a good painkiller now though
thank goodness

After reading the psots about fibre and protein, I am thinking yoghurt
and muesli, mashed potatoes with fish and broccoli, omelets, porridge,
chicken breast any non-fatty type of way, sandwiches with sticky
fillings that won't fall out, a salad of cottage
cheese/evo/tomatoes/salt/[pepper with some brown bread...

After reading the psots about fibre and protein, I am thinking yoghurt
and muesli, mashed potatoes with fish and broccoli, omelets, porridge,
chicken breast any non-fatty type of way, sandwiches with sticky
fillings that won't fall out, a salad of cottage
cheese/evo/tomatoes/salt/[pepper with some brown bread...

In article <[email hidden]>,

jake said:

After reading the psots about fibre and protein, I am thinking yoghurt
and muesli, mashed potatoes with fish and broccoli, omelets, porridge,
chicken breast any non-fatty type of way, sandwiches with sticky
fillings that won't fall out, a salad of cottage
cheese/evo/tomatoes/salt/[pepper with some brown bread...

I'd ask her but sort of think her usual fare is important. Comfort in
the familiar. Family about if it is possible and not strained. My Dad
says anytime someone else cooks it is good. He is 84 a pragmatic WWII
marine gunner.

Bill

--
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This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.
"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"William Wagner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

I'd ask her but sort of think her usual fare is important. Comfort in
the familiar. Family about if it is possible and not strained. My Dad
says anytime someone else cooks it is good. He is 84 a pragmatic WWII
marine gunner.

Bill, my mother-in-law always says that even a hot dog on Wonder bread
tastes good if somebody else makes it. Your dad sounds like a good guy.

Jake and everybody, I love all the suggestions I've been getting here...they
have helped me think about things that I know my mom likes that would be
appropriate. Thanks much!

Chris

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit my
mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from back
surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing spicy
or exotic. I was thinking things like butternut squash soup, chicken pot
pie, pot roast or beef stew. Mom is diabetic, so I need to take that into
consideration (even though *she* doesn't seem to). And we'll have very
simple things on hand, like chicken broth, jello, etc. if she's really not
feeling up to eating much.

Anybody have a really simple, comforting dish that they'd recommend, or any
general tips for helping somebody recover from back surgery (not sure
exactly what kind -- doing something with a few vertebrae...fusingthem? I
don't know).

Thanks,
Chris

Hi Chris,

I had several suggestions before I got to the diabetic part (been there,
done that). That makes it
harder. I would suggest buying a box of Splenda or other sugar substitute.

After my surgery (not for my back, so can't help you there), I wasn't very
hungry at all. My doctor had said to get as much nourishment as possible
and keep my calorie count up so I didn't lose weight (not that I didn't
need to lose a ton or two, but he said not during recovery). I was taking
pain pills and surgery is a shock to the body, so I wasn't hungry and just
a few bites would fill me up. So, the problem is how to get as much
nourishment as possible in your mom with just a few bites of food at a
time, and get plenty of liquids in her without filling her up on water.

Diabetics are not supposed to drink fruit juices or eat a lot of fruit -
my doctor told me - but juice is good for recovery. Grape is one of the
highest in sugar, so you may want to avoid it. Tomato is good. Maybe some
Apple (I have to put a Sweet-N-Low in it). Cranberry or a Cran/something
mix would be good because cranberries are filled with good stuff. Your mom
won't be drinking a lot at a time, so unless she is on a really rigid diet
(I'm assuming from what you said that she pretty much eats what she wants.
If this is not the case, stick to the diet she has been on) her blood
sugar should maintain within an acceptable range (you need to follow
whatever guidelines she was on before she needed surgery).

Everyone is different, of course, and your mom will be the one to set the
pace and decide what she can or can't eat. But, keep an eye on her not
eating. If she doesn't want to eat, try to get a few bites of something
warm and nutritious into her. You may have to coax her every few hours.

Your mom will be thirsty more than she is hungry - esp at first. If you
can give her juice or milk, you can address two problems at once.

If she can have any of the following:

homemade Potato soup
Potatoes - creamed, boiled, baked
baked sweet potato
rice or rice pudding
Grits
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Tapioca
Milk
Chocolate Milk
canned soup
eggs
crackers
toast
hard cheese - like colby
Mac and cheese
Grilled cheese sandwich

I would avoid anything raw or spicy. There can be some tummy disorders
after surgery and voiding can be a problem.

IMO, jello is useless filler.

I don't know your ethnic or regional background, so that may play a part
in what you choose to offer her (hence the "grits" in my suggestion list.
You may not even know what they are). If pasta has always been part of
your menu, a little plain pasta with just a little butter might be a
choice.

I'd stay away from heavy stews, casseroles, and most heavy meats -
at least at first or unless she asks for something specific.

I'm keeping good thoughts for you and your family and my your mom have a
speedy recovery.

Elaine, too

Chris said:

Hi everybody, I'm looking for a little advice here...I'm going to visit my
mom this weekend, to help her (and my dad) while she recovers from back
surgery. She'll be coming home from the hospital the day I arrive.

I'm not sure (and neither is she) how she'll be feeling or what she'll feel
like eating, so I'm aiming to make simple, comforting meals...nothing spicy
or exotic. I was thinking things like butternut squash soup, chicken pot
pie, pot roast or beef stew. Mom is diabetic, so I need to take that into
consideration (even though *she* doesn't seem to). And we'll have very
simple things on hand, like chicken broth, jello, etc. if she's really not
feeling up to eating much.

Anybody have a really simple, comforting dish that they'd recommend, or any
general tips for helping somebody recover from back surgery (not sure
exactly what kind -- doing something with a few vertebrae...fusingthem? I
don't know).

Thanks,
Chris

Hi Chris,

I had several suggestions before I got to the diabetic part (been there,
done that). That makes it
harder. I would suggest buying a box of Splenda or other sugar substitute.

After my surgery (not for my back, so can't help you there), I wasn't very
hungry at all. My doctor had said to get as much nourishment as possible
and keep my calorie count up so I didn't lose weight (not that I didn't
need to lose a ton or two, but he said not during recovery). I was taking
pain pills and surgery is a shock to the body, so I wasn't hungry and just
a few bites would fill me up. So, the problem is how to get as much
nourishment as possible in your mom with just a few bites of food at a
time, and get plenty of liquids in her without filling her up on water.

Diabetics are not supposed to drink fruit juices or eat a lot of fruit -
my doctor told me - but juice is good for recovery. Grape is one of the
highest in sugar, so you may want to avoid it. Tomato is good. Maybe some
Apple (I have to put a Sweet-N-Low in it). Cranberry or a Cran/something
mix would be good because cranberries are filled with good stuff. Your mom
won't be drinking a lot at a time, so unless she is on a really rigid diet
(I'm assuming from what you said that she pretty much eats what she wants.
If this is not the case, stick to the diet she has been on) her blood
sugar should maintain within an acceptable range (you need to follow
whatever guidelines she was on before she needed surgery).

Everyone is different, of course, and your mom will be the one to set the
pace and decide what she can or can't eat. But, keep an eye on her not
eating. If she doesn't want to eat, try to get a few bites of something
warm and nutritious into her. You may have to coax her every few hours.

Your mom will be thirsty more than she is hungry - esp at first. If you
can give her juice or milk, you can address two problems at once.

If she can have any of the following:

homemade Potato soup
Potatoes - creamed, boiled, baked
baked sweet potato
rice or rice pudding
Grits
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Tapioca
Milk
Chocolate Milk
canned soup
eggs
crackers
toast
hard cheese - like colby
Mac and cheese
Grilled cheese sandwich

I would avoid anything raw or spicy. There can be some tummy disorders
after surgery and voiding can be a problem.

IMO, jello is useless filler.

I don't know your ethnic or regional background, so that may play a part
in what you choose to offer her (hence the "grits" in my suggestion list.
You may not even know what they are). If pasta has always been part of
your menu, a little plain pasta with just a little butter might be a
choice.

I'd stay away from heavy stews, casseroles, and most heavy meats -
at least at first or unless she asks for something specific.

I'm keeping good thoughts for you and your family and my your mom have a
speedy recovery.

Elaine, too

jake said:

After reading the psots about fibre and protein, I am thinking yoghurt
and muesli, mashed potatoes with fish and broccoli, omelets, porridge,
chicken breast any non-fatty type of way, sandwiches with sticky
fillings that won't fall out, a salad of cottage
cheese/evo/tomatoes/salt/[pepper with some brown bread...

Very little of what you list has a much fiber though?? lol
Lesee.. broccoli, muesli were the only things really??
You might wanna rethink that. 🙂

Goomba38 said:

jake said:

After reading the psots about fibre and protein, I am thinking yoghurt
and muesli, mashed potatoes with fish and broccoli, omelets, porridge,
chicken breast any non-fatty type of way, sandwiches with sticky
fillings that won't fall out, a salad of cottage
cheese/evo/tomatoes/salt/[pepper with some brown bread...

Very little of what you list has a much fiber though?? lol
Lesee.. broccoli, muesli were the only things really??
You might wanna rethink that. 🙂

Protein and fibre seldom come in one food,. mash can be muixed with veg.
Omelets, too, porridge does fibre. But yes, not all of the foods I came
up with meat all the criteria.

Which amde me think of veg + dip.

"Elaine Parrish" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Well-thought-out advice snipped for brevity (also printed!))

Quoted message said:

I'm keeping good thoughts for you and your family and my your mom have a
speedy recovery.

Elaine, too

Thnksf for the advice. I love the idea about potato soup. I also make
sweet potato soup that she likes. Must ring off -- my toddler is hungry!

THnaks again!
Chris