r/VegRecipes

Had abdominal surgery two weeks ago, and since then I've been struggling to eat 1200 calories/day. Eating closer to 500-800. It's been torture as I feel both hungry and nauseous at the same time.

My doctors know. My surgeon encourages me to "push through", find something I can eat a lot of, and also assures me "you can afford to lose the weight anyway".

My primary says I've developed anemia and several other nutritional deficiencies. She's concerned, says I'm at risk of fainting. She's been encouraging, and tells me to try to find what I can eat, and to eat small bites throughout the day.

Success:

• Fruit. I have to take it slow, and I get full quickly, but I can eat any fruit.
• Sweet instant oatmeal
• Instant mashed potatoes
• A small bowl of ice cream (like 1/2 cup)
• Juices
• Veggies, in small quantities
• Cheese in small doses

Failure:

• Protein shakes. Tried a couple types; I can get a couple sips down at a time, but they make me feel nauseous, and I struggle to finish a full shake that I sip on throughout the day.
• Buttery foods. I can handle a little butter, but more than a tsp at a time is revolting. (I usually like butter.)
• Chips. I got one of those snack bags from a vending machine while waiting in the ER (yeah, I had to go back once) and I could eat maybe 8 chips. I could taste the grease and spices like never before.
• Massaman curry. 😭 This is my favorite curry, and I ordered it a few days after the surgery, to try to stimulate my hunger. Did not work. The spices made me nauseous, and the scent seemed to follow me everywhere, even when it was in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Why haven't I tried hummus yet? I've moved in with my parents during the recovery period, and my mom "is going to make it" eventually. I'm trying to get her to just buy a damn tub, but no, no, she's going to get to it soon. 😑 😞 She's trying. She's been a BIG help with me being able to move around and manage my bandages, but she's got ADHD, and I suspect performance anxiety around the hummus, and been kind of a mess in her own way. Sorry Mom.

Oh, and peanut butter. I can eat some. It helps. But I can't eat much. And bread is a struggle.

The good news is that this is a two-part surgery. Right now I've got a bunch of drainage stuff in me, and we will eventually be removing all the gear I'm hooked up to, and the rest of the mass inside me. So hopefully the loss of appetite is due to all the stuff inside me, and I'll regain my appetite when they get their asses moving and approve the second surgery.