11 days post op

Question
i'm so hungry when will i be able to eat a salad when can i eat lettuce?,

Answer
Dear Cynthia,

I do not know what surgery you have had (gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band...), but I am sure that your surgeon provided you with instructions for a staged diet after surgery.  It is important to follow this diet because it is designed to help you heal after surgery.  If you did not get written instructions, or you do not recall what was told to you, you should call your surgeon's office tomorrow morning and get a copy of these instructions. Typically, they will include very specific food lists progressing from clear liquids, to full liquids, to soft foods to solids.  Salads would be in the very last phase - which is usually not until 30 or 40 days post-op or more.  In all honesty, if you have a bypass or sleeve, salad may be one of the later things you tolerate as it is very fibrous - most patients will tolerate cooked vegetables much more easily and earlier.

Struggling with hunger is common.  I would suggest that you start as soon as possible connecting with other post-op patients.  If your surgeon has a regular support group, go as soon as you can.  If the group is not meeting for a while ask if they can connect you with some other local resources.

If for some reason you have no instructions and your doctor cannot provide them, then please write me back and I will try to assist.

In Health,

Dr. Jacques

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