Saturday, April 5, 2014

How To Keep Busy While Recovering: Eat, Drink, And Be Merry

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.htmlIf you are recovering from surgery, even just a minor one, then chances are that you were sent home on antibiotics.  Most people know that whenever you go on antibiotics, you need to make sure that you are eating food that has that “good” bacteria in it to keep your belly and digestive system from going on the fritz.  And women especially need to be careful because there is a greater chance of yeast infections when you take this type of medicine.  So get yourself some yogurt, pick whichever kind suits your fancy, and eat it every day until a few days after you're done with your antibiotics.

And for the love of everything that is holy...drink a lot of water.  Like as much as you can.  Because, without going into awful detail, your body gets all kinds of wonky after surgery.  Usually, you are on all kinds of medicines, from pain killers to antibiotics, and you need water to keep thing “running smoothly”.  That's all I have to say about that.

The merry (in my blog title) may be a bit of a stretch if you've just had major surgery, but there are things that can lift your spirits.  Those first several weeks were so hard for me to get up and down the stairs that I just stayed upstairs most of the time and had my meals in bed.  Breakfast in bed...lunch in bed...chili spilled on my lap dinner in bed.  Sounds so nice...until it's not.  And it gets pretty depressing rather quickly.  It really made such a difference when I was able to go downstairs and eat a meal with my family again.  Maybe it's my Italian heritage, but there is something about eating a meal with my loved ones that just makes me happy.

Dear Readers, any food and drink tips for anyone recovering from surgery or is on antibiotics and/or pain killers?


**Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, I'm just speaking from experience.  Please see your doctor for any medical advice.

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12 comments:

  1. Gosh, I'm scared to death of surgery, and have never had anything more than a tooth pulled (and not even wisdom teeth, either). I had no idea about any of this! Thanks for the great info!

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    1. Your welcome! I hope you'll never need surgery...but if you do...drink lots of water! ;)

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  2. After my recent surgeries I stayed with a friend (they don't keep one in the hospital anymore, so I rely on friends!) and we actually DID entertain quite a bit. I most liked soups, frozen yogurt... anything that went down easily.

    I appreciate the lighthearted in a blog post that could easily not be lighthearted!


    Julie Jordan Scott
    A to Z Challenge Participant/2011,12,13,14.....
    The Bold Writer from A to Z

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  3. No major surgery for me. Hope it all works out. I like yogurt and would like to make it someday.

    Stop in from A to Z challenge

    Coffee is on

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    1. Thanks for visiting! If you're making the coffee, I'll take mine with milk and lots of sugar please :)

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  4. I would say that proper nutrition would be very important for healing after surgery, such as green smoothies and liquid vitamins (liquid vitamins because they absorb faster). The green smoothies I like, Kale, spinach, chard, parsley, apple, mango, strawberries, banana, water, and a little ice. It is very tasty, much more than one would think. The more dark greens the better. You can have them in soups as well.

    Visiting from http://morgandragonwillow.com/2014/04/e-is-for-ecstatic-energy-unfolding.html

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    1. My sister-in-law has been raving about some of her green smoothies as well. I may have to give this a try...need a little courage first...I'm not always the best at trying new foods!

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  5. Oh wow, have I found a kindred spirit! Hi! My name is Tina and I've broken four bones, had 16 surgeries, was a chronic pain patient for 6 years, and struggle with four complicated, meds get in the way of each other illnesses!
    My advice? If you're truly in pain, take narcotics. They are way easier on your body than NSAIDS. I gave myself GERD when I shattered my wrist in 2000 and tried Advil instead of oxycontin. Bad mistake. I've done SO MUCH research about your body's reaction to pain and the interaction with narcotics and the tendency to addiction I should probably write a book...If you're truly in pain, addiction is such a small chance...
    My biggest thing is: pain causes stress. Stress slows healing. Slow healing causes depression. Depression causes pain. Pain causes stress on the body...see the whole circle?
    I don't think you should have gotten me started...but you did.
    Lovely to meet you. Trying to follow you, but after google friend connect hating me for a month, it worked the first week of the Challenge, and now it hates me again. I've added you by URL...let's see if that helps. Read about that as a fix in several places.

    Tina @ Life is Good
    A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014

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    1. A soul sista! I stumbled across your blog the other day...I didn't realize that you were a fellow pain sufferer :( We do seem to have a lot in common...except I hate dill :)
      I totally agree with the whole pain-depression circle. It's definitely a chicken/egg circle, isn't it?

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  6. I wish I had wonderful advice for you or any other pain sufferer but it looks like you have everything covered already and you still have the rest of the month to go.
    I have chronic back pain from a car accident but its so slight compared to what you must go through. Sending positive thoughts your way.
    Heather

    Heather M. Gardner
    The Waiting is the Hardest Part
    Stormy's Sidekick
    Blogging from A to Z April Challenge Co-Host

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    1. Everyone suffers pain in a different way, at different intensity levels. But it's not a contest. While someones pain may be more than another, it doesn't make the other person's less of a reality for them. Am I making sense?

      Anyway, thanks for the comment and positive thoughts. As a fellow pain sufferer, I hope you have many more good days than bad. Keep posting about Stormy...he makes me laugh :)

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