After transplant surgery, the idea of eating may sound awful. Nausea, pain, and food that tastes like cardboard because of anesthesia all make eating a challenge. Looking at food as fuel post-transplant is an important step in recovery.
Food Sounds Gross!
After general anesthesia, it takes time for the gut to wake back up. This means that you won’t be worrying about food too much right after your surgery. But, when your team gives you the go-ahead, it’s time to get cracking!
So what’s the problem? Most patients I’ve met post-transplant have very little interest in eating. New medications may cause nausea. Resting is difficult and sleep is unpredictable at first making mealtimes challenging. Pain does an effective job at killing your appetite. On top of that, anesthesia can cause food to taste bland or different.
Eventually, the nose-crinkling, stomach-turning time comes to order food. At that point, some perspective change may be necessary. Food becomes less about what sounds good and more about what you need to do for your body to heal.
Food Is Fuel
We all know that we must eat to survive. Thankfully, most of us have the luxury of being able to choose food for its flavor and enjoyability. In a world full of “foodies” we’ve become accustomed to eating partly for enjoyment. Who doesn’t love going out for a nice dinner and savoring delicious flavors? However, after surgery food becomes less about “yum” and more about nourishment.
If you look at the hospital menu and struggle to find something that sounds tasty, try a different approach. What gives you a good, well-rounded meal with extra protein? Would plain food sit better on your stomach? Would something with more flavor wake up your taste buds? How about eating small amounts frequently throughout the day? What about protein shakes?
Even though you are not moving a lot, your body is working hard. And you should be moving, by the way. Walking is an important piece of your recovery. While it is not exercising, your body is working hard to heal. Studies have shown an increase of 15-30% in metabolism after surgery. This means your body will actually be burning calories at a higher rate so it needs the fuel to keep working.
Get Help
Navigating a post-surgical diet is no easy task. There could be dietary restrictions, higher protein requirements, and caloric increases. For instance, if you’ve had a liver transplant, you will no longer have a gallbladder. This means greasy foods may not sit well at all so you’ll want to steer away from those.
In my experience, the general rule is if it sounds good, eat it up! Of course, eating avocado on whole-grain toast is going to be better fuel for you than a giant ice cream sundae. But when you are struggling to get anything down, most teams are going to encourage you to eat what you want. Every situation is going to be different, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. You should already be an expert at asking for help if you’ve been reading my posts!
Ask to speak with a nutritionist or dietician (if you don’t have one already). They are the experts in helping you decipher all of the dietary requirements you may have. In some cases, they may even have some inside scoop on things the hospital has that are off-menu!
After my transplant, food was a challenge for me too, but I was stomaching whatever I could out of necessity. Then I spoke to my nutritionist and she told me about some high-protein milkshakes I could get. Oh boy! Peanut butter and chocolate? Bring it on! It was like dessert and really helped wake up my gut and get me back to regular eating habits.
Without Food There’s Trouble
I know it’s hard to force yourself to eat when you are struggling with your appetite. But without food, you could be in real trouble. Your body so desperately needs strength while you recover. You are not only healing wounds, but fighting infections and adjusting to medications.
It’s hard to imagine that food could play such an integral role. Not eating can lead to so many complications. You may need readmittance or an extended hospital stay. You could also have to spend time in a rehabilitation center before you could go home. Food is necessary for the stimulation of your gut and bowels. If you haven’t heard already, passing gas and having a BM are a big deal after surgery. Of course, there is also the dreaded feeding tube.
The feeding tube or NG tube is a tube that is inserted to administer liquid nutrition. The NG (NasoGastric) tube is inserted through the nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. This is not the best way to get nutrition into our body, but if you can’t (or won’t) eat, it will become necessary. Most patients I’ve spoken to found it very unpleasant and were eager to have it removed. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is try to avoid it altogether.
Eat It Up!
Even when you think you can’t, try. You may not be ready, or even able, to eat a four-course meal, but every little bit will help.
I know many people are concerned about weight loss and weight gain. Surgical recovery is not the time to be calorie counting or worrying about your weight. Focus on getting lots of protein and healthy calorie-dense foods in your system. And please do so with the help of your dietician.
Like most everything else in your transplant journey, do one thing at a time. Start with a single bite. And then another. And another after that. Take on each meal (or snack) one at a time. The better you eat, the stronger you’ll get, and the sooner you’ll be able to go home!
Before you know it, you will be regaining your strength and healing. Your nausea and pain will decrease with time. Your food will start to taste less like cardboard and more like food. Each day gets a little better than the last.
Soon, you’ll be booking a reservation for your favorite restaurant again. You’ll order your favorite menu item and savor every bite. Only this time, it will taste even better because you’ve received your second chance at life. Somehow that just makes everyday things that much more satisfying.
