How do I eat after digestive tract surgery?

Perhaps you have had surgery for chronic diverticulitis, cancer of the digestive tract, a Whipple procedure, bariatric surgery, or maybe even gallbladder surgery. Surgeries of the digestive tract typically alter the way our bodies process food as they change our digestive landscape. I discovered this after my second surgery on the upper digestive tract. After this surgery (and nearly a week in the hospital), well-meaning friends brought me food, which I certainly appreciated. However, the food they brought me were salads, fresh fruit and vegetables, cream-based soups, and casseroles. All of which made me feel terrible. It turned out my problems stemmed from what I was eating. So, what should I have been eating instead of these foods? It was a time of trial and error for me. I spent a lot of time finding which foods were “safe” and which foods were “triggers” and would cause digestive difficulties.

After major surgeries of the digestive tract, many hospital systems have a registered hospital dietitian meet with you before discharge and provide instructions on the best way to eat. This was not my experience. I did, however, request a referral to a dietitian several months after surgery.

Let's sit around the table and share our tips on the eating plan that worked best for you after your surgery and talk about the kinds of foods that were (and still are) the easiest to digest. We are all different in our responses to surgery, but we will undoubtedly find common ground.

I look forward to learning together. Share your ideas, recipes or cooking methods that have helped you.
Here are a few questions to get us started:
- If you have had a consultation with a dietitian, what did you learn?
- What foods did and didn't work for you?
- What about the quantity of food at each meal, as well as the timing of meals?
- Have your cooking methods changed?
- Do you still use spices the same way?
- Have you kept a food diary to track any foods that might be triggers for digestive difficulties?