Day 16

So, I missed a day. There wasn't much to tell yesterday. I am feeling good and eating well. I see no reason to drink every single meal. The doctor said that I couldn't chew, not that I couldn't eat. I try to eat one meal with substance every day. It makes me pretty tired, so I am not getting much more adventerous than that. Tonight, my meal with substance was grilled chicken and applesauce. Now, I love me some homemade ranch dressing. I really would eat homemade ranch dressing with my tube. Because that is pretty disgusting, I use it to help get the solid food down. Tonight, I had my heart set on this chicken and ranch dressing. I cut the chicken SUPER small. (It was smaller than the pieces I cut for my 10 month old baby.) I then ate it just like the BBQ earlier this week. Please don't think that I am downing a pound of chicken. I shared half of a chicken breast with the baby. He probably got more than I did. I ate the applesauce side dish with the syringe, but no tube.

So, you are probably wondering what else I am eating. My meals go something like this:
- Breakfast: Protein Shake with fruit (usually peaches or pineapple) and Chocolate Milk OR Chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast with a little peanut butter and half of a banana
- Lunch: Soup of some sort
- Snack: Another protein shake
- Dinner: Soup, applesauce, chocolate milk OR something with substance (like tonight's chicken)
- Snack: PUDDING!

My goal every day is to get enough protein to not be hungry. So far, it's working. I would guess that I am getting about 1000 calories (sometimes more, but not usually less) and close to 80 grams of protein. I am having some serious food cravings. I want a salad so badly!! That will be one of the last things I will be able to eat because it's hard to chew. I can think of 5 different salads that I would LOVE to eat. I guess there are worse things I could be craving! :-)

Tomorrow is going to be a gear recap. I bought a lot of "stuff" in preparation for the surgery. Some of it never got used.