The diet will be the hardest on him, but he says he’ll make mine and then go to McDonalds! Don’t laugh he might.
THIS IS WHAT HE WILL BE DOING It is actually quite interesting what they can do. This link has very clear detailed pictures.
I will be in the hospital only a couple days. Had I not previously had open abdominal surgery he said it might have only been outpatient.
Initial Diet
For the first two weeks following hernia surgery, you are on a clear liquid diet. You should avoid solid food, thick liquids, all alcohol and hard candy. A clear liquid diet means that you can have most anything that you can see through and is liquid at room temperature. Options include apple juice, gelatin, water and broth. Usually, you can drink coffee and tea. Keep your intake to no more than 1 cup at a time.
Progression
After two weeks, you can introduce thicker liquids into your meal plan including include milk, yogurt and thinned oatmeal. The rule of thumb is that anything that you can pour is allowed. You can also consume creamed soups, milkshakes and pudding. You can eat ice cream and everything you ate during the first two weeks after your surgery. You must still avoid solid foods as well as gum, hard candy and carbonated beverages. For the first month, you must avoid taking any medication whole, instead crushing pills before you take them.
Solids
From weeks 3 through 6, you remain on a restricted diet, although you can start introducing solid foods to your diet. The UCLA Health System recommends sticking with soft, mushy foods such as applesauce, pasta and rice. You can eat soft fruit like bananas and canned fruit as well as well-cooked soft vegetables. You should avoid sandwiches, hot dogs, baked potatoes, steak and chips.
Lifestyle
After the six-week post-surgical period has passed, you’ll need to avoid foods that can cause heartburn or other symptoms that could aggravate your weakened digestive system. You’ll be most comfortable breaking up your meals into 5 or 6 small portions throughout the day. Stay away from acidic foods such as chocolate, spicy food and citrus fruit. Limit your intake of fatty foods that are fried or baked with fat. Maintain a healthy weight because the additional pressure on your stomach can lead to a recurrence of the condition.
