At Two Weeks

I'm still on a liquid diet but I got sick of the syringe after the first two days. Now I just strain everything so that I can drink it from a glass.

So, basically, I just eat soup. Lots and lots of soup. Mainly Campbell’s tomato soup with milk and a couple of slices of american cheese melted into it. I've tried other soups for variety, but this is my staple. Whole Foods makes great fresh soup. I usually have to add water, blenderize and strain before drinking.

Breakfast: Carnation Instant Breakfast with milk and coffee

Lunch/Dinner:   Soup. Or maybe soup and occasionally soup.

Other fillers: fruit smoothies, chocolate milkshakes

Ensure was a great filler while I was still on the pain meds and didn't want to take them on an empty stomach. They taste good and have plenty of supplements, but the ingredients are not that appealing. Basically corn syrup, sugar and water. I only drank it for the first week.

I lost about 4 pounds while in the hospital and stayed around there for the first three weeks. (now)  I put a lot of effort into getting calories. I'm going though lots of ice-cream. I have either a smoothie or a milkshake every day. Sometimes two. I consider it consolation. :)

At Three Weeks

Still limited to soup and smoothies.  I still have to blenderize the chunky soups but I don't have to strain them.  As long as the pieces are smaller than 3-4 mm and I'm comfortable swallowing, then it's fine. 

I've tried to blenderize things like pizza and quesadillas but it just didn't appeal to me, so I always went back to the soups.

I'm using the hand blender more than the regular blender just because it's easier.  I can blend soups right in the pan, and it's easier to clean.

At Four Weeks

 I can eat soft foods like mashed or baked potatoes. 

Baked beans were on sale at Albertson's so I've been eating beans just about every day recently. 

Pasta is doable if I cook it long enough.  Eating lots of mac-and-cheese.

I can eat chopped meats like tuna or chicken salad or chopped beef brisket with BBQ sauce.

Around week five I had my first normal looking meal of salmon cakes, baked macaroni-and-cheese and peas.  Yumm.

Canned peas and green beans.

On July 4th I made some homemade banana pudding that was awesome: http://www.texascooking.com/features/apr99bestbanana.htm

At Eight Weeks

Basically the same diet as before with lots of pasta and beans.  I guess the main difference is that I can eat faster.  Originally there was a fair amount of effort involved in chewing but now it's getting easier.  I can also eat hotdog wieners.  I seem to be eating lots of "comfort foods". 

Things I've tried but didn't work out so well:  enchiladas, tamales, salmon steak, bread (dry), fish-sticks, Campbell's beef and vegetable soup. 

I haven't tried breakfast cereal yet but I think I'd have to let is soak for a while before I could eat it.  I'm still drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast mix because I've just gotten into a morning routine.