Did you follow doctors "orders" exactly?
I would say that I followed them to the letter for the first year or so. BUT my surgeon's rules weren't nearly as strict as some I've read. I was eating soft foods before I was discharged from the hospital; never had to go through liquid or pureed stages. I added new foods gradually, based on the dietitian's schedule. She stressed lean protein first, then veggies and then a bite or two of whatever else I like. No food was ever really forbidden. I eat a variety of foods.