Don't people read their surgeon's meal plan?

So you don't find out until tomorrow what foods you should be eating starting tomorrow?  So you cannot go shopping a day ahead of time?  That is odd.  Can you ask for the information in advance so you have time to shop and be prepared?

 Nope, have no idea what to shop for until the handouts I'll get tomorrow.  I'll definitely ask for the soft foods meal plan for a better way to prepare.  Never thought this was odd until I saw everyone else got their full meal plan up front.  The only thing we get up front is the length of different stages.  Lol

Mine was the same as yours.  We meet at the beginning of each stage and learned what we could and could do for the next however many days.  At least we had a meeting and could really talk about it, which I like better than just having a book to read.

I plan. I'm ... (I was going to say "practically OCD" but then realized I'm probably closer to clinically) more OCD on planning than any other thing. I can't stand being unable to plan. That would drive me bonkers if they "kept it secret" I'd be on here asking questions and making it up for myself as I went along if they refused to just give it to me straight. I'd feel like they were treating me like a kindergartener unable to get the full scoop in one go. In fact, I didn't get the meal plan until a few days before surgery (mostly because their scheduler was inept at her job... she was also the one who billed insurance and she was SO inept, that they didn't try to get my surgeon paid for his surgery on me until after the insurance's limitation on claims had expired, so he was never paid for the surgery he did on me)  and she wasn't good at setting up stuff prior to surgery either. I had to ask, or I wouldn't have had the nutrition seminar. That practice was blessed the day that woman didn't show up to work. She didn't even submit my papers ot insurance. Whiel I wouldn't encourage it in anyone else, I got impatient, and so I submitted the stuff to the insurance myself! 

 My nuts did the same thing...didn't give the info out until the day I should have started it.  And it drove me bonkers too. I think it is my "teacher personality" to plan and prepare ahead of time.

Now that I think about it, they did the same thing with vitamins as well.  They didn't want us starting supplementation until a month out and wouldn't give out what they wanted us take until then.  I had to hound them for the information, as I wanted to look online and find the best deals and not be limited to what I could find at the local CVS.  The nut was obviously annoyed, but she did finally give me the information I was looking for ahead of time.

 For some reason it's less aggravating if I believe people are looking for a better answer than if I think they can't, don't, or won't read their food plan. Maybe it's true that some practices don't teach and don't give patients a plan for all the stages--but my spidey sense is tingling about that. I wonder, too, if people do not have access to their dieticians to ask these questions. Sure, this forum is a good info source, but food choices are awfully important in the first months post-op to take online advice over professional instructions.

I got a food plan from the nut I saw early on. Now I am going with a different surgeon, which means a different plan - go figure!! Needless to say, I have been studying it for the last few weeks, making notes, crossing things off I will not be eating (corn, rice) and making sure I have the items on hand post op. It is crazy to see so many asking what they can eat and when. Like another poster mentioned, I think some will ask a question until they get the answer they like. My advice: ask your doc for a written plan BEFORE your procedure. Then you can review it and ask questions. Then you should be prepared and have knowledge of what to eat and when.

While my surgeon posts all his meal plans and guidelines (which are not exhaustive by any means) online, he never referred to the online site as a reference and, during treatment, he only gave the info out when you reached the next stage. So, for instance, pre-op you recieved instructions through the first week after the surgery. At your one week visit, if you were progressing well, you were advanced to the next step and given information to handle THAT step. So patients were unaware (unless they asked or looked online) of how many steps they would have, how long they would last, and what they would include. Certainly not the best approach, in my opinion. But, perhaps it is the approach he finds works best for the majority of his patients based on his vast experience (and others who have initiative to look forward in the program will have likely found the online resouce). Many patients are nervous about asking questions during their visits or their docs don't provide an environment that facilitates open communication, or they just don't think about those things until they get on the forum and realize there are so many steps or options or different approaches to the program.

My doc has a step called "mushy" that comes before "semi-soft." I think it is quite reasonable, if one did not have access to the semi-soft list to see that whole wheat pasta was on that list, to ask others on the support forum whether, in their experience with their perhaps more detailed program, pasta would be considered "mushy" or unwise to eat at their stage of the game.

And, on the other side of the "looking for permission" coin. I think there are many times someone may have an idea that something that is not on the list MAY actually sound appropriate but they have a feeling there's a reason it is not on the list. It sounds perfectly reasonable to them, but they just want to be sure it is ok so they post, asking if others think it sounds reasonable. If it gets blasted for good reason, the poster may choose NOT to eat it. And if healthier alternatives are offered, protein ice cream comes to mind, the poster may choose that instead. Sure, there are those who are looking for ONE person to say it is ok to eat sugar free ice cream the week of surgery. But I honestly think most folks are wrestling with their food loving brain and looking for REAL answers. No, sugar free ice cream is not on my list, but NSA fudgesicles are and well, they ARE similar, and if I eat only half a cup it won't hurt me...I don't think...maybe I should ask... Oh! sugar alcohols, portion control, cravings...good reasons to stay away. Thanks for the advice, glad I asked...

I got no binder. I got no plan. What I learned about eating I cobbled together from books and websites. Didn't even know about this place until about...3 mos. post-op?

My handout is one sheet that is title Nutriet Protocol Overview. for weeks 1 and 2 it states Pureed food - 3 tablespoons. So if no one bothered to open the CD that was also handed out I'm sure they are pureeing everything and anything even though we were told in the class that it needed to be meat, cheese and eggs.

Week 3 and 4 is more detailed and says no processed meats and only meat eggs cheese and fish.

We have a Nut class at week 4 but it spells out the rest of the first year with ounce increases and states "all proteins allowed" however we were told in class that it could only be meat cheese and eggs.

Then when talking to the surgeon he stated that I could use protein shakes to supplement and get my protein in, although his staff said not to. Even the discharge papers said to use shakes.

When I opened the CD that has what used to be their binder booklet in it, it had more details. (Oh and to answer a previous question you had about vegetarians it states vegetarians must be willing to eat cheese and eggs).

It has a few sample recipes etc.

Now of course I'm aware that different docs have different plans and I will admit I'm a bit envious of some of them. For instance when everyone talks about the Ricotta bake and reccomends it highly I look at it and look at my surgeons plan and I can't have it due to the tomato sauce. I'm not allowed any form of tomatoes due to the carbs.

I saw a 10 year vet tell someone yesterday to make sure they have gravy or something with their meat, I can't have that either. No SF jello pudding either although many swear by it and throw it out there all the time.

My guess is simply this.. they don't like all or some of their docs plan and they want to know when people are having some of these goodies and not being hurt by having them. According to my plan what many are doing here is a horrible thing that I was led to believe would do me harm.

So perhaps they are just trying to make educated decisions on what to eat when becaue they don't want to or they can't tolerate their plan. I for one cheated on my plan by having SF pudding. Nothing horrible happened it got me through the pureed stage and now I don't have room for it as I'm getting in all my meat easier.

I'm sure there are many reasons whi*****lude what I stated above as well as people who don't know where to look for the info, are too lazy to read it, thought they knew by reading here but that isn't matching what they've been told, etc etc etc