Thanksgiving. The one day of the year that you are expected to eat more than the average portion. Well this year was extra interesting for me. It was my first Thanksgiving without a stomach. I am going to be blunt and honest, but I don't want you to think the whole day went bad. I ended up going shopping the night of Thanksgiving and was just fine. But let me start from the beginning.
So it all started with appetizers. My husband's mom loves to cook and she had multiple appetizers laid out on the table. The one that caught my eye the most was shrimp cocktail. I immediately went for it. After about 4 shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce I started to feel the burning in my intestines. I knew I needed to stop eating it, but I didn't because I really love shrimp cocktail and I assumed I would be fine. I also ate some brie cheese and crackers. I have been having issues with brie for a while now, yet I still eat it. The issue I tend to have is that I eat too much of it at one time, thus causing me to get sick. Trust me when I say that their is such thing as too much cheese. When you don't have a stomach you have to be SUPER careful with how much cheese you consume. First, it constipates you. Which is not a good thing. Second, it can make you super super sick. I've thrown up brie more times than I can count because I indulged too much. So, after the appetizers I was already feeling the consequences of eating too much shrimp cocktail and brie. And the main course was coming next.
When the main meal came I didn't eat everything. I ate Mac and cheese, green bean casserole, ham, stuffing, corn, a roll, and I think that's it... Trust me that wasn't everything that was on the table. And I only had one scoop of everything. Well, let's just say it didn't sit well. I ate wayyyy too fast. The Mac and cheese and the green bean casserole were very creamy and didn't sit well. I think it all would have gone a lot better if I had eaten slower, but I hadn't. I will proudly say that I did not throw up, I wanted to, but I didn't. I was able to keep everything I ate down. And surprising I didn't feel "abnormal". It felt like a typical Thanksgiving except I felt super sick and had to lay on the couch for about two hours following the meal. But once the food passed through my intestines I was fine. I even drank a beer.
My advice to those going into Thanksgiving without a stomach is eat slow. Avoid foods with dairy or that are creamy. AVOID THE BREAD. I know I know everyone loves bread, I do too! But, it's a waste of space.... Space that you don't have anymore. Bread has been a hard thing for me to part with since my surgery, but once I realized the harm it was doing I was able to consume so much more nutrients per meal.
My other advice for those going into Thanksgiving without a stomach is to enjoy yourself! Yes you have to eat slower, yes you have to eat less, BUT THAT'S OK. You're going to have to eat slower and less for the rest of your living life without a stomach. Thanksgiving is no exception.
The picture I attached is when I was laying on the couch feeling sick, but I also attached a picture of me and my husband. The entire day was not ruined. Just a few hours. Don't let those few hours define your Thanksgiving. Don't let the times you get sick define your life.
