Well, that's the best things on my diet right now.
I can swallow stuff, but what I can realistically eat is pretty limited. Meat is really tough. Wienies just barely make it. Burger works if there's lots of gravy or other sauce. Pork chops cooked in the top of a crock pot (really tender and moist) work - barely.
Then it gets into taste. Fortunately, I've never been picky on taste. Swallowing is hard work for me, and it seems even harder for things that taste bad. I was hoping that my brand new taste buds would give me great taste, but that's not the way it's working. Right now, fried eggs are the best tasting thing I eat. I pretty much can't taste sweet, and that really messes things up. Here's a bit of a rundown on things I've tried and what I've found from a taste aspect:
Bananas - Disgusting. Knock out the sweet part and they're nasty, but I eat them.
Chocolate - Disappointing. I have to enjoy the bitter aspects.
Shrimp - Great. Plus, my mouth rinse brings out the flavor for extended time.
Budweiser - Tastes like a good import with not great hops.
Tea - The bitter flavors are great and very pronounced.
Coffee - Very strong flavor. Good for enjoying the bitter.
Wienies - Way too spicy. They almost burn my mouth.
Salsa - Yikes! Pace medium is hot, hot, hot! I miss hot sauces.
Berries - Almost inedible. take out the sweet and they're nasty.
Rice - Bland. Just like rice tastes normally.
Long grain and wild rice - Tastes exactly like I would expect dirt to taste.
Cashews - Unbelievable. I can taste the nut butter (like peanut butter) and salt tastes and They're awesome together.
Yogurt - Unpleasant. The worst parts of the "yogurt" taste are turned up to the max and the sweet and fruits added don't have a good taste, but yogurt is still a major part of my diet.
Pork chops - Almost tasteless.
Grilled hamburger - Almost tasteless.
Sausage gravy - Intensely spicy, but tasty.
Most food is unpleasant to taste. That's an improvement over August when I was eating before the pneumonia. Back then I had two taste sensations: 1) Nothing and 2) My mouth is on fire.
I can eat a max of maybe 12 ounces at a time. That will generally require about 16 ounces of water to get everything swallowed. My swallowing mechanism gets tired during that much. Once that happens, I may as well quit trying to eat because I'm swallowing too weakly to get anything down.
Fortunately, my swallowing mechanism gets tired about the wsame time as my stomach gets filled. I'm eating more smaller meals than I used to.
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2 comments:
Well, I hear that eating a number of smaller meals is healthier than the three full meals we usually eat. Just eat what tastes good to you, Merlin. I've never been a big fan of bananas or chocolate anyway. But if cashew butter on toast goes down with a bit of water, eat what works for you. A bit of protein and some fruits and vegetables sounds like a good strategy to follow.
Is this permanent, or will your ability to taste improve with time? I imagine your stomach will stretch as your ability to swallow gets better. Hang in there, Merlin.
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