Deb,

Yes, I live with my husband and one of my sons. Even if they're not home, my brother lives just down the street and there's always 911.

I'm trying to get food down. I managed a soft-boiled egg and about 1/4 of a pancake this morning, and my husband is picking up some cheese & broccoli soup from a restaurant that I really like. I'll try to get more than that down before the night's done. Probably some mashed potatoes with milk & butter and some V-8 juice. And I'll try a midnight snack shake, too.

I know, it's not enough, but I've got to build up again. I've been told that your stomache doesn't shrink from not eating, but I don't believe them. Yesterday was just a soft-boiled egg, and the day before it took me all day to eat one blueberry muffin (with a ton of butter).

Believe me, I would love to relieve you of some fat cells. I'll try to sop up all that strength you're sending, though.

Lani

Lani,

I also hope that everything goes ok until Tuesday. Thinking of you.

Take care, Karen

Poached eggs, pancakes, cereal that absorbs milk fast, and fried red tomatoes are my main foods. Fried tomatoes are coated with either pancake batter or mix. Delicious...Lots of oatmeal , cream of wheat and mix in some coco wheats and some sugar. Toast that isn't dark with lots of butter.. Just a few suggestions for you to try.

Karen, Thank you.

Jim,

I've never heard/thought of tomatoes dipped in pancake batter. I imagine that would solve the problem of them being too crispy. I'm going to try that one.

I tried oatmeal for the first time in my life only after OC. I had hoped I would really like it, but I couldn't even get it down. It just made me gag. I've never tried cream of wheat. Mom just never served us hot cerals for breakfast as kids. On cold mornings she always had vegetable soup for us.

My speech/swallow therapist laughed when I told how I would make light toast and butter it on both sides. Why toast it in the first place? Maybe it tastes different, or maybe it's psychological, but I was enjoying my toast with peach preserves and a softly fried egg on top. I haven't had that for a while. Maybe tomorrow morning I can give it a try.

Thanks for the tips.

Lani

Grits with butter! Get instant grits -- Use that Publix!!

French Toast!

Don't forget this is EggNog Season!!

Most peiople haven't heard of fried red tomatoes. Just don't burn them. Just dipped in the dry mix is just as good as the batter. you will love them. I been frying them for close to 50 yrs. French toast homemade is good, but the frozen doesn't work for me. I can't even gum them to be soft enough to swallow.Have a great weekend all.

I second the poached egg suggestion - they've been a staple for me. My mom taught me her idiot-proof cooking method: boil water in a pan deep enough to cover egg, when its at a rolling boil, crack egg into water and then turn off the heat (or take it off the heat if its an electric stove) and let it sit in the hot water until the yolk seems firm. Using a slotted spoon, remove as much of the egg from the water as possible. Figuring out how long to leave the egg in the water is the finesse part, but I think I do about 5 minutes or so. This method is so moist, you don't even have to chew and it just slides right down.

- Margaret

Lani:

Please take care of yourself.

I was raised by my grandmother who was a farm girl. She grew up learning how to stretch a meal. She made wonderful food which included fried red tomatoes. She dipped them in flour and fried them in lard. I tried them this past summer but the taste was still a little off. Maybe next summer I will be ready for tomato sandwiches. She also made fried zucchini. Sliced zucchini dipped in eggs and fried in lard. Thats one thing that tasted great last summer.

French toast and also pancakes are very easy to eat too. Use lots of butter and syrup and pancakes will melt in your mouth. Cream of wheat is something I eat almost daily with butter and sugar.

Hope you try the choc/peanut butter shake, it is loaded with calories and if you have 2 per day it will help you to gain some much needed weight. You will feel so much better if you are getting proper nutrition. My thinking is that since your weight is so low it wouldnt hurt you to be getting way over 3000 calories per day. At one point I had been getting at least 5000 per day for several weeks and didnt gain an ounce, and have no thyroid problems. Your body just burns it up so fast when you are recovering. I recently gained 10 pounds but it wasnt due to overeating, it was the steroid medication Ive been on. Now Im off of it, the 10 pounds dropped right back off.

Christine,

I'm just laying down today mostly, since the pain only gets really bad when I'm up. And I am trying and succeeding to build up my food/calorie intake, though I know not nearly enough yet.

Just so no one worries, my computer crashed yesterday, so my access to this site (and the rest of the world) is limited to when I can borrow my son's (And manage to sit in this horrible chair ). I'll check in when I can.

Lani

Hi Lani,

I was worried since I didn't hear from you � I�m glad it was because of the computer. Perhaps that was a message for you to take it easy and rest! I wish you only good news from the doctor this week. And remember to eat!! Sending lots of prayers your way.