Thanks to those who made it!
This page is now here as a reference of how it may be (partially) done. I never did set up the calendar web site thing. My advice for others is find someone else to do it. Definitely outside the range of what I was capable of at the time.
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Organizing food is never easy. It sounds easy but the easy part is to make it too complicated. To try to keep it simple I’m going to list some guidelines:
- No Dishes. Please oh please don’t bring food in dishes you want back. I have a stack of these from last year and the guilt is killing me. I’m too tired to reach out to return them, can’t use them myself (they are not mine), and cannot get rid of them (they are yours). So please oh please either get one of those aluminum single serve dishes or be clear that the dish is part of the gift of food. Please.
- Sodium. Really this should have been number one. There’s a scary note in my post-op care list about endolumphatic hydrops. It says to keep salt at 1,200-1,500 mg a day and avoid caffeine, sugar, and alcohol. Hydration is important. Notice that many of the symptoms of this are the same as the symptoms I’m trying to get rid of. Yeah. Keep track of how much salt you use or avoid it entirely so I can measure an appropriate quantity.
- Allergies. I am allergic to walnuts, lavender, chilli peppers, and some other tree nuts like pecans.
- Meat. My husband and other key caregivers are all vegetarians. I am not. So if you want to feed everybody go meat free. If you want to bring me delicious delicious red meat (seafood, pork, poultry) I will be delighted.
- Structure. For my post-op recovery period I’ve decided to use Food Tidings. It’s a way for people to figure out when the best time to come over and give food is. So far I haven’t set up an account because it feels exhausting. I will probably reach out for help on that. If that’s too much structure then the general visiting rules apply: email me for phone numbers (caregivers, mine), call about a half hour before you’d like to come over, don’t be sad if the short notice makes it a bad day or come on by!
- Distance. One of the options for those who are far away is to use Delivered Dish which is a delivery service for local restaurants. Since there are a good number of options on Delivered Dish I will mark out my favorite places, some reliable places and a few dishes I really like. See lists below (which will exist before the surgery if they don’t already.)
Food Ideas
First two weeks out of surgery: soft food.
December 4-18 (aaagh soft food for my birthday!)
- cottage cheese (with jam or canned fruit)
- oatmeal (cooked in milk with no sugar but yes raisins preferably the raisins cooked as well)
- tapioca pudding
- split pea soup (low salt)
- clam chowder (low salt)
- corn chowder (low salt)
- chowda chowder (low salt)
- potato cheddar soup (low salt)
- sweet & sour lentil soup (low salt)
- mushy beans and rice and cheese
- creamed corn
- tamales from Catalina’s, which is on 7th and Killingsworth, and count as soft food if you get the smooshy veg ones
December 19 onward
- German food is almost 100% good in my book
- <3 sushi
- casseroles
- lasagne
- carmelized onion, cheese & mushroom enchiladas in a creamy garlic sauce
… Putting this out there half done, will add over time.
Rebekah Golden 