Chicken, Bacon and Dumplings

Yes, another bacon recipe. But this was purely out of convenience. Meat was not part of our post-surgery shopping list. My poor husband has been eating meatless dinners or take-out. By the end of the second week, I felt better. I wanted to surprise my husband with a home cook meal. Mind you, I love to cook and have been watching the Food Network all day. My husband was content on what he was eating but I couldn't take it. We had some chicken and bacon in the freezer. I thawed them out and visited the trusty allrecipes.com. Typed in those two ingredients and found this recipe. It was perfect because it was something for both of us.

adapted from R. Swift's recipe on Allrecipes.com

Bacon Chicken and Dumplings
3 slices of bacon, diced
4 red potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast - diced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
3 cups half-and-half

OPTIONAL Dumplings (while on this liquid diet this amount is too much, have yet to figure out size)
1 1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup milk

- Dice and season chicken with pepper and salt
- Cook bacon until crisp, set aside, reserve drippings
- Add onions to drippings, cook until
- Add potatoes and chicken and cook for 15 minutes, stir often
- Add broth and seasonings... salt and pepper to taste
- Stir in corn, simmer for 15 minutes
- Add half-and-half, bring to a boil

Soup is ready for those on the liquid diet. I originally made this with the dumplings and it soaked up a lot of the soup!

However, at this point you can add the mixed biscuit mix. After you combine the mix and milk, roll dough into small balls.
Drop into boiling soup, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Then another 10 minutes covered. Serve with crumbled bacon.

LEFTOVER IDEAS:
First night, I strained the soup and drank as is.
The next day, I placed it in the blender (picking out the chicken). Added more broth so that I can liquify it better. Warmed it up on the stovetop. Adjusted seasoning as needed.

And something for others in your household:
CHICKEN CROQUETTES with BLT SAUCE
I noticed there was a lot of chicken left. And with all the straining of the soup, everything was so thick! I hated to see it go to waste. I shredded the chicken and mixed it with the remaining thicken soup.
- Form small patties.
- Roll patties in flour (seasoned with pepper & salt)
- Dip patties into a mix of 1 egg yokes (or milk - that's all I had)
- Cover with dry breadcrumbs (mix of unseasoned breadcrumbs & dry parsley)
- Pan fry croquettes in oil
- Place cooked croquettes on plate, pour leftover BLT SOUP on top, be sure to add the tomatoes on top of the croquettes

One little note:
I made this at the end of week 2. I thought I was feeling fine. But I was exhausted the next day! So, best if someone else makes this. Or at least does the prep work. I changed the recipe to red potatoes with the skin. When you are recovering, you don't have time to peel potatoes!

BLT Soup

One thing about this liquid diet is that meals are rather uneventful. Smoothies and soups can be good but without texture and variety, it's rather boring. I miss texture the most. Without it, things start to taste the same. I refuse to blend a pizza or a hamburger. gross! But there must be easy and tasty soups out there that are reminiscent of "real" meals. I did a search and found the BLT Soup on the Food Network website.

Warning: Not exactly healthy (I think it's worse than the sandwich.) But we're not really counting calories at this time, are we?

adapted from Paula Deen on the Food Network
visit the website for the original recipe

5 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
1 tablespoons butter (optional)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, heated
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash of red pepper
1 cup heavy cream

- Cook bacon until crisp, set aside and place bacon on paper towel, reserve drippings
- Add green onions to drippings and cook until wilted
- Add butter (this is a Paula Deen recipe after all, but I think you can leave it out. Original recipe ask for 2 TBS)
- Add broth, nutmeg, red pepper. Heat to boil and stir often. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
- Add cream and mix well
- Strain, set aside to cool down, it's thin enough to drink through a straw

This makes a lot of soup, so share with others in your household. The original recipe adds a mix of 1/4 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of sour cream. Top soup with spoonful of the mix and add the crispy bacon for garnish.

Week 4 - Back to Work Take 2!

One more day to go but I think I survived. I really wasn't ready last week. I look back and even though I brought work home, I was pretty much useless. It's hard to get back into the groove of things... especially when you are weak and in pain. I'm still trying to handle my energy level while at work, but it's improved. I made sure to pack drink snacks. I will post what I made... since that was the whole point of me starting this blog! hahaha

PROGRESS:
Swelling: hmm.. it was 90% gone, but continues to shift around. Currently I feel it's worst today.
Sleep: terrible. I'm tired. I'm trying to avoid the Ambien. But I'm still having trouble sleeping and staying asleep.
Numbness: slowly regaining feeling which leads to slight burst of pain
Pain: see above. Taking more pain killers now than I did after the surgery

Back to Work

I went back to work this week (week 3). The swelling wasn't so bad that I felt I had to hide behind a scarf anymore. I thought I was ready. Unfortunately, my sleepless nights returned that weekend. I was exhausted on Monday. I was also hungry. My work provides lunch and I'm just a few steps away from the kitchen. The tempting smells that came from the kitchen...!

I also didn't pack enough for work. I THOUGHT I was prepared.
-- Ensure Coffee for breakfast
-- BLT Soup for lunch, quite hearty
-- Odwalla B Monster drink

But this wasn't enough. Not only was I tired from the lack of sleep, I started to feel weak. But I made it through the day. I left early... as in leaving right at 6pm (a full 8 hour day). Which is early for me, I normally work an average 10 hours, on a good day. But I've realize that I need to plan my meals better. Pack mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.

But the rest of the week didn't go so well. I went back to the doctor's and gave in to sleeping pills. Not wanting to rely on the pills, I didn't take it one night. Went back to work and felt awful. I had an orthodontist appointment earlier that morning and started crying. I was so tired! And the pain is starting to settle in. The numbness is fading and now I can feel the pain! My orthodontist said some comforting words about how all this takes time. Physically I may feel better but the emotions are hard to deal with. I had to leave work early. Luckily I'm able to work at home. My boss even asked me at the start of the week if I was doing ok. Again, I was overconfident.

Week 2 Summary

Swelling went down considerably. But it seems to go with gravity. It was still a little odd during the start of the 2nd week. Imagine seeing your upper part of your face appear normal and then, this pudginess at the jawline. The bruising never got worse. The worse bruise, however, is on my wrist. The area they had an IV in a major artery was so black and blue. It got worse and darker throughout the first week. It was sensitive to the touch.

My energy level was a lot better. So much so that on Sunday morning I decided to make a list of what I was eating and jot down the nutritional facts. I went through a panic when I realize that there wasn't much there! My husband made sure to add fruit and protein powder to my shakes, but not sure if that was enough. We neglected to by Ensure. I know... an important post-surgery drink, and we forgot! They even have a Post-Surgery section on their website! I've never had it before but was surprise that it tasted good - Coffee Latte, Milk Chocolate and Strawberries & Cream.

By mid-week, I felt a lot better... so I thought. I started cooking. My husband went back to work that week. My mom stopped by to help out. She left some delicious homemade chicken and beef stock. I didn't want it to go to waste. I also felt sorry for my husband and what he was eating. So, I found ways to combine our meals.

I overexerted myself. I was exhausted the next day. So make a note, even if you feel fine, don't push it.

Week 1 Summary

I was only in the hospital for 1 night. I know this isn't the best reason, but that's what I wanted - money-wise. I am writing this on the third week, and I have yet to receive the hospital bill. I was told a reasonable deductible fee when I spoke with the finance department. But I'm scared of the surprise hospital fees. The biggest headache of this experience was dealing with the insurance and trying to find out what is covered.

Overall, the swelling was worse this week. I had trouble sleeping. I didn't buy special pillows to prop myself upright. My back aches. Not much pain in the mouth. Well, I can't feel anything...

DAY 1: Discharged at the hospital
The night nurse was pretty good at changing the ice packs every hour. They get warm rather quickly. Unfortunately, this resulted in waking me up every hour. Needless to say I didn't have a great night's sleep. But overall, I felt better. My overall pain tolerance during my stay at the hospital was a 4-7.

I was ready to go home. The doctor came in around 11am to check up on me. He wanted to make sure I was able to eat... ahem... drink on my own. "Drink like a fish," he said. Which I did. It was so nice to drink something. My throat was so dry! I opted for the apple juice. I tried the cranberry juice next, but way too tart for a dry throat. Later, the nurse walked me around the ICU ward to make sure I'm able to move around. I passed! I left around 2pm.

First Look:
In the car ride, I finally looked at a mirror. Eek! There were lines (tears?) on the right side. Very thin, but still shocking. My doctor warned this may happen because they have to stretch my mouth considerably. The jaw bra hid most of my face. It was at home I finally saw it. My face was so square! It was bizarre.

DAY 2: Return to the doctor
When I saw my doctor, the first thing he said was "Are you ok?" Apparently, I may have had a look of concern on my face. He observed the fact that maybe he didn't prepare me for the swelling. He did. Actually, his nurse did. She told me to expect the worse. And just when you think it is going down, it may stop. But don't worry, it takes weeks. And it will get to the point where you look normal to people who don't know you. Only you will know that it's not quite there. But don't panic... be patient.

So why was I so shocked? I think I didn't expect my face to take on a different shape. Like I said in the beginning of this blog, I didn't discover the ortho blogs until after my surgery. Seeing people's photos have helped tremendously! Seeing that people's swelling and bruising varies.

When they weighed me, it appeared that I lost 10lbs. I thought I was doing well. I ate a strained Chicken Noodle Soup that day.

DAY 3: So Weak
Juice and broth aren't enough to keep my energy level up. The doctor advised to take walks. Staying active helps with the healing. But I was way too weak to take a walk.

DAY 4: Finally Eating
My husband made a delicious Tarragon Mushroom soup (I'll post the recipe later) Didn't mean to make it complicated, but we had the ingredients and I didn't want it to go to waste.
One thing I noticed is that flavors are extremely intense right at this time. My senses are strong. Breathing through an oxygen mask over 24 hours at the hospital has made my sense of smell very strong. In the hospital I can smell everything. EVERYTHING. I don’t need to say more but various people helped me put on the jaw bra on my head. Not sure if it is completely due to the fresh oxygen air or the fact that I was in a sterile environment.

DAY 5:
Slight bruising is starting to appear on the right. Very minor yellowing. But the swelling and numbness is worse on the left side. I still can't fell anything on my lower half of my face. The peeling of my lips is more apparent when my lips are wet after rinsing. They aren't dry.

DAY 6: Doctor Visits
The day I will see my orthodontist and surgeon, my WaterPik stops working. My mouth feels gross. I can only brush the front teeth with my Winnie the Pooh Kid's toothbrush. I rinse with the the Chlorhexidine Gluconate Rinse - but this leaves a blue film on the braces. I use a Q-tip to clean up the sides of my mouth. But I'm a little scared to go near the surgery area. I can't feel anything and I'm scared that I may hit an area I shouldn't. Earlier this week, I accidentally moved my waterpik in the wrong area. Even at the lowest setting and through the numbness, it was painful!

I was taken off the elastics earlier this week. My initial X-Ray revealed that my alignment shifted. My surgeon feared that he may have to go back in and move the plates. Yikes! But he adjusted the elastics. They took another X-Ray (without that mouth piece to keep you straight) and things were in order.

I have a considerable amount of swelling on my left side, hence the shift in alignment where the cut appears.



My weight went up since my last visits (damn!) due to the added protein in my shakes. When asked how I was doing, I told my doctor that I had trouble sleeping. I declined a prescription for sleeping pills. My trouble sleeping was due to discomfort. My back ached considerably. The Codeine made me feel nauseous. He prescribed a muscle relaxer, which helped.

Nutrition Links

A few links regarding pre- and post-surgery nutrition
Speed Your Healing With A Good Diet & Supplement Plan
Post-Surgery Diet and Nutrition
Vitamin & Mineral Guide