Matt is having surgery on September 1st to remove a tumor/mass in his colon. We are incredibly grateful that the mass appears to be precancerous, but the surgery will still mean a significant recovery period. For the first month or two, Matt will have restrictions physical activity and won’t be able to pick up or care for Xander,. As you can imagine, that creates a bit of a juggling act for our family. Xander is a very active two-year-old who still needs lots of hands-on care and attention, so we’ll be grateful for help with things like meals, playing with Xander, keeping Liz company, and basic household tasks while Matt focuses on healing. This will be particularly helpful when Liz goes back to work on the 15th. Please don’t feel any pressure to help in any particular way! Simply knowing that you’re thinking of us and cheering Matt on means the world to us.
Matt After surgery, Matt will initially be on a low-residue (low-fiber) diet when he is discharged. During the early part of his recovery, think protein, carbohydrates, and well-cooked, skinless vegetables. His diet will gradually change as he heals, and we’ll note any specific dietary needs or suggestions on the meal calendar as we learn more. In general, Matt doesn’t care for mustard, beets, olives, capers, pickles, cilantro, or heavy vinegar flavors (though balsamic and most salad dressings are fine). Liz Happily eats almost everything! Favorites include pasta, stir-fries, Indian, Thai, Mexican, dumplings, salads, grain bowls, vegetables, fruit, cheese, bread, and all manner of snacks and desserts. Xander A very typical two-year-old with rapidly shifting opinions about food. He’s currently enthusiastic about berries, cheese, pastries, muffins, smoothies, pizza, and desserts, and unpredictable about almost everything else. Some days he’ll eat everything; other days, food is apparently offensive. Don’t worry about him too much. If you can help feed an adult or two, we can take care of Xander! Takeout Is Great, Too! We are very happy to enjoy takeout from the many wonderful restaurants in the area, including Thai Garden, Thai Thai, T Roots, Kisara, Masa, La Veracruzana, Florence Family Pizza, and many more. Bringing a Meal Please don’t feel like you need to make anything elaborate or accommodate everyone’s preferences. We are genuinely grateful for anything that feeds one or two grownups when cooking is difficult!