In December (2002), I was diagnosed with cancer in my right sinus cavity. On January 15, I underwent 7 hours of surgery, an operation called a Maxillectomy. Basically they cut all around my right eye, down the side of my nose through my lip and also made an incision on my neck.

They had to re-build my sinus cavity and provide a new hard pallette. For this they took tissue and lots of bone from my left forearem. Finally they cut skin from my thigh to graft onto my wrist where they took the tissue that has become my hard pallette.

First let me say that the Canadian Medicare system provided me with top notch service, a superb surgeon (Dr. Scott Durham) and excellent support for speech therapy and the like.

Diet wise was something else. My diet in the hospital was just about 100% carbohydrates. I normally don't drink milk but when it came I suffered the lactose and drank it. Aside from that the only other protein they offered me I refused: those "ensure" analogs loaded with sugar and corn syrup. I have an allergy to corn, so I had good reason to leave them on my tray.

So I survived on apple juice, a couple of ounces of porridge each day and 2 containers of milk.

Despite the lack of food the sugar actually made me gain weight and I came home from the hospital 1 pound heaver than when I went in.

Luckily I healed quickly (I think because I protein loaded for the 3 days prior to going in)

Anyway when I got home I worked through the challenge of getting back onto the Atkins plan while having to stay on a liquid diet until the tissue that will become the roof of my mouth has healed, and sealed adequately.

My main staple has been a great creamy soup I concocted by lightly poaching an egg in water and then blending it with about one oz of cream cheese.

With a little tabasco and sea salt this is really delicious, but it can be "elaborated":

For example I add about an ounce of frozen wild salmon to a little water and microwave it for about 1-2 minutes while the egg is cooking and then blend the egg, cream cheese and salmon into a great chowder. I season it with a little wasabe paste I found in a squeeze jar.

The poached egg idea also works with Mozzarella cheese and black olives. In this case a little water added to chunks of mozzarella cheese and black olives can be microwaved while the egg is poaching, then blend the whole thing with some garlic into a rich cheesy greek tasting soup.

This egg and cheese combo can me made in a number of ways, I have to admit that I'll keep using this basic recipe as a cream soup base even when I get my teeth and can start chomping into chicken and steak again.

My other staple has been porridge made from the baking mix I manufacture as a cottage industry. Island Girl has been introducing this baking mix to the Lo carbers on Vancouver Island, and one store, so far sell it in Vancouver.

Essentially the baking mix is 50% Protein and 25% Fibre and a little less than 25% other carbs.

I mix one part baking mix with 3 to 4 parts water and just bring to the boil in a microwave, then I "dress it" with stevia/sucralose plus flax or MCT Oil and heavy whipping cream. Variations include adding cinnamon or cocoa and some peanut butter. Also sometimes I mix it with cream cheese.

I've also made some chicken soup and blended the chicken meat down to as near a liquid as I could.

Once in a while I'll blend some salad fixings including onion and garlic with water and then strain out the juice.

On my revised liquid Atkins diet I've lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks!

I hope this information will be useful to anyone who has to switch to a liquid diet, though I would not wish the surgery I had to endure on anyone.

Ferrando