ENT Visit

My husband went to see his ENT today. He has been using his feeding tube to eat and only sipping water. His ENT and the surgeon that put in the tube both told him today that he needs to start eating by mouth as much as possible no matter how much it hurts. Even if it is one meal a day! So we are going to try mashed potatoes again tonite, and go from there. Wish us Luck!!!

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    eat drink and be merry
    Hi mechanicman2,

    Today I am 20 weeks post and I am still living on smoothies. As much as I try to eat, things taste so bad I find it easier to drink my meals. I do want to eat and I try all the time. Believe it or not sweet-n-salty granola bars are ok (ok = 4 on taste scale). My radiation onc told me how important getting enough calories, protein and nutrition was because my body is still fighting to repair the damage (she made it sound better and more important). She instructed me to quit losing weight, so I do try to maintain where I am at, but it is hard.

    So listen to the ENT and eat everything you can. Soup is pretty good too.

    Best,

    Matt
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    Easy for the Dr.'s to say....
    having never experienced the pain themselves. There is a difference in pain tolerance for everyone....and it depends on if the food is stinging like a million bees in your mouth, or if it's a sore throat like step used to feel. Does he have magic mouthwash, or 2% Lidocaine to numb his throat and mouth? I'm like Matt....still doing "liquid meals"...but in my case everything stings quite a bit...I can do tasteless, but pain sends me in the other direction. As long as he's drinking water, he's making his swallower work...are they pushing him because of his weight?

    Mashed spuds sting in my case, tho a baked potato smothered in sour cream and butter did not sting near so bad. Macaroni salad with shrimp in it (lots of creamy dressing), also had some taste and very little sting...these are things I was eating before I started the last 3 chemo treatments...and had I been spared the mouth sores, I'm sure I'd still be eating them.

    p
  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898

    Easy for the Dr.'s to say....
    having never experienced the pain themselves. There is a difference in pain tolerance for everyone....and it depends on if the food is stinging like a million bees in your mouth, or if it's a sore throat like step used to feel. Does he have magic mouthwash, or 2% Lidocaine to numb his throat and mouth? I'm like Matt....still doing "liquid meals"...but in my case everything stings quite a bit...I can do tasteless, but pain sends me in the other direction. As long as he's drinking water, he's making his swallower work...are they pushing him because of his weight?

    Mashed spuds sting in my case, tho a baked potato smothered in sour cream and butter did not sting near so bad. Macaroni salad with shrimp in it (lots of creamy dressing), also had some taste and very little sting...these are things I was eating before I started the last 3 chemo treatments...and had I been spared the mouth sores, I'm sure I'd still be eating them.

    p

    It's harder than they say!
    The Dr's don't always know how we really feel. It is painful beyond painful to eat and they make it sound like we need to toughen up.
    I'm 7 weeks out today and lost my feeding tube a week ago so now it's eat by mouth or get Pegged again. I'm choosing to eat by mouth. Part of the problem is, we are hungry and we get cravings however when we eat those foods we cravve we realize they taste "off" or even horrible.
    It's been hard findin g things that taste even close to what they should taste like. I've had luck with mashed potatoes with lots of butter and mixed with corn, who knew? Baked potatoes, cream soups, Mac-n-cheese (good old fashioned Kraft) peaches from Dole and some yogurt. Just 5 mins ago tried string cheese and it was ok, went down well and even tasted a bit like what it should, maybe I'll have another. Each morning I have a carnation instant breakfast(got tired of smoothies) and I also love dipping cookies in milk and getting them all soggy so they don't hurt. Calories calories calories!
    Good luck and hopefully more people will post what foods are working for them so you can have more ideas.
    Billie
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    I am just a week out of
    I am just a week out of radiation and have ate something every day. Some days are better than others. I can usually eat eggs, scrambled or poached or hard boiled. I did green beans, potatoes and smoked sausage the other night. Today was shrimp fried rice and egg drop soup. I have been lucky though and really don't think my throat got as sore as a lot of people's. They keep telling me at the radiation center they can't believe how well I came thru it. I just keep trying things, tonight I tried a couple little pieces of cheese and they even tasted a little bit like cheese. Is he taking pain meds? I tried not taking them and found I couldn't eat as well without them. So for now, the important thing is eating, I'll worry about the pain meds later.
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    Billie67 said:

    It's harder than they say!
    The Dr's don't always know how we really feel. It is painful beyond painful to eat and they make it sound like we need to toughen up.
    I'm 7 weeks out today and lost my feeding tube a week ago so now it's eat by mouth or get Pegged again. I'm choosing to eat by mouth. Part of the problem is, we are hungry and we get cravings however when we eat those foods we cravve we realize they taste "off" or even horrible.
    It's been hard findin g things that taste even close to what they should taste like. I've had luck with mashed potatoes with lots of butter and mixed with corn, who knew? Baked potatoes, cream soups, Mac-n-cheese (good old fashioned Kraft) peaches from Dole and some yogurt. Just 5 mins ago tried string cheese and it was ok, went down well and even tasted a bit like what it should, maybe I'll have another. Each morning I have a carnation instant breakfast(got tired of smoothies) and I also love dipping cookies in milk and getting them all soggy so they don't hurt. Calories calories calories!
    Good luck and hopefully more people will post what foods are working for them so you can have more ideas.
    Billie

    Potatoes
    Baked with lots of butter & sour cream. Mashed but can't be pasty.
    (I too often mix corn in with my mashed taters) Pudding, tapioca, oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, cream soups, cheese and milk. Some mac & cheese too thick, my fav was Bob Evans. Those were some of the things I started out with. Temperature made a difference to me. I drink my water now at room temp. but can still drink milk cold or a shake.
    Early on had ice cream but one day it felt like a hot poker on my tongue. I'm good with it again now. For some strange reason, rice krispies with allot of milk got me thru allot of tough days.
  • Matt29
    Matt29 Member Posts: 62

    I am just a week out of
    I am just a week out of radiation and have ate something every day. Some days are better than others. I can usually eat eggs, scrambled or poached or hard boiled. I did green beans, potatoes and smoked sausage the other night. Today was shrimp fried rice and egg drop soup. I have been lucky though and really don't think my throat got as sore as a lot of people's. They keep telling me at the radiation center they can't believe how well I came thru it. I just keep trying things, tonight I tried a couple little pieces of cheese and they even tasted a little bit like cheese. Is he taking pain meds? I tried not taking them and found I couldn't eat as well without them. So for now, the important thing is eating, I'll worry about the pain meds later.

    I am two weeks out
    hi everybody it is true what ever you can get down your throat do it even if its painful i still have pain in my throat but i'm one of those people that hates pain meds so i take them sparingly the one they have me on now is roxycodone as far as eating i'm working on not using the feeding tube yes i tried but i don't like it i started off just being able to do scramble eggs in the morning two usually 2 eggs,half cup milk,cheese and if you can handle it some lunch meat try that and go from there now i'm eating meals maybe have the use the baby ninja in my case because they took my teeth out but it works also peanut butter has always tasted good so my new thing is rescess peaunt butter cups,icecream,blizzards form dq yummy just don't get discouraged it takes time i'm still cooking but daily it seems to get just a little bit better.
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    DOWN THE HATCH
    Best wishes for progressively easier and pain free eating. There are lots of soft choices to work with, so have at it, as they say.

    PATRICK
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    patricke said:

    DOWN THE HATCH
    Best wishes for progressively easier and pain free eating. There are lots of soft choices to work with, so have at it, as they say.

    PATRICK

    Eating
    Trial and error time. Pancakes was my first real meal- lotsa butter and syrup. Puddings...Best of luck.

    kcass