What to start eating post rad

pk
pk Member Posts: 192
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Anyone out there who is able to tell us what to start incorporating back into normal eating after rad. is over? What worked for you. My husband want to get rid of his feeding tube as soon as possible. What have you all found to be tolerable with lots of calories other than Boost type products??

Comments

  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    What to eat
    I ate lots of graham crackers soaked in milk post rads. Anything soft with high calories and low sodium is good. Rads might have caused sores in the mouth and the sodium bothers it. Finally chopped tuna salad with lots of mayo is also good. Eggs are also a great source of protein and normally easy to eat. It is a lot of trial and error finding what is easy to eat.

    There is also weight gain powder that you can get at health food stores to add extra calories to his diet.
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    SASH said:

    What to eat
    I ate lots of graham crackers soaked in milk post rads. Anything soft with high calories and low sodium is good. Rads might have caused sores in the mouth and the sodium bothers it. Finally chopped tuna salad with lots of mayo is also good. Eggs are also a great source of protein and normally easy to eat. It is a lot of trial and error finding what is easy to eat.

    There is also weight gain powder that you can get at health food stores to add extra calories to his diet.

    Thanks - we're not quite
    Thanks - we're not quite there yet, but hopefully it won't take too long to start adding food back into the picture. We know there's much healing to be done. How long did it take you to get your tastebuds working again?
    PK
  • victor53
    victor53 Member Posts: 97
    I was stage 4 tonsil base of
    I was stage 4 tonsil base of tongue witha a lymphnode the size of a lemon
    I am 1 year past radiation 10 months past neck dissection i did 2 months induction chemo Taxol Carboplatin and Erbitux
    Then 7 weeks radiation with doubles on fridays plus chemo Cisplatin dailey on weeks 1,4 and 7
    Then radicak neck dissection.
    I am feeling great in fact maybe better than before i started treatment. I am 53.
    I dont smoke anymore probibly has alot to do with it. But also my sweet taste buds are still gone and i believe thats a blessing.
    I actually liked my feeding tube i was and still am putting in the best nutrition i can find.
    Here is my mix i drink it now so i kind of double up on stuff i used to make 2 of them a day when i was on the feeding tube. Now that i drink them heres my mix.
    1 package GNC Amplified Muscle Meal
    2 scoops SuperFoods Supreme its a powdered fruits and veggie mix I get at GNC
    2 scoops of Reliv Now its a powdered multi vitamin i get online i can give you a distributors number to order at 40% off
    A couple of tablespoons of Flax seed oil
    A couple of tablespoons of Fish oil
    A couple of shot glasses of pure Aloe juice
    A teaspoon of freeze dried black razzberries from Stokes Berry Farms in Ohio i get them from their website.
    A capsule of Tumeric with Bromilin not sure of spelling
    And 1 baby aspirin
    Then i add some water to fill one of those shakers you get at GNC
    It comes out a little thick but i chug it down it dont taste bad
    Had to mix it up a little better with a little more water when pouring it down my tube.
    Eggnog saved my life it tasted decent well the local Garelick Farms brand did and that stuff will put the wieght on better than anything. I was lucky to go thru treatment during eggnog season
    I eat omelets with one slice of white american one vermont chedder one mozzarela .
    I like Nathans hot dogs ( only bad things i eat)
    I Cant Belive its not Butter tastes better than butter and i was a butter snob.
    I can taste sweet when its in coffee so tiramizou desert is good .
    I have a friend who makes a super moist chocolate zucchini cake that isnt sweet but good.
    Its an adventure looking for stuff that tastes different.
    I find something decent and eat it till im sick of it thats one problem.
    1 year ago i never dreamed i could feel this good.
    I found a dumpling sauce sort of a sweet soy sauce at a chinese restaurant that i can tolerate now the regular soy sause still burned a bit and i am on a sushi kick now.
    I do my one shake a day when i wake up then an omelet or sushi at night.
    Or chicken pot oie and mashed potatoes still can handle the crust thou.
    Week 3 thru 7 of radiation and the 6 or 7 weeks after was a living hell that i thought would never end.
    But it did and it does better way to slow for my liking but 1 year past i still notice it getting better everyday.
    I aslo think i was lucky i have a 3 year old son so he was 2 when i was going thru treatment and he kept me moving.
    If my wife wanted me to move i would tell her where to go if the house was on fire i wouldnt have gottin up.
    But if your 2 year old is there and wants you you move no matter how bad you feel.
    And the more you move and the more nutrition and water you get in you the better you feel.
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    victor53 said:

    I was stage 4 tonsil base of
    I was stage 4 tonsil base of tongue witha a lymphnode the size of a lemon
    I am 1 year past radiation 10 months past neck dissection i did 2 months induction chemo Taxol Carboplatin and Erbitux
    Then 7 weeks radiation with doubles on fridays plus chemo Cisplatin dailey on weeks 1,4 and 7
    Then radicak neck dissection.
    I am feeling great in fact maybe better than before i started treatment. I am 53.
    I dont smoke anymore probibly has alot to do with it. But also my sweet taste buds are still gone and i believe thats a blessing.
    I actually liked my feeding tube i was and still am putting in the best nutrition i can find.
    Here is my mix i drink it now so i kind of double up on stuff i used to make 2 of them a day when i was on the feeding tube. Now that i drink them heres my mix.
    1 package GNC Amplified Muscle Meal
    2 scoops SuperFoods Supreme its a powdered fruits and veggie mix I get at GNC
    2 scoops of Reliv Now its a powdered multi vitamin i get online i can give you a distributors number to order at 40% off
    A couple of tablespoons of Flax seed oil
    A couple of tablespoons of Fish oil
    A couple of shot glasses of pure Aloe juice
    A teaspoon of freeze dried black razzberries from Stokes Berry Farms in Ohio i get them from their website.
    A capsule of Tumeric with Bromilin not sure of spelling
    And 1 baby aspirin
    Then i add some water to fill one of those shakers you get at GNC
    It comes out a little thick but i chug it down it dont taste bad
    Had to mix it up a little better with a little more water when pouring it down my tube.
    Eggnog saved my life it tasted decent well the local Garelick Farms brand did and that stuff will put the wieght on better than anything. I was lucky to go thru treatment during eggnog season
    I eat omelets with one slice of white american one vermont chedder one mozzarela .
    I like Nathans hot dogs ( only bad things i eat)
    I Cant Belive its not Butter tastes better than butter and i was a butter snob.
    I can taste sweet when its in coffee so tiramizou desert is good .
    I have a friend who makes a super moist chocolate zucchini cake that isnt sweet but good.
    Its an adventure looking for stuff that tastes different.
    I find something decent and eat it till im sick of it thats one problem.
    1 year ago i never dreamed i could feel this good.
    I found a dumpling sauce sort of a sweet soy sauce at a chinese restaurant that i can tolerate now the regular soy sause still burned a bit and i am on a sushi kick now.
    I do my one shake a day when i wake up then an omelet or sushi at night.
    Or chicken pot oie and mashed potatoes still can handle the crust thou.
    Week 3 thru 7 of radiation and the 6 or 7 weeks after was a living hell that i thought would never end.
    But it did and it does better way to slow for my liking but 1 year past i still notice it getting better everyday.
    I aslo think i was lucky i have a 3 year old son so he was 2 when i was going thru treatment and he kept me moving.
    If my wife wanted me to move i would tell her where to go if the house was on fire i wouldnt have gottin up.
    But if your 2 year old is there and wants you you move no matter how bad you feel.
    And the more you move and the more nutrition and water you get in you the better you feel.

    Thanks Victor53
    Thanks for your helpful tips. I will make a visit to the GNC. It sounds like you are figuring things out for yourself. Also sounds like you had a rougher time weeks 3-7 than my husband. Oh, it's hell alright, but he has tolerated it better than most according to his oncologist. His biggest complaints are fatigue, the horrible mucous, and the thought of trying to eat real food is a turn off. He drinks lots of water and trys a little food now and then. He has 5 rads left and then......the long healing process. We are excited to getting close to the end of rad tho. I am so happy to hear that you are doing so well. You have been thru an awful lot.
    PK
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    pk said:

    Thanks Victor53
    Thanks for your helpful tips. I will make a visit to the GNC. It sounds like you are figuring things out for yourself. Also sounds like you had a rougher time weeks 3-7 than my husband. Oh, it's hell alright, but he has tolerated it better than most according to his oncologist. His biggest complaints are fatigue, the horrible mucous, and the thought of trying to eat real food is a turn off. He drinks lots of water and trys a little food now and then. He has 5 rads left and then......the long healing process. We are excited to getting close to the end of rad tho. I am so happy to hear that you are doing so well. You have been thru an awful lot.
    PK

    Yet something else that someone would eat
    An old member from this site who was a Head and Neck survivor loved the glaze from Krispy Kreme. He talked to his local store manager/owner and they would give him a cup of the stuff when ever he went in. Now you want to talk about lots of calories there you go. I can't recommend this as it has no nutritional value and might cause other issues with teeth as it is like liquid sugar.

    It is fun trying different things that you can tolerate and enjoy on the road to recovery. I would suggest trying food at home before trying it out so if it is difficult to eat or swallow you can deal with it in private. Then of course if you can't eat it you can always find something else in the fridge, freezer, cabinet that you can get down.
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    SASH said:

    Yet something else that someone would eat
    An old member from this site who was a Head and Neck survivor loved the glaze from Krispy Kreme. He talked to his local store manager/owner and they would give him a cup of the stuff when ever he went in. Now you want to talk about lots of calories there you go. I can't recommend this as it has no nutritional value and might cause other issues with teeth as it is like liquid sugar.

    It is fun trying different things that you can tolerate and enjoy on the road to recovery. I would suggest trying food at home before trying it out so if it is difficult to eat or swallow you can deal with it in private. Then of course if you can't eat it you can always find something else in the fridge, freezer, cabinet that you can get down.

    Sash
    Did you change your name???? My hub loves donuts - could be a possible treat. You are all so awesome with your suggestions. Our goal right now is to end rads on Fri. 9/28 and then to be on some type of food to get off the tube so that by March 1 we can enjoy the ocean and swimming in a pool on our winter get away. Hope this is not unrealistic.

    PK
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    SASH said:

    Yet something else that someone would eat
    An old member from this site who was a Head and Neck survivor loved the glaze from Krispy Kreme. He talked to his local store manager/owner and they would give him a cup of the stuff when ever he went in. Now you want to talk about lots of calories there you go. I can't recommend this as it has no nutritional value and might cause other issues with teeth as it is like liquid sugar.

    It is fun trying different things that you can tolerate and enjoy on the road to recovery. I would suggest trying food at home before trying it out so if it is difficult to eat or swallow you can deal with it in private. Then of course if you can't eat it you can always find something else in the fridge, freezer, cabinet that you can get down.

    Sash
    Did you change your name???? My hub loves donuts - could be a possible treat. You are all so awesome with your suggestions. Our goal right now is to end rads on Fri. 9/28 and then to be on some type of food to get off the tube so that by March 1 we can enjoy the ocean and swimming in a pool on our winter get away. Hope this is not unrealistic.

    PK