Nutrition (Nana b or anyone else) help!

ketziah35
ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My mother's diet is gone to the pits since she started chemo. She has gained 14 pounds since May. Should we be pushing her to have a better diet, since that and excercise are the key in fighting cancer or should we just back the heck off until after her treatment? I don't expect that she can run marathon's, but she is making multiple weekly visits to Cracker Barrel (and eating at the truck stops) and telling us that she has no appetite for anything except their bacon eggs and grits. We were considering getting her a cook, but with the money it is taking for me to fly to visit her and my sister keeps having to take leave without pay to assist my mom, we are running out of $$$$$$$$. She also says that she doesn't want to cook until after her treatment as she says she feels weak. My father the conspirator is taking her to the restaurants. I don't blame him because it is ultimately my mom's responsibility to take care of her health.

Her other meal of choice is sandwiches. It is either sandwiches or bacon eggs and grits.

Did I mention when i stayed with her for her to recouperate from the surgery, I filled 3 refridgerator freezers with soup and chicken and fish already cooked.

-KTZ

Comments

  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    This is a tough one!
    There are many schools of thought on this one. I try to eat healthily, but on my chemo day + the next day or two after, I eat whatever appeals to me; my appetite is affected by the chemo + I try to get whatever food + fluids in that I can. I can understand her not wanting to cook; I feel like that myself many nights (like tonight). I wondering if part of the appeal of Cracker Barrel is just getting out; if so maybe she could try other restaurants/items off the menu etc. Sandwiches can be very healthy, depending what is in them. If she likes sandwiches, encourage her to have a variety of them + have lots of "filling" materials on hand. One of the things with foo, in my opinion, is the person themself has to be motivated to change. It is one of the few controls we cancer survivors have left + sometimes we just want to make sure we are making the choices. Encouragement is good, but I think we have to feel that we are ultimately making the choices.
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    AnneCan said:

    This is a tough one!
    There are many schools of thought on this one. I try to eat healthily, but on my chemo day + the next day or two after, I eat whatever appeals to me; my appetite is affected by the chemo + I try to get whatever food + fluids in that I can. I can understand her not wanting to cook; I feel like that myself many nights (like tonight). I wondering if part of the appeal of Cracker Barrel is just getting out; if so maybe she could try other restaurants/items off the menu etc. Sandwiches can be very healthy, depending what is in them. If she likes sandwiches, encourage her to have a variety of them + have lots of "filling" materials on hand. One of the things with foo, in my opinion, is the person themself has to be motivated to change. It is one of the few controls we cancer survivors have left + sometimes we just want to make sure we are making the choices. Encouragement is good, but I think we have to feel that we are ultimately making the choices.

    Thank you.

    Thank you.
  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    Truthfully
    I believe I would back off of Mom. I don't mean you shouldn't encourage her to have a nutricious diet but really, unless you have gone through cancer,surgery,chemo and perhaps radiation then I don't think you really could know the taste changes, emotional changes, and every other change that occurs.The fact that she wants to eat is to me a good sign!

    Being from the South I can tell you that bacon, eggs and grits are considered perfect food :)....but seriously, her doctors are probably watching her weight gain and she might be more responsive if/when they tell her to lay off the Cracker Barrel trips...but don't be surprised if they don't. They see people come in who have lost tons of weight due to their illness and those are the ones they really worry about, as they should. Like my Mom who is down to 90 lbs. Oh how I wish I could get her into the car and take her to Cracker Barrel!

    I too gained some weight while on chemo. I have since lost all of it and then some.

    Just my opinion...and probably not a popular one.

    -Pat
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    Jaylo969 said:

    Truthfully
    I believe I would back off of Mom. I don't mean you shouldn't encourage her to have a nutricious diet but really, unless you have gone through cancer,surgery,chemo and perhaps radiation then I don't think you really could know the taste changes, emotional changes, and every other change that occurs.The fact that she wants to eat is to me a good sign!

    Being from the South I can tell you that bacon, eggs and grits are considered perfect food :)....but seriously, her doctors are probably watching her weight gain and she might be more responsive if/when they tell her to lay off the Cracker Barrel trips...but don't be surprised if they don't. They see people come in who have lost tons of weight due to their illness and those are the ones they really worry about, as they should. Like my Mom who is down to 90 lbs. Oh how I wish I could get her into the car and take her to Cracker Barrel!

    I too gained some weight while on chemo. I have since lost all of it and then some.

    Just my opinion...and probably not a popular one.

    -Pat

    Thanks.

    Thanks.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    It's not easy while you are on chemo
    It's very hard to find something to eat when you are on chemo....nothing seems to taste good. Once you find something, then you tend to stick with it. I think quantity is more of the question you are asking, I can easily go to cracker barrel and have a plate with all their veggies and splurge on their corn bread. So it's a matter of choices. I made pork chops yesterday, and my favorite green side dish, and heaped up on the side dish and took two bites of my husbands pork chop....for lunch I had a WHOLE cantaloupe and some granola (that is so good, I had to tear the bag away from me)!

    When I was on chemo I would eat corn tortilla quesidillas with provolone cheese and a dash of hot sauce. I even liked corn tortillas with butter and a bit of lemon juice. My sister would bring me a home made potato burrito in a flour tortilla on the weekends. I had lost over 20 lbs and she didn't want me to lose anymore. I was so hungry but couldn't eat, everything tasted bland.

    I made my husband grits and eggs the other day, and that in it self is not bad, to reach an agreement on how much bacon he could have, I just took a bacon strip and crushed it over his eggs (that was my agreement). He later told me that was actually perfect. His toast must have jelly, so I skip the butter and he doesn't even know it.

    Sandwiches, well I make some mean sandwiches! Healthy as heck and I can eat them all the time. The bread is the big no, no, but I stick to whole grain, lean turkey, all kinds of cheese (mild, no Cheddar or American). I use a spicy mustard, and use avocados, tomatoes, think sliced cucumber, sprouts occasionally if I am out, but don't really care for them, lettuce, spinach, little yellow peppers, tuna,

    Salads, with a variety of lettuce, spinach, cranberries, almonds, walnuts, pecans, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, blue cheese, carrots, broccoli, tomato, sunflower seeds, berries, bell peppers, and turkey--even is processed meat is a no, no....I keep it on hand. But I like to grill chicken and keep it in the fridge or freezer. I am known to buy cooked chicken at costco and dicing it up and putting it in the freezer to make semi fresh food. I cook up wheat pasta and put in in the freezer in little bags and add these to my salads. It adds some substances to the salad without going crazy! I also keep kidney and garbanzo beans in the pantry for salads. Shitake burgers are good and I just tried and garden burger it was really good.

    Most of the ingredients I have in my pantry always, and keep the cheeses in the fridge, I buy them at Costo and they last a long time. The berries I buy at costco because they last a week, so I just go once a week. I got to Trader Joe's to get my green tea, supreme greens, and reds. Maybe some organic fruit if they have it. You know it doesn't take much money to make these meals. Once your fridge is filled with the good stuff, it's easy.
    Breakfast good cereal with lots of berries or banana and almonds and flax seed. Oatmeal in the winter. I just found some whole wheat pan cake mix at Trader Joes, and pumpkin mix, I make these with berries and eat it with a side of homemade syrup (that I made from from our peaches and apricots).

    Fish, mix some Dijon mustard with a bit of olive oil and lemon and rub all over fish, bake for about 20 minutes, yummy! Eat with a cooked yam or sweet potato.

    Let me know if I can help. I know she doesn't want to cook.
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    Nana b said:

    It's not easy while you are on chemo
    It's very hard to find something to eat when you are on chemo....nothing seems to taste good. Once you find something, then you tend to stick with it. I think quantity is more of the question you are asking, I can easily go to cracker barrel and have a plate with all their veggies and splurge on their corn bread. So it's a matter of choices. I made pork chops yesterday, and my favorite green side dish, and heaped up on the side dish and took two bites of my husbands pork chop....for lunch I had a WHOLE cantaloupe and some granola (that is so good, I had to tear the bag away from me)!

    When I was on chemo I would eat corn tortilla quesidillas with provolone cheese and a dash of hot sauce. I even liked corn tortillas with butter and a bit of lemon juice. My sister would bring me a home made potato burrito in a flour tortilla on the weekends. I had lost over 20 lbs and she didn't want me to lose anymore. I was so hungry but couldn't eat, everything tasted bland.

    I made my husband grits and eggs the other day, and that in it self is not bad, to reach an agreement on how much bacon he could have, I just took a bacon strip and crushed it over his eggs (that was my agreement). He later told me that was actually perfect. His toast must have jelly, so I skip the butter and he doesn't even know it.

    Sandwiches, well I make some mean sandwiches! Healthy as heck and I can eat them all the time. The bread is the big no, no, but I stick to whole grain, lean turkey, all kinds of cheese (mild, no Cheddar or American). I use a spicy mustard, and use avocados, tomatoes, think sliced cucumber, sprouts occasionally if I am out, but don't really care for them, lettuce, spinach, little yellow peppers, tuna,

    Salads, with a variety of lettuce, spinach, cranberries, almonds, walnuts, pecans, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, blue cheese, carrots, broccoli, tomato, sunflower seeds, berries, bell peppers, and turkey--even is processed meat is a no, no....I keep it on hand. But I like to grill chicken and keep it in the fridge or freezer. I am known to buy cooked chicken at costco and dicing it up and putting it in the freezer to make semi fresh food. I cook up wheat pasta and put in in the freezer in little bags and add these to my salads. It adds some substances to the salad without going crazy! I also keep kidney and garbanzo beans in the pantry for salads. Shitake burgers are good and I just tried and garden burger it was really good.

    Most of the ingredients I have in my pantry always, and keep the cheeses in the fridge, I buy them at Costo and they last a long time. The berries I buy at costco because they last a week, so I just go once a week. I got to Trader Joe's to get my green tea, supreme greens, and reds. Maybe some organic fruit if they have it. You know it doesn't take much money to make these meals. Once your fridge is filled with the good stuff, it's easy.
    Breakfast good cereal with lots of berries or banana and almonds and flax seed. Oatmeal in the winter. I just found some whole wheat pan cake mix at Trader Joes, and pumpkin mix, I make these with berries and eat it with a side of homemade syrup (that I made from from our peaches and apricots).

    Fish, mix some Dijon mustard with a bit of olive oil and lemon and rub all over fish, bake for about 20 minutes, yummy! Eat with a cooked yam or sweet potato.

    Let me know if I can help. I know she doesn't want to cook.

    Thanks. We are going to work
    Thanks. We are going to work it out.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    ketziah35 said:

    Thanks. We are going to work
    Thanks. We are going to work it out.

    Great!
    Good, open communication..... I am sure if someone put the food right in front of her she wold eat it....a little suggestion to her may help!

    Good luck, take care and wish I had that soup, chicken and fish in your freezer!!!
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    Nana b said:

    Great!
    Good, open communication..... I am sure if someone put the food right in front of her she wold eat it....a little suggestion to her may help!

    Good luck, take care and wish I had that soup, chicken and fish in your freezer!!!

    And I can cook
    My family calls me Marquita Stewart. I cook pretty food lol.

    Try this. Take a white fish like sole, halibut, or flounder

    Make a marinade of
    4 tbspns extra virgin olive oil
    little dry white wine
    little lemon juice
    capers
    diced red onions
    tspn of dijon mustard

    bake it.

    MMMMMmMMMMMMmmMMMm
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    Jaylo969 said:

    Truthfully
    I believe I would back off of Mom. I don't mean you shouldn't encourage her to have a nutricious diet but really, unless you have gone through cancer,surgery,chemo and perhaps radiation then I don't think you really could know the taste changes, emotional changes, and every other change that occurs.The fact that she wants to eat is to me a good sign!

    Being from the South I can tell you that bacon, eggs and grits are considered perfect food :)....but seriously, her doctors are probably watching her weight gain and she might be more responsive if/when they tell her to lay off the Cracker Barrel trips...but don't be surprised if they don't. They see people come in who have lost tons of weight due to their illness and those are the ones they really worry about, as they should. Like my Mom who is down to 90 lbs. Oh how I wish I could get her into the car and take her to Cracker Barrel!

    I too gained some weight while on chemo. I have since lost all of it and then some.

    Just my opinion...and probably not a popular one.

    -Pat

    Not unpopular at all
    Pat, not unpopular ,in this moment to get weigh is my main concern too and lm achieving it!
    Hasta mañana querida!
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    Ket:
    Your mom is going thru chemo and just maybe the thought of preparing the meal, setting the table, cleaning up, etc. is just not appealing right now. A few extra pounds just might be good for her, she may need her reserves if she starts to feel poorly. George tells me that some stuff is just not appealing on chemo and other stuff you tend to crave. For now, let her be. It is good that she is getting out and wants to get out. Her choice of food may not be too good but give it time and for now, let her have what she wants.

    Take care - Tina
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    KTZ
    in my opinion is a blessing she is in such a good appetite while on chemo.As my doctor say first time l asked him " eat whatever you can whenever you can ,if you get weigh you probably are beating cancer if you loose weigh cancer probably is beating you".
    Just think on that: wouldn't you be worried if if she would be 14 pounds less instead ?
    Any way this is just my opinion (and my onc too LOL!).
    Take Care!
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    ketziah35 said:

    And I can cook
    My family calls me Marquita Stewart. I cook pretty food lol.

    Try this. Take a white fish like sole, halibut, or flounder

    Make a marinade of
    4 tbspns extra virgin olive oil
    little dry white wine
    little lemon juice
    capers
    diced red onions
    tspn of dijon mustard

    bake it.

    MMMMMmMMMMMMmmMMMm

    Ketziah
    oh sounds like mine...I do the capers too. We need to talk! ha! HA!
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    pepebcn said:

    KTZ
    in my opinion is a blessing she is in such a good appetite while on chemo.As my doctor say first time l asked him " eat whatever you can whenever you can ,if you get weigh you probably are beating cancer if you loose weigh cancer probably is beating you".
    Just think on that: wouldn't you be worried if if she would be 14 pounds less instead ?
    Any way this is just my opinion (and my onc too LOL!).
    Take Care!

    I must be doing good!
    Yeah, I'm gaining weight. I have to post this picture that I found of me......I WAS SO SMALL, WOW!~~~~~
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    Nana b said:

    I must be doing good!
    Yeah, I'm gaining weight. I have to post this picture that I found of me......I WAS SO SMALL, WOW!~~~~~

    you just look georgeus!
    Nana!