I need your perspective here

Nana2

Jim is so tired and not eating very much at all. I know it's normal after liver resection, but any suggestions on what I could offer him to eat? I'm making shakes with protein powder to help with the weight loss, but he's gone from 185 to 168 since surgery May 3rd. I remember someone saying how much it upset them when their spouse set a large plate of food in front of them knowing they had no appetite so I'm trying to be careful not to overwhelm him or offer too much at once, but he's lost nearly 20 pounds already. How long does it take before you start feeling better and eating more? Usually?
Thanks,
April

Nana b

Ensure, it's what my 100
Ensure, it's what my 100 year old Nana drinks.... My aunt blends up whatever she an for her.

Asparagus Soup
Pea Soup
Tomato Basil Soup

You can buy this all ready made at Traders Joes. Add flax seed/powder/Ginger

I would just experiemnt.

A banana, some frozen berries, and a yogurt to thicken....blend

kimby

Weight Loss
I've had a terrible problem with weight loss and fatigue for several months. It takes a while to feel better and build up strength because losing that fast, he's lost some muscle mass, too.

I eat every time I think I can manage, even if it's only a bite or two. Kevin (my husband) keeps deli meat, deli chicken salad, etc on hand for me. On days when I mostly sleep I have someone wake me every couple of hours to eat. I eat as much protein as I can get. When I'm hungry for soup I add a can of beans, I eat cheese on everything, I snack on nuts...whatever tastes good.

Just remember that it is a slow process and it takes work and planning. I hope this helps some. Good luck.

Kimby

John23

Weighty thoughts


I went from 170 (overweight by 45lbs) to 114 during my
4+ week hospitalization.

"Ensure Plus" was the fastest remedy. I got an appetite back,
and put weight on quick.

John

ADKer

John23 said:

Weighty thoughts


I went from 170 (overweight by 45lbs) to 114 during my
4+ week hospitalization.

"Ensure Plus" was the fastest remedy. I got an appetite back,
and put weight on quick.

John

Eat treats
After liver surgery, my surgeon specifically told me to eat everything that I might want - if I wanted ice cream, to go ahead and have it. I underestood that high caloric intake would help the liver regrow. Protein is probably best but any calories are good. Does he have favorites? Things he does not eat as much as he might want to because of and effort to eat healthy?

Nana2

ADKer said:

Eat treats
After liver surgery, my surgeon specifically told me to eat everything that I might want - if I wanted ice cream, to go ahead and have it. I underestood that high caloric intake would help the liver regrow. Protein is probably best but any calories are good. Does he have favorites? Things he does not eat as much as he might want to because of and effort to eat healthy?

Yes, he has favorites like
Yes, he has favorites like Reeces peanut butter cups which I got for him, and hamburgers and fries...anything he might have a taste for. He just ate a bowl of Raman noodle soup. My husband has never been a fan of eating healthy:) I'm the one who worries about that stuff. He always tells me about how his mother cooked with lard and smoked and did just fine. We are doing a couple of shakes per day with protein powder too.

Nana2

kimby said:

Weight Loss
I've had a terrible problem with weight loss and fatigue for several months. It takes a while to feel better and build up strength because losing that fast, he's lost some muscle mass, too.

I eat every time I think I can manage, even if it's only a bite or two. Kevin (my husband) keeps deli meat, deli chicken salad, etc on hand for me. On days when I mostly sleep I have someone wake me every couple of hours to eat. I eat as much protein as I can get. When I'm hungry for soup I add a can of beans, I eat cheese on everything, I snack on nuts...whatever tastes good.

Just remember that it is a slow process and it takes work and planning. I hope this helps some. Good luck.

Kimby

I will try the deli meat and
I will try the deli meat and chicken salad. I think he'd like that. Thank you so much for responding Kimby, it helps. I was just assuring someone else the other day that the fatigue was normal...now I need someone reminding me! :-) We'll try and be patient like you said.

greybeard64

For what its worth, I myself
For what its worth, I myself just couldnt get past the "wang" of ensure. Carnation instant breakfast has all the same goodies in the ingredients plus some, and the taste suited me better also you can use whole milk? It took me a few months to start putting the weight back on, at one point my Doc told me, "Here is what I want you to do, Ice Cream, and the good kind( meaning no low fat stuff) and take fish oil pills with it" another words start packing on the calories (fat) and the fish oil I believe was to help the heart out during this onslaught of lets face it some really yummy stuff. I liked the "perscription so much i sent and e-mail out to my family telling them what I was "ordered" to eat, lol. I was making shakes out of whole ice cream, carnation instant breakfast, and sometimes I even ground up a candy bar (he likes reeces peanut butter cups?)in there. kind of a DQ blizzard on steroids ! As others have said be patient, boy dont ya get tired of hearing that phrase, but its true. He will get there.
hope this finds ya smilin
chris

coloCan

greybeard64 said:

For what its worth, I myself
For what its worth, I myself just couldnt get past the "wang" of ensure. Carnation instant breakfast has all the same goodies in the ingredients plus some, and the taste suited me better also you can use whole milk? It took me a few months to start putting the weight back on, at one point my Doc told me, "Here is what I want you to do, Ice Cream, and the good kind( meaning no low fat stuff) and take fish oil pills with it" another words start packing on the calories (fat) and the fish oil I believe was to help the heart out during this onslaught of lets face it some really yummy stuff. I liked the "perscription so much i sent and e-mail out to my family telling them what I was "ordered" to eat, lol. I was making shakes out of whole ice cream, carnation instant breakfast, and sometimes I even ground up a candy bar (he likes reeces peanut butter cups?)in there. kind of a DQ blizzard on steroids ! As others have said be patient, boy dont ya get tired of hearing that phrase, but its true. He will get there.
hope this finds ya smilin
chris

I went from 178 lbs of muscle to 130 of skin and bones.....
Now, 8 months out of surgery,one month out of chemo, I'm up to 168 and working (slowly/lightly)out again. Used the "Plus" version for the 100 extra calories (350/60 vs 250 for regular, all 8 ounces)of Boost, Ensure or CVS brand, at times up to 5-6 cans a day til appetite improved and consumed calorie-heavy foods I was able to eat (during chemo I was actually trying to count calories so as not to lose anymore weight by keeping at 2,000-2,200 cal/day and I'd force myself to eat/drink)Once appetite improved I started eating healthier.Later, once told I can do so, i started exercising again to convert flab back to muscle and get some strength back.

Your situation is different than mine yet so immense at times was my own pain that I thought I'd never be as I am today yet here I am (in another two 1/2 hours surgeon will be removing defective port). The pain will gradually subside tho never quickly enough. Weight loss can be rectified once Jim starts feeling better as his appetite improves/increases.(I'm sure you've talked to your docs about pain killers, appetite perkers-Marisol. pot, etc) Healing takes time but it will take place and before you know it, he'll be running around with you trying to keep up....Hope all goes well from here out......steve

maglets

coloCan said:

I went from 178 lbs of muscle to 130 of skin and bones.....
Now, 8 months out of surgery,one month out of chemo, I'm up to 168 and working (slowly/lightly)out again. Used the "Plus" version for the 100 extra calories (350/60 vs 250 for regular, all 8 ounces)of Boost, Ensure or CVS brand, at times up to 5-6 cans a day til appetite improved and consumed calorie-heavy foods I was able to eat (during chemo I was actually trying to count calories so as not to lose anymore weight by keeping at 2,000-2,200 cal/day and I'd force myself to eat/drink)Once appetite improved I started eating healthier.Later, once told I can do so, i started exercising again to convert flab back to muscle and get some strength back.

Your situation is different than mine yet so immense at times was my own pain that I thought I'd never be as I am today yet here I am (in another two 1/2 hours surgeon will be removing defective port). The pain will gradually subside tho never quickly enough. Weight loss can be rectified once Jim starts feeling better as his appetite improves/increases.(I'm sure you've talked to your docs about pain killers, appetite perkers-Marisol. pot, etc) Healing takes time but it will take place and before you know it, he'll be running around with you trying to keep up....Hope all goes well from here out......steve

weight
Hi Nana....I think your hubby is not unusual. The liver surgery is not easy...I too went from 140 to 114 and was still losing when my husband demanded a dietitian. she wanted no empty calories like coffee or tea with sugar. She also suggest boost but I really disliked it. she stressed protein for healing so we did a lot of scrambled and boiled eggs, a bit of toast. Lots of tiny meals often. A mild cheese, nuts and sometimes a good comfort food like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, vegetable lasagna. Keep switching the fluids so they stay attractive, various juices, fresh strawberry season is here....put a strawberry in cranberry juice mixed with sparkling water.
My daughter came home and nursed for two weeks....she set up several beds,,,,even unfolded the couch in the living room and made it up and a couch on on a porch. Basically hon I would just wander from bed to bed....Jess would tidy up the bed and put a fresh drink beside me.

blather....sorry....the point I am trying to make is that it is not an easy recovery...long but it does come. My back hurt....I think so many muscles in your front get cut....that it's initially hard to hold the body up. Walking helps....tiny tiny walks at first.

good luck....hope this helps even a bit....it will come...it really will

mags

KathiM

'comfort foods'....
My fav was always scalloped potatoes. I would always keep a bowl of them in the fridge, for the moment when I would be hungry, I would just spoon a little into a small bowl and nuke it.

Eating anytime he feels even remotely like it. I also loved fried rice with everything in it...again, fast to my tummy when I felt like eating. I lost 65 pounds during my 'fun time' with treatment...

English muffins. Dripping with margarine...mmmmmm...

Hugs, Kathi

lisa42

glutathione
You've been given some good diet advice for Jim so far, so I really don't have much to add on the food aspect, but I'd also add some L-glutathione powder to what you're giving him. It builds up muscle and before I had my liver resection, my surgeon told me to take this before and after. So, worth a try.
I never lost weight myself, I actually gained a good 15 lbs following surgery- most was probably water weight. I did take the glutathione for a couple of weeks before surgery and for about a month following surgery. They say when people lose weight quickly like that, it's muscle they're losing, not fat. Give the glutathione to help bulk Jim's muscles back up, in addition to giving him all the other foods and supplements.

Best wishes & keep letting us know how he's doing.

Hugs,
Lisa

Nana2

You guys are all so
You guys are all so wonderful and every bit of advise and encouragement helps. I will read each one of these to Jim tonight. He has been really down about being so tired and getting so thin so I think the info here will perk him up. We have alot to be thankful for and I know we need to be more patient. So many of you have been on this journey for such a long time.
Thanks for all the tips on food and drinks. (I think he'll especially like the crazy shake with the reeces candy in it Chris.)
I'll be watchin' all of you...and will keep you posted on Jim's progress.
April

luv3jay

The thing about a liver
The thing about a liver resection is that they bruise the stomach during the procedure. This causes the loss of appetite and that lasts for a few months. After my liver resection I lost about 35lbs. I've since found many of them.

zenmonk

diet
I would wonder how his mental state is. I know there have been times for me when I got low and I really did not feel like eating at all. Nana gave some real good advice. I uses scandi shakes. The ensure seemed to block me up a bit. The scandi shakes are good tasting and have lots of calories. There were times when I could only tolerate one or two items. I lived on peanut butter toast for about 3 weeks coz it was the only thing appealing to me. this whole experience has done wierd things to my diet. He maybe only liking one thing right now, you just have to find out what it is.

pluckey

I must be in the minority
I must be in the minority because I haven't lost my appetite at all. My weight has been stable since my resection 2 months ago. Being back on chemo, my tastebuds and sense of taste are going back to ick, but I do eat. I also remember someone else posting that after her liver resection she was ravenous..Sue Barnum I think. Perhaps Jim's appetite loss is related to something else rather than the surgery itself.? My 40-lb weight lsoss last year was due to the initial disease, dehydration,chemo side effects and ileostomy.

Nonetheless, you got a lot of advice and tips here...FREQUENT calorie-busting small bites throughout the day is probably the way to go so that he doesn't get "used" to not eating and to keep all his machinery in motion. I lived on Carnation Essentials/whole milk for many months, sometimes that's all I had all day, but I tolerated it and it had calories and coated my stomach well.

Good luck April and Jim....I know this is soo frustrating, but remember, he just got out of the hospital and is only a couple weeks from surgery and that infection. It's OK to be so tired, he's been through alot. He shuldn't feel guilty about sleeping and resting...I know it's so hard to not feel like you did "something" all day...darn that work ethic!

Jim's "something" is to eat, pray,sleep!!!!!! ((hugss)) Peggy

Crow71

Hey April - Although our
Hey April - Although our surgeries were different, Jim and I are in the same situation. I lost 30 lbs. since surgery in April. I had a feeding tube in for a few weeks, and that was aweful. I got down to 142. Happily I've turned a corner in the last few days. I'm back up to 145. It feels good to finally be headed in the right direction. Tell Jim to hang in there. We'll be better soon.
Roger

Lovekitties

What I did
I have never been able to deal with some of the drinks suggested by others. My grocery carries a health drink called Boost...I use the strawberry flavor and it is easy to take the flavor...with others they seemed to have a metalic taste for me.

I also found that small portions of anything frequently were easier to manage than 3 meals a day. As others have suggested...favorites are often the key.

I also found some meds made foods taste or smell undesirable. If that is a problem, ask your doc if there are alternatives...I had to change pain meds for that reason.

Good luck with tempting hubby to getting the calories and regaining strength.

Marie