Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma
Comments
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hey doc1955bobdoc1955bob said:my daughter's fight with MEC
Dear Elizabeth,
Nice to get acquinted with you, who had gone thro' the surgery and Radiotherapy for Mucoepidermoid of Palate. I was inspired by your attitude and I hope you will guide me and my daughter. My 20yr old daughter daignosed with MEC of minor salivary glands of hard palate. Surgically removed Oct 2009. But doctors didnt advise radio or chemo. I dont know whether to just keep watching or go for radiothrapy as you were treated.
I am sorry to hear that your daughter was diagnosed with MEC, but I am happy to hear that she has had it surgically removed. It i important to know if her tumor was low grade or not. if it was low grade, then surgery with clear margins is all most people ever need to be cancer-free. I had adjuvant radiation therapy because post surgery mine was determined to be partially intermediate grade. I chose to have the radiation therapy to help bring my chances back to up where they would have been if it had stayed low grade. was your daughter's low grade? if it was and if they got clean margins than I would imagine that most doctors would not suggest radiation. The plan for my treatment before the intermediate was found was to just have surgery. chemo is not recommended unless the tumor was high grade...MEC's grow too slowly when they are intermediate or low grade for chemo to be very effective. Nicole (nkimber) has intermediate MEC and she has undergone chemo, and they are looking into a trial chemo option for her. she didn't have surgery first due to the location of her tumor.
the decision to have radiation was an easy one for me...I wanted to fight with everything I could throw at it right now. I have found out I am not a very patient person when it comes to my health. I was given the option to watch and wait, but I wanted to be through with treatment while my kids were still too young to remember very much of it. radiation is tough. you have to be fully mentally prepared for it. there are sores that will develop, skin will get red and very dry. there will be pain...different levels for each person. there is also the risk of hair loss. I had IMRT so my side effects were not the same as those with standard radiation. plus, because they were mostly focused on my palate and my jaw I didn't end up with as severe dry throat. it still gets very dry and I am almost 2 months out, but otherwise other than random fatigue I am doing better than even I could have hoped at this point!
oh, and how far into the palate did your daughter's tumor grow? and how big was it?
I have to go...gotta get some rest while the kids are either at school, children's day out, or with their grandma...one kid to each place this morning!
wishing you the best of luck! you can always get your daughter's records and send them to another doctor for a second or third opinion...that is what I would do! stay strong and until you hear otherwise (I pray you do not)...just believe that she is cancer-free! the surgery removed it...it is gone from her body. That is what I have to believe every day...otherwise the worry will suffocate you. I hope your daughter will find us here too! I would love to hear from her! She is truly blessed to have a loving father like you!
HUGE HUGS!
write back if you have any more questions!
elizabeth0 -
Protein yes but not all Protiens are alikeekdennie said:my dr's opinion is not quite the same
scambuster and everyone-
I talked at length with both of my doctor's about nutrition. they both agree with you as far as eating fresh fruits and veggies as close to a natural state as possible, but they both said to make sure that each meal I eat is at least 1/4 protein. my ENT suggested eggs for when the eating was rough, but he also said to eat beef when I was able to, although he did say to try to avoid processed foods. my radiation oncologist also suggested 1/4 protein per meal...more if I could manage it. protein helps our body heal and she recommended milk as a good source of protein while I am healing. whole milk mixed with extra protein powders, such as scandishake or carnation instant breakfast.
both of my doctors recommend eating a wide variety of foods when I am able to, including meat. This type of cancer has no known cause, it can occur in anyone, even young children and a bad diet did not lead to it. eating healthy is always a great option, but I do not believe that becoming vegetarian is the answer for everyone, I am glad that you feel it is the right choice for you and that you want to pass the word on, but my doctors both disagreed when I asked them. we have been very focused on my diet and what I will be eating as the weeks go by, but they don't feel I need to go so far as to cut meat out of my diet.
best of luck to everyone!
elizabeth
Elizabeth,
I thought you may find this exerpt from 'The China Study' interesting and also why I think we need to be cautious with animal Protein and recommnedations of high protein intake. This is not the only source of this information, I read about this many years ago but being a 'Steak man', was in no mind to change my habits back then. That has all changed now of course.
Your Doctors stating you need protein is correct, I disagree with the A. the quantity as 25% is shown to be excessive and B. the type of protein does make a difference.
This short extract below, explains the difference in the results shown from consumption of the two different groups of protein (Animal & Plant based). Why the medical profession continue to ignore this is a bit like them accepting that smoking was not harmful for so many years. If you look at the old medical journals from the 50's & 60's, they are full of tobacco advertisements and even having doctors and the AMA endorse certain brands of cigarettes. Remember "More Doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette!" (Search Google images to find old AJM ads and please follow this link and wacth the old video >> http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/20334.aspx ).
As we know, not everybody dies from lung cancer if they smoke, but if we do smoke, the numbers immediately start to work against us. Doctors now admit this and advocate not to smoke. This was not always the case. They used to maybe say "cut down your smoking".
The same applies with diet. Now we hear, "Cut down your meats a little"..The findings below are documented, were tested, retested and found to be 100% accurate. I don't know what more proof people require to sit up and take notice.
The early chapter covered how a diet of 20% Cassein (Milk Protein) in Rats with aflatoxin induced tumors radically progressed the growth of the tumors. Those on 5% had the reverese effect. I have more of the relevant chapter pasted in on my Blog.
From Page 59 - THE CHINA STUDY
NOT ALL PROTEINS ARE ALIKE
If you have followed the story so far, you have seen how provocative these findings are. Controlling cancer through nutrition was, and still is, a radical idea. But as if this weren't enough, one more issue would yield explosive information: did it make any difference what type of protein was used in these experiments? For all of these experiments, we were using casein, which makes up 87% of cow's milk protein. So the next logical question was whether plant protein, tested in the same way, has the same effect on cancer promotion as casein. The answer is an astonishing "NO." In these experiments, plant protein did not promote cancer growth, even at the higher levels of intake. An undergraduate pre-medical student doing an honors degree with me, David Schulsinger, did the study (Chart 3.842). Gluten, the protein of wheat, did not produce the same result as casein, even when fed at the same 20% level.
PAGE 60
We also examined whether soy protein had the same effect as casein on foci development. Rats fed 20% soy protein diets did not form early foci, just like the 20% wheat protein diets. Suddenly protein, milk protein in this case, wasn't looking so good. We had discovered that low protein intake reduces cancer initiation and works in multiple synchronous ways.
As if that weren't enough, we were finding that high protein intake, in excess of the amount needed for growth, promotes cancer after initiation. Like flipping a light switch on and off, we could control cancer promotion merely by changing levels of protein, regardless of initial carcinogen exposure. But the cancer-promoting factor in this case was cow's milk protein. It was difficult enough for my colleagues to accept the idea that protein might help cancer grow, but cow's milk protein? Was I crazy?
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
For those readers who want to know somewhat more, I've included a few questions in AppendiX A.
THE GRAND FINALE
Thus far we had relied on experiments where we measured only the early indicators of tumor development, the early cancer-like foci. Now, it was time to do the big study, the one where we would measure complete tumor formation. We organized a very large study of several hundred rats and examined tumor formation over their lifetimes using several different approaches.
PAGE 61
The effects of 'protein feeding' on tumor development were nothing less than spectacular. Rats generally live for about two years, thus the study was 100 weeks in length. All animals that were administered aflatoxin and fed the regular 20% levels of casein either were dead or near death from liver tumors at 100 weeks. All animals administered the same level of aflatoxin but fed the low 5% protein diet were alive, active and thrifty, with sleek hair coats at 100 weeks. This was a virtual 100 to 0 score, something almost never seen in research and almost identical to the original research in India (The Indian study is what instigated Dr. Campbells interest and subsequent research, becauase it was actually against what he was then doing, which was developing high protein foods and introducing high protein diets to developing country through a US Aid program).
In this same experiment, we switched the diets of some rats at either forty or sixty weeks, to again investigate the reversibility of cancer promotion. Animals switched from a high-protein to a low-protein diet had significantly less tumor growth (35% to 40% less!) than animals fed a high-protein diet. Animals switched from a low-protein diet to a high-protein diet halfway through their lifetime started growing tumors again. These findings on full-blown tumors confirmed our earlier findings using foci. Namely, nutritional manipulation can turn cancer "on" and "off."
We also measured early foci in these "lifetime" studies to see if their response to dietary protein was similar to that for tumor response. The correspondence between foci growth and tumor growth could not have been greater (Chart 3. 9a). How much more did we need to find out? I would never have dreamed that our results up to this point would be so incredibly consistent, biologically plausible and statistically significant. We had fully confirmed the original work from India and had done it in exceptional depth.
Let there be no doubt: cow's milk protein is an exceptionally potent cancer promoter in rats dosed with aflatoxin. The fact that this promotion effect occurs at dietary protein levels 5%-20%) commonly used both in rodents and humans makes it especially tantalizing-and provocative.
END OF EXERPT
The book can be downloaded.
PS Here is a link to an interesting Video showing an old ad on Doctors smoking Camel. Unbelievable as it is, it wasn't all that long ago.
http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/20334.aspx0 -
Olá
poderia me ajudar? Meu esposo está passando pelo tratamento de mucoepidermoide intermediário e gostaria de ter notícia sobre como é lidar com o tratamento, se existe cura
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La Red de Sobrevivientes del Cáncer de la Sociedad Americana Contra el Cáncer es una comunidad en el Internet, creada por sobrevivientes del cáncer y sus familias con el propósito de conectar con otros, compartir experiencias, y ofrecer apoyo mutuo. Desgraciadamente, la información en la red solo está disponible en inglés.
Ken
CSN Support Team
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Hi,
I have just finished radiation treatment #8 and am starting to feel it. I was wondering if you lost your hair with treatment. It’s such a vain thing to be so scared of, but I am! I’ve always had long thick hair. I know I should not focus on this one thing, and trust me, I’m not. I’m a roller coaster of emotions as I guess we all experience. This is hard, but I will never ever give up!!
Thank you,
Garland
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I had IMRT radiation with the majority of the beams coming through the right side of my head behind my right ear. I 100% understand how you are feeling about losing hair. I also felt very vain. I did in fact lose a little hair behind my ear and down to my neck. It was about a 1" x 6" section. I hated it and refused to wear a ponytail. The hair that grew back was thicker and slightly curly for a couple years. It is now a little darker than the rest of my hair, but no one can tell I ever lost any hair. When it was about 4" long, I cut my hair short to help it be less obvious to me...but I hated that haircut and regret that I ever cut my hair. My hair is now always long.
My emotions were all over the place through my treatments, especially after the halfway point of radiation. Make yourself eat and drink water, even if you have to use magic mouthwash between every sip. It hurts so much, but it is possible. If it stops being possible, get the peg tube. I didn't have one, but my doctor said I am the only patient she ever had who didn't need it. I am just too stubborn to stop eating and drinking. ;)
I am 13, almost 14 years out from my diagnosis and treatments. I still get emotional. Make sure you are getting enough fluoride to protect your teeth. I did not get enough. If your dentist/Dr say you don't need it, you do.
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Thank you so much 🥹 this IS HARD. It feels so lonely even with loved ones right beside you. I love this forum as it helps my sanity actually talking to people who have gone through it. Did you swallow the magic mouthwash? It’s my lower throat that hurts so bad when I swallow. I’m determined to continue to eat, if only soup, and drink throughout this. I just don’t want a feeding tube. I had one put in my nose after my surgery and was able to pass the swallow test for it to come out before I left the hospital. I hated it so much! My Dr isn’t confident I will make it through without one, but I’m hard headed too lol Yay you for not needing yet another procedure. I will definitely work on drinking a lot of fluids. My radiation is aimed at the front of my neck where they found 1 out of 22 lymph nodes that had cancer. I’m convinced this is the devil!! It’s just awful. Thankfully we have God on our side and is with us all the time. That’s how I get through the treatments when I lie on the table and hear the “thunk thunk thunk thunk” of the face/throat mask being snapped to the table, I repeat over and over “God is with me” throughout the procedure. I’m so very happy for you! You beat the beast!! Thank you for your advice and listening.
May God continue to bless you.
Garland
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Garland you may lose some hair. I lost all my hair but I had a bunch of chemotherapy also. I know women are more affected by this because their hair is usually long and special to them. The Bible Talks about it so it must be important. The Bible says..."But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. Keep in mind this is all temporary. This is just to get you to be cancer-free. When treatment is over your hair grows back and most things return to normal or hopefully close to it. You may end up with some long term effects. So remember it's temporary and losing some hair temporarily is a small price to pay for saving your life. Below are a couple of links about effects of radiation of head and neck and ways to deal with it...
Take Care, God Bless
Russ
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Russ,
Thank you so much for understanding. I have already gained an ugly scar above my right side lip from the surgery. They had to remove 7 teeth, my entire gum bed, partial top palette of my mouth and had to cut out most of the inside of my gum on that side. It’s left a crater like effect. Losing my hair just might tip me to the edge. But you are correct it’s TEMPORARY. I’ve got to say this to myself. When the pain gets so bad I’m hoping my oncologist can give me pain meds. Did you receive them and did they help? What a group of us who have been through so much! I always feel bad having pity for myself when I know others are going through much harder situations. It really takes your mind all over the place doesn’t it? God is with us. And that gets me through 🙏🏻
Have a wonderful day and I continue to pray for you.
Garland
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I don't think you can swallow the magic mouthwash, but you can ask your doctor if there is anything to help numb the area, but still allow you to swallow. I did a lot of talking with my doctor to find things that would help things be easier. They had me drink skandishakes for super high calories when I was struggling to eat and she gave me to many idea to try. I liked trying new things to see if they helped.
This page saved me so often during my treatments. This was the only place I felt like someone understood what I was going through. I hated the sad face I would get from friends and family. They tried not to have one, but it was always there. I had young kiddos during my treatments and they didn't give me sad eyes, so I loved when I had enough energy to be with them.
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Well, dear Garland, my heart goes out to you, my goodness the operation you had was a major one and you lost teeth and a lot of structure there that you have to adapt and get used to. You may also have an obturator although you don’t say. What you went through is traumatic in itself and huge considering like the rest of us you were living life along and not thinking about cancer whatsoever just your day to day stuff, and suddenly cancer barges its way into your life with some dramatic and major changes. It is in each person's perception of the weight this cancer experience has on them and one measure can’t be used for everyone because each person and case is different but we all have one thing in common we are fighting an intruder in our life, in our body and it is a life-altering experience because it is a heavy load and life is in the balance. Suddenly we are tossed into appointments, tests, biopsies, operations, chemo, radiation, and a whole host of emotions with it, it makes your head spin. Garland there are a couple of ladies in my local cancer support group at Barshinger Cancer Center who have had major surgery in the upper palette and elsewhere in the mouth so I have direct contact with ladies just like you, and let me tell you these ladies maintain such a positive attitude and are so happy and I don’t know how they do it, but I am sure they had some dark days just like we all have because life can be difficult and then cancer comes along. But bright days follow, and you are doing good and just keep trusting in God and he will pull you through all of this. So don’t let a little hair loss bother you, your inner beauty will fill the gap till your hair comes back, and look what you have been through so far and you are still standing strong battling this beast and you will make it, you will be victorious. And don’t feel troubled over pitying yourself, it is another emotion we go through during this time and unfortunately, we are in a time and experience when we need some pity and people will give it freely even though we hate to admit we are in a condition to receive it you are not really pitying yourself you are just feeling bad and feeling bad and sometimes others will pity us and that's OK because it is in the human spirit given by God that we feel compassion and pity for others in a troubled condition and we hate to see them in these situations and just want to help and support them and get them through their time of trouble. I apologize to go on like this but I am just trying to offer support and you are at a point in your experience with cancer that brings memories and emotions back to me in my times of trouble. I just get the feeling somehow you are at such a time as this. But I could be way off base here.
I have been at this a while and have had cancer 3 times and in my travels, I have found many who humbled and amazed me because of what they went through and how positive they are no matter what and they are truly an inspiration to me. When I feel down I sometimes revisit some of these and say if these people can do it so can I, so can you, so can anyone. It may be tough, really tough but I can do it I can make it, I can survive and thrive. Below I am going to put some links to a video or two and links to stories somewhat like yours and I hope they bring you and others on here inspiration, I know they are a great blessing and inspiration to me.
I would also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge, celebrate, and thank the many men and women on this support site who have taught me, helped me, inspired me, conveyed their knowledge to me, made me cry, made me laugh and were always there for me in the best and worst times.
Also, a comment on feeding tubes, don’t fear the tube, it is a lifesaver and friend when needed. The tube you had was in the nose and I had one of those for a bit one time and no wonder you hated it. I think the nose tubes are used many times for situations that are to be considered of short duration but I would not want one again if I could help it I opt for the G-tube. The feeding tube most of us get is in our belly commonly called a G-Tube and if it comes to a point of you needing one again get one like that and remember once again it is a temporary thing that we endure, when you can eat again it is easily removed.
Again links below to videos and articles of people that inspire me with their stories and accomplishments and I’ll let you go with this, I always try my best to keep in my mind “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I hope these Survivor and Surthriver Stories help you and many others as they did for me.
Wishing You the Best
Take care, God Bless
Russ
It’s OK to lean on others.
Jeannie Hopper
Survivor
Calgary artist Drea Parker shares her story of being a cancer survivor
Watch this video and put your hair loss at ease...‘Just never give up’: message from a cancer survivor
Kelly Mireles’
While life isn’t exactly the same, Ronnie Queenan prefers to acknowledge that he’s still alive five years after undergoing surgery and radiation to remove a tumor from his jaw.
“Just have an attitude of gratitude,” he says.
Mark’s Story
Mark was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 26. He went through multiple rounds of chemo. Mark shares his story of regaining mental and physical health after treatment, as well as the importance of building and using support systems.
Oral cancer survivor: personalized maxillofacial prosthodontist treatment helped me...Patricia Lines
And last but not least Kate Brown was just 32 years old, recently married and beginning a new job, when she learned that a spot on her tongue was stage 3 tongue cancer.
My best wishes to everyone.
May God keep and protect you all
Take care, God Bless
Russ
NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)
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Hi Russ,
Thank you for all of the inspiration and normalizing my feelings in such a terrible, and yes so unexpected intrusion of life. I do have an Obturator. After surgery it was screwed into the top of my mouth and 3 weeks later they unscrewed it, boy was I happy that day! It took time getting used to the Obturator but it’s just normal now. It helps push my sunken in area a little, but I still notice it. I think I notice it more than others because it’s my face. Just the new normal like they said in the videos you sent. They all have such positive attitudes it’s quite encouraging!! All that matters is I’m here to spend more wonderful times with my family! I have a 24 year old daughter, a 19 year old with autism and an 11 year old. I am blessed. 🙏🏻 You were right on point with how I was feeling. It’s truly a roller coaster of emotions that leave you exhausted mentally and physically. Back to treatments tomorrow. #9 and yes I’m counting them down. When do you think it was the worst? I’ve heard the weeks after treatment stops can be the hardest. I’m mostly on protein shakes and pudding textures because anything else hurts. I’m trying to drink enough but just swallowing liquid hurts. This too shall pass 🙏🏻
Thank you for listening, again.
God is with us.
NEGU!!! NEGU!!!
God bless you kind soul 🙏🏻
Garland
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So, as you get more treatments the effects will be stronger.
I would say the last week or two will be the worst during treatment.
Once you finish treatment, and it is an odd way to put it but the phrase on here is that you are "still cookin", the radiation possibly has not peaked yet and that lasts for up to roughly 2 weeks after treatment is finished. So after treatment is finished it will probably be 4-8 weeks post-treatment that you notice you are starting to feel just a little bit better and sometimes each day but it is small and this process is slow but it is sure.
So once again keep in mind this is a long slow process and recovery is measured in weeks and months not days and weeks.
So depending on the person figuring in age health how active you are, the treatments you had such as rads or rads and chemo, etc. it can take 8 months to a year or more to feel like you have fully recovered. I am talking about feeling like you are fully recovered. Post-treatment you will be improving all along and be getting better constantly but it is a slow pace. Think of a bad cold or let's say the flu it may be 2-4 weeks till you feel better. Just think of your cancer process like this only slower and stretched out over months.
That's some info for ya, hope it helps.
And I have something else for you now that you are mostly doing protein shakes I am going to post some recipes below for weight gain I have saved over the years and it is in a bunch of other places on the forum. You will have to pick and choose what you can use out of it.
Take Care, God Bless
Russ
Windmill Welcome
To the forum glad to have you. I too ended having a small nodule on my lung and liver but they are just being watched for now and I believe unless they start growing nothing will be done. My sister had one for years they were watching and it finally started increasing in size and I believe they used a cyberknife on it and it is gone. I would imagine your case is similar with a watch and see approach.
The 2 times I had substantial treatment for cancer I had a feeding tube and both times when it was finished it took a while to gain the weight back. I think now I am pushing to be a bit overweight but I found through my experience it is good to have a little reserve. To gain weight, for now, don't worry about any certain food, I recommend eating food that has a substantial amount of calories and or fat also. Like bacon and eggs, or sausage and eggs and or pancakes, waffles, etc. with lots of butter and syrup. Cheeses are good to add also such as cheese topping on a bowl of chili. Also after my last bout out of the hospital, I had lost a good bit of weight also and had a bit of trouble putting it back on so I purchased Boost VHC (Very High Calorie) and was drinking one in the morning with breakfast including trying to eat at least 3 meals a day of some size. This boost is 530 calories per 8 ounces serving and you can drink more than one a day till your weight picks up. This is a quick easy drink to pack in 530 calories. Usually, the Boost VHC is mostly available online unless you can find it locally mostly regular boost is in the stores. Here is a link showing the product made by Nestle https://www.nestlenutritionstore.com/boost-very-high-calorie.html I bought it by the case on eBay but you can buy it online in many places like Walmart online etc.
Also eat a bunch of snacks like candy, cupcakes, peanut butter crackers, etc. you can fit one in anytime your sittin around. Also, nuts like peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc. have a lot of calories and are even good for ya.
Also here is a weight gain recipe that 2 ladies shared that I found a long time ago related to cancer and gaining weight afterward--
Deb,
So sorry I’ve taken so long to get that receipe for your dad! I checked with our nurses and here it is:
1 box (3.4oz) of instant pudding
3/4 cup half & half cream
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of carnation evaporated milk (use canned not powdered etc.)
Mix together in a bowl then mix with a mixer for one minute until it begins to thicken. This receipe makes 4 servings. We use it to help individual’s we serve who are under weight to assist in gaining weight. As you can see…it is very rich and full of calories etc. Let us know how your dad is doing!
Karen
These Recipes and Tips Are From Debbiel0 on CSN H&N Section
And here is another communication shared recently with me by a lady on this forum concerning weight gain after cancer treatment and I am sure she would be glad if I would share it--
- Coffee cream ( 18%) 1 cup 480 calories
- Coconut milk 1/3 cup 150 calories
- Greek style yogurt 1 cup 270 cal
- 2 tbsp Ground Flax seed 100 cal
- 3 tbsp Hemp Hearts 170 cal
- 1 tsp nut butter 100 cal
- 1 tsp honey 100 cal
- banana 80 cal.
I would mix all of the above into a shake for my husband. It makes about 3 - 3 1/2 cups and 1300 calories.. he would sip on it all day. Then we would make him soft eggs or oatmeal to top off the calories for the day. Jello or pudding and ice cream are also another easy foods to slide down.
Using coffee cream when making soups, or sauces, cooking oatmeal in it, using it for puddings. Is an easy way to boost calorie intake. The Hemp Hearts and ground Flax can be expensive. If you have access to Costco, they are reasonably priced there. ( at least in canada that is the way it is)
Use honey as much as you can in tea or coffee, or just in warm water.
I think the best advice I got from our nutritionist was to think outside the box and add cream or greek yogurt to what ever you can think of. Throw in a couple of tbsps of flax or hemp seeds to soups, your boost, hot cereal cooked in heavy cream. Mashed potatoes with heavy cream and lots of gooey gravy is always good too.
Hope some of these ideas help. Another well balanced change from boost is Soylent. I cant remember the calorie count, but it is a very good meal replacement.
I know I am kind of rambling... but hope some of these ideas help, or at least give you a variety. It is hard to get excited for a meal that is same as the last one!
Split pea soup and baked beans with honey are great for calories..
The flaxseed and hemo hearts dont change the taste all that much..just a way to sneak another 100 calories in. I had never ventured into that type of food either. My daughter in law is super healthy, and introduced me ( young ones, ya know!)
Almond butter or cashew butter is just another alternative to peanut butter. Change up the taste a bit.
I have a long list if food allergies, no dairy, no cheese, no chocolate, so finding calories was really tough for me. Example, geek yogurt can be up to 270 cal, my non dairy yogurt is 60 calories. So, when my husband was going thru his treatment it was actually fun for me to keep finding new things to make for him. Cheese is another good source of calories, melt it and add it to soup, potatoes.
Take care Russ. Maybe sit down and try to enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream!
Also Here Are A Few More Postings For Weight Gain From The Forum
ByeByeCancer says:
Benecalorie
I wanted to comment on what I used for my husband when he was going through all of this (6 years ago). He had a tough time swallowing food but he, like your husband, wanted to try and keep eating on his own. So, I found a product called Benecalorie on Amazon. It is a 1.5 oz container of liquid that has 330 calories and 7 grams of protein. I would buy the 24-pack and add them to his smoothies, Boost drinks, and there was a time or two when he just drank the benecalorie by itself in one swallow. "Easy" calories in one gulp.
Here is a link to the Benecalorie on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3PC75Y6
~Sandra
Flyinhigh says:
High calorie
I use a powdered mix from GNC called 1340. If you followed their mixing instructions and used 4 large scoops with water and you supposedly get 1340 calories. I mix it half or third strength with 12 oz. of milk and figure I get 500-600 calories, plus a lot of protein. You can try this and if you don't like it or can't tolerate it GNC will take it back and refund your money. It comes in vanilla, chocolate or strawberry(my favorite).
Grandmax4 says:
calorie
I used a drink called Scandishake, bought it through Amazon. It's really good, can't remember the calorie and protein, I made it with crushed ice and milk in a blender, delicious
Drivingdaisy says:
Drinks
Only drank Orgain, organic and small amount of natural sugar. Decided no more chemicals in My body. I just poured it in My feeding tube. I still drink it but the plant based. Became lactose intolerant. Good stuff. I'm more of a naturalists but to each their own. Going on 4 yrs NED, so did something right.
Suzj says:
if you want to mix it up..
If you get the urge to mix it up, go with a high Protein Boost, mixed with a carnation instant breakfast, and a few scoops of Ice Cream - that'll up your calories
Here's my radiologist's recipe. You can change the flavors by finding a substitute for peanut butter, using a different fruit, or a flavored yogurt. These are mixed by my better half in a Vitamix machine.
1 cup ice cream
1 cup greek (or any full-fat) yogurt
Pack of Carnation instant breakfast
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 banana
Milk to thin to the right consistency
In Closing:
I too and most folks on here had trouble swallowing and getting some foods down but it will come just be patient but for now eat what goes down easiest with a high calorie count. You may have to add liquid as you eat whatever you prefer. Try donuts and coffee. Eat in small bites and be patient. With my 2 cancers and 2 radiations to this day, I am thankful I can still eat but it is just a slower process. but in your case, it will probably come back completely. get with your speech therapist and do your swallowing exercises. I assume you have had contact with a speech therapist on this journey because most of us have it is standard procedure in this Head & Neck cancer game. if not contact your doc and get one assigned to you.
Lastly I highly recommend that you Do Not have your PEG removed until you can have a stable weight or have some slight gain in weight going on but it is your choice. I know after my first cancer they would not remove my PEG tube until I could maintain a stable weight for 2 weeks.
Be patient and Eat, Eat, Eat.
I hope some of this rambling helps you in some way-Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ
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