weight loss is it as bad as they are telling me

Hondo

Greend said:

Weight loss
You are right...I lost the total weight of some people. I remember when I would go in to weigh I was looking at the positive side as the weight fell off. Always told the Dr "well I needed to lose weight". Said that up until I went below 170 and then I got concerned. They never mentioned a tube and I probably would not have taken it. After treatment was over my Onco told me that had I not been overweight they never would have put me through the treatment they did. I saw this with others who had a more prolonged treatment or just chemo followed by rads. They knocked my a$$ in the dirt but here I am 15 years later and enjoying my puny tube.

Hi Green

Sounds like we were both big boys at one time in life, now I have to watch if the wind is blowing to hard my wife will call me inside so it don’t blow me away……

Hondo

akbear49

Weight
I guess I was pretty fortunate - I only lost around 18 pounds during my 8 weeks of treatment. I started at 217 pounds

Like you've read already, everyone is different.

My Oncologist was dead set against a PEG meanwhile my ENT and radiation doc told me that I'd probably need it and I had decided I would get a PEG once my weight dropped under 202 pounds. I dropped under 202 in week 7. Never got the PEG.

I gargled faithfully with baking soda, salt and warm water - that really helped protect my mouth / throat and my docs say that salt kills bacteria.

My weight dropped quite a bit after each round of chemo. Be ready for diarhea after chemo - not very fun stuff but if you're prepared for it you will be able to get thru it better than I did.

My throat never got to the point where I couldn't swallow but it wasn't fun towards the end of treatment and like others I drank a cocktail of throat / mouth deadening meds that made things easier.

My diet was and still is Ensure and protein fortified Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks. There were days when I just couldn't drink anything and just the thought of drinking anything made me nauseous but my Food Nazi wife made me. Deb was always on my case to drink my meals - she really deserves a lot of credit, especially for putting up with my whinning. I started taking my anti nausea pills before I felt nauseous and that seemed to work for me.

My radiation doc says I'm her new poster boy for radiation treatments

Best of luck
Ed

Greend

Hondo said:

Hi Green

Sounds like we were both big boys at one time in life, now I have to watch if the wind is blowing to hard my wife will call me inside so it don’t blow me away……

Hondo

strong winds
Never dreamt I would find a diet that beat Jenny Craig but I don't recommend it.

RayTodd

Greend said:

strong winds
Never dreamt I would find a diet that beat Jenny Craig but I don't recommend it.

Jenny Craig
chuckle chuckle

jeepman

osmotar said:

As my onco told me today,
As my onco told me today, once my treatment starts, and I will get some level of sick, not to try to be brave and tough it out , I need to ask for help, and talk to them, it may mean add'l nausea IV meds, IV's to give me nutrition , and even a PEG.

Linda

Linda,
Your onco gave you
Linda,

Your onco gave you great advice. Take the PEG if/when needed.

Mike

Jason1111

I cannot speak for everyone,
I cannot speak for everyone, as every body is different. What I can tell you is that my father lost 33 pounds when it was all said and done, and he had not weighed 170 pounds since he was a Sophomore in High School. he has a very high metabolism though, not everyone is like this. Today is the first day that he doesn't have radiation or chemo, and his ability to swallow cannot come soon enough. I hope you dont lose too much weight!
Hand in there and get twice the nourishment you need.
Jason

sportsman

Weight
Weight loss does seem to be variable between different individuals. I personally went into treatment at a muscular one hundred and ninety four pounds. After seven weeks of treatment I came out at one hundred forty four pounds, a fifty pound loss. PEG was inserted after second week of treatment and remained in for about five months. Now going on five years post treatment I only weigh one hundred sixty one pounds. My maximum weight did once reach about 170 lbs but I have eventually leveled off at 161 lbs.. I am however quite active physically which probably keeps me from gaining plus my caloric intake is practically the same every day. I would like to regain my lost muscle mass that I built up over a thirty year period working out but at age sixty three I have about given up on this. Also eating is not enjoyable any more due to no saliva and severe swallowing problems. I now eat just to survive rather than for enjoyment. Again do not get down on what you read on here as everyone is different coming out of this treatment.