Still not eating enough 6 months post last treatment

Tryinghard

My husband had last radiation/chemo in April and an adjuvant chemo in July for nasopharyngeal cancer.  He still is struggling eating. Eats very small amounts maybe twice a day and relying on shakes made of protein, Boost Plus and ice cream twice a day and  plain Boost Plus once a day.  He still has peg in but not using as able to swallow okay.   Recent endoscope showed gastric acid reflux caused irritation inflamation and small ulcers of esophagus so on Omeprazole twice a day for 2 months instead of Ranitidine.  How long does it take before eating regular foods in enough amount to sustain weight ?    He seems to have no desire to eat.  He hasn't been receptive to doing small amounts 6 times a day as counselor and nutritionist suggested.  

CivilMatt

7 months

TH,

 I did not get back to regular eating for 7 months.  The feel and taste of most foods turned me off.  At 7 months it was like a switch got flipped and eating returned to normal.

I had my PEG popped at 2 weeks post and took to drinking smoothies and protein drinks, but I was always trying foods, ALWAYS!  I liked tomatoes and cucumbers with olive oil and of all things corn-on-the-cob tasted great.  So as you see, somethings were good. 

I was never depressed, just happy that the cancer was gone.  I traveled around with an igloo cooler full of drinks as I had to work and goof off some.

When food felt weird, I had no desire to eat either, but you have to keep putting your tongue out there and sample things.

I am now back to new normal, eat most anything and drinking from 2 to 3 glasses of milk, water or sweet tea with every meal.

By the way, the meal which put me back in the  eating game was a turkey sandwich, yum, yum.

Matt

MemphisTn

Different Foods

I noticed right off that foods tasted differently, so, I had to be willing to expand my search for stuff that tasted, well, close to the old normal. Veggies for me were the first things that came across pretty close to pre-treatment. Hopefully, he finds something that can be the staple, and willing to try say, vanilla, when you were once a complete choco-holic. I loved chocolate but, post treatment, it tastes horrbile as do almost all sweets. However, vanilla drinks, veggies, most meats, especially BBQ seemed to come through pretty close. Depending on surgery damage and treatment damage, it can be a long haul, there is nothing quick about the process, keep encouraing and maybe try some things previously thought to be off the menu. God bless!

much Love,

-PC

swopoe

My husband is 9 months post

My husband is 9 months post treatment, and he can eat everything except acidic foods. So no citrus, no tomato based foods, and no salsa....which makes him the saddest because we live in Texas! Also, sweets don't taste good to him, so he has basically given up on his favorite food of all, ice cream. But everything else eventually came back. It really is just one day at a time.  For example, it took him a long time to get back to enjoying coffee, but now he is back to his several cups a day habit. Just keep drinking fluids and keep trying small bites.  He will get there!

Sandraw

I had my last of 33

I had my last of 33 radiations in March, last chemo (Cisplatin,F5u) in June, Peg removed in July. I had stage III NPC with neck node involved. I'm now fearful to eat stuff, afraid it may come back if I eat too much meat, I feel so irrational, but this last month I've just turned into a worry wart. I'd love to drink a coke, I'm afraid of sugar, Im not diabetic and have been in remission since July, hade a scope in Sept NED. Anyone else have these fears?  I'm still mostly surviving on Boost and fruits and veggies. 

 

CivilMatt

Sandraw said:

I had my last of 33

I had my last of 33 radiations in March, last chemo (Cisplatin,F5u) in June, Peg removed in July. I had stage III NPC with neck node involved. I'm now fearful to eat stuff, afraid it may come back if I eat too much meat, I feel so irrational, but this last month I've just turned into a worry wart. I'd love to drink a coke, I'm afraid of sugar, Im not diabetic and have been in remission since July, hade a scope in Sept NED. Anyone else have these fears?  I'm still mostly surviving on Boost and fruits and veggies. 

 

don't worry

Sandraw,

We have (probably) all entertained some thoughts concerning reoccurrence, but as long as things are progressing smoothly it is not beneficial to dwell on the what ifs.  If treatments worked you need to embrace the positive aspects of your “new normal”.  When moving forward starts to reach an impass, maybe a conversation about depression or a physical checkup are in order.  Remember, cancer treatments can kick the heck out of us both mentally and physically.

For me, the last thing I worry about are my occasional food or drink treats.  As long as I am not crazily consuming something with known negative side effects, I enjoy myself.  I did not fight and win the battle of my temporary lost taste buds to succumb to food and drink fear.

If you lived close by, I would be glad to pop in and have a coke with you.

Matt

Sandraw

Thank you

CivilMatt, I live in Oklahoma and have a coke waiting for you here, anytime, my treat. Think I'm going to go to the vending machine now.  

 

 

 

Christmas

Eating

TH:

Yes, everything was hard to swallow.  I felt like a baby learning to eat solids again.  For some reason, I remember KFC mashed potatoes and gravy as one of the first semi-solid food that worked for me.  It was not too gummy and could slide easily down my throat.  It's a slow process of introducing different foods gradually to see what works and what doesn't and then trying again a week or two later.  KFC cole slaw is good also because it's finely chopped and the dressing is not acidic.  Go with very moist foods - very fine noodles or orzo in soup.  When the mouth and throat heals, he will enjoy food again.  I still cannot do spicy foods and cannot eat food without water or something to drink.  (13 year survivor of NPC). 

Christmas

 

 

Kari2007

Me too!

I'm two months post treatment and it's hard for me to get too excited about eating much when taste is still so wonky. For breakfast I eat oatmeal (I put extra cinnamon on as I can taste all sorts of spices) and drink Soylent. Soylent is a great alternative to Boost or Ensure. It's not as sickly sweet and doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it. It's 400 calories per drink and has 20g of protein. I drink a few of those a day and try to eat what I can. I still get anxious, though, that I'll lose more weight or aren't eating enough. It's good to hear I'm not alone in that and that it can take several months for that "switch to flip" as Matt says. My doctors tell me to be more patient with myself and understand that I'm still healing. I have to remind myself of that A LOT. 

Kari