Help with nutrition to get rid of the G tube

williamohara

I am finished with my radiation treatments and still have my G tube for nutrition. It has been 3 weeks since my last treatment and I am slowly getting taste back....just sweet on the tip of the tongue. I have experimented with a few things which didn't end up well.

I have found out that I can eat scrambled eggs, with a side glass of warm water to wash it down due to the Xerostonia and oral mucostitis. I also found that I can tolerate oatmeal, watered down.

My question is does anyone know what else I am able to eat without wreaking havoc inside of my mouth.

Peace to all!

Remington25

I was fortunate that I was able to start eating soft foods about 3-4 weeks after treatment ended. I had terrible sores in my mouth and on my tongue for 3 weeks and when then subsided I switched from VHC Boost drinks to different soups and scrambled eggs. Here is a list of things you could try: Cream of potato soup, egg salad (I sort of whipped it up to get a smoother consistancy), I had over easy eggs and gravy mixed together sometimes, yogurt, etc.. I found that my desire to taste food was strong once my taste buds started to work a little and then it seemed like it only took another month to get back to about 50% and another month to get to 70% of taste (so 3+ months out of treatment). I hope you equal or better success than I had!

wbcgaruss

Hello William and welcome to the H&N forum.

I see you are 3 weeks past treatment and are slowly getting back your taste and I would guess your eating abilities. The keyword here is slowly. The recovery process from all this is in fact a slow process and is measured in weeks and months but be patient you will get there. As long as you are making progress, and it seems you are, be very satisfied with that. I think the trick is to do just what you did experiment with different foods and see what works for you at a given time. Eggs are known to be able to be eaten by folks after going through this and it works for you. Also, any kind of noodles and sauce help things slide down. Spaghetti, lasagna, or any kind of noodle in the sauce of your choice. And if the tomato sauce is too spicy for you pick up the mildest one you can get and try that. Also the non-tomato creamy Alfredo sauce on noodles or whatever you decide to put it on. And also butter always works on many things like noodles either thrown in the hot noodles to melt or browned up in a pan to add more flavor, either way, butter is a great taste enhancer and lubricator for our throats in the H&N community. I have found baked potatoes with lots of butter on them are easy to eat or put sour creme on them and you probably can't eat the skin yet just the inner potato part. Mashed potatoes are a good choice as well as scalloped potatoes possibly. I have also had comments on here that some people liked rice at this time and here again, you can put lots of butter in it which will help gain and maintain weight. A big part of it is whatever you think will work for you and think will go down easy, just make very small amounts of something to try it out. Pies such as pumpkin, custard, peanut butter, cheesecake, etc. all good to eat and put on some weight. Also, I found that chicken pot pie is a good choice with well-cooked noodles and potatoes it goes down rather easily and the dark meat of the chicken usually can be eaten in small pieces. Also along with this I suggest drinking at least one Boost VHC per day or more if you like, they are 530 calories each. I have not found the VHC in stores I always buy it online.

So there are a few ideas all you have to do is use your imagination and experiment. Another thing folks on here have done already is gone to a Smorgasboard in their area and where there are numerous types of food laid out and you can try very small portions of many different things. Anything juicy, saucy, greasy, and buttery will go down well. I am posting a listing of recipe ideas below that I keep handy for weight gain and maybe there is something in there that can help you also. There is a person's little story at the beginning.

Take care, God Bless-Russ

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 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

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

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