This is all new to us
My husband was just diagnosed with Squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. It's advanced and widespread around his larynx. The doctors had to perform surgery on him, they put in a trach, that was 2 weeks ago, Thursday the 5th. He came home on Thursday the 12th. And now the oral surgeon is talking about removing the benign tumors and maybe his rotten teeth. After all that mess he has to do radiation soon, 5 days a week, and Chemotherapy 1 day a week. Our daughters who are almost 16 and 20 and I are worried. We are ALL worried. Our oldest is still learning how to drive, she has her learner's permit. I need to get my learner's permit and license, we both have jobs. Her job is near the house while mine is about an hour away from our home. His family lives up North and I barely have any family members still living. I pray every day and night for strength for my family. He has his fb friends advising on stuff to take when he starts chemo and radiation therapy. It's only the beginning for us.
Comments
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Hello, LadyEM43, and welcome to the CSN H&N discussion forum.
I would also recommend you check out the Superthread at the top of the page there is loads of information in there with links and you will find it helpful.
First off I know you are trying to tell us all about your husband's case and what is going on but try not to encompass too much at once and just take one thing at a time or two as you go into this
OK so he needed emergency surgery to have a trach in for breathing and now they are going to operate to take the tumors out and possibly his teeth.
That sounds like a normal course of action for throat cancer.
I had it but did not get operated on they did it all with chemo and radiation but keep in mind all cases are different.
Teeth are important to be in perfect shape before radiation begins or in some cases pulled because down the road this can have some serious consequences. If his teeth are mostly bad extraction is the best option.
To make it easy I am going to post a fairly long write-up I have compiled on H&N treatment.
It is worth the read though and you can come back with questions then and it will help you be informed on what you may want to ask.
Praying every day and night is good in this situation, it strengthens the whole family and renews hope every day.
Our motto on here is NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)
Wishing You The Best Take Care, God Bless
Russ
My posting is below I hope it helps.
H&N Cancer Sequence Of Treatment
So You Think you Have Cancer or Have Something
Suspect Going On in the Head and Neck Area.
Important:
➔Many have feared that the soreness or unusual feeling in their Head
& neck Area is cancer and assumed they are going to die. Even if
the unusual feeling area is cancer, with modern cancer treatment
this is very unlikely and successful treatment is getting better every
year.
➔The best way to approach this is with an open mind and calmness
and seek the help of a medical professional like an ENT for
instance.
➔Many people have worried themselves sick only to find they have
no cancer, their problem was caused by something else
➔It’s not cancer till they say it’s cancer verified with scans and a
biopsy.
➔This is a step by step process to check, identify, and treat cancer.
➔Whatever your problem is your medical team will get you through
this.
➔Many people are upset, worried, and fearful but the best examples
of the way to handle this has shown to be stay calm and contact a
medical professional such as you family doctor or an ENT and get
in and get evaluated as soon as possible.
➔Cancer is no longer the death sentence it once was but this idea
persists.
➔Also please remember if you have to enter into a cancer treatment
regimen it is not a quick process and in fact usually spans over a
number of weeks. But be patient and do your treatments because
your medical team has put together a treatment regimen tailored to
your cancer and type and location. With advanced treatments we
have today the possibility of success of the eradication of a persons
cancer has a very good success rate.
So Next Step Is To:
See your family doctor, he may try a round or two of antibiotics or send you to an
ENT. (Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor)
Go directlyto an ENT is also and option. ENT’s are all things Head and Neck.
This is very important! Anytime you go to any meetings during this situation
of a possible problem and possible cancer with your Doctor, ENT, Radiation
Doctor, Chemo Doctor, Etc. always take a notebook or note pad and if
possible absolutely take along another person. Two sets of ears are
better than one and you may be given a lot of information.A lot can
be thrown at you, new terms you never heard before and just too much info to
process in your meeting so have a friend along. Also ask if you can audio or video
record your meeting with any doctor you see so you can play it back for anything
you missed.
If the ENT doctor sees or feels something suspicious or unusual.
They may take a biopsy if something is suspicious, visible, on or near the surface.
They will send you for a CT Scan with Contrast.
If cancer or suspected cancer is seen on the CT scan a biopsy will be ordered.
If the biopsy confirms cancer your ENT will order a PET scan. Basically a whole
body scan with a small amount of radioactive dye to see if cancer is anywhere else
in the body.
Cancer must be verified and identified with a biopsy so they know for sure it is
cancer and the type of cancer so they know how to treat it.
If cancer is notseen anywhere else except where first suspected that is the best
news.
It means they are treating cancer in only one area.
Your ENT or Cancer Team Guides the Process of your Treatment
If you are going through an ENT they may guide the process of your treatment. When I had
treatment done my ENT initially found my cancer. He is the one who later took the biopsy. And
it was through his office that appointments were made for CT and PET scans. Through his
office I was set up with appointments to meet with chemotherapy and radiation doctors. In my
case my ENT was my front line guy and through his office everything was coordinated and
looked after. And when my treatments were all done I continued to see him for follow up
appointments to keep watch for problems or recurrences. I was taken excellent care of the
whole time. I had a cancer team coordinated by my ENT.
You May Have Hospital or Cancer Center A Cancer Team
Instead of an ENT you may have been referred to a hospital or cancer center to handle your case. So in
this case everything may be at this one facility to handle all your needs during your treatment. This
would include the same thing, Radiation and Chemotherapy doctors, PET & CT Scans, an ENT to
check you and do scopes to watch over you and anything else your case requires including a Tumor
Board to review your case for treatment.
No matter how your case is dealt with there should be someone coordinating all the various doctors,
scans, tests, and treatments and follow-ups.
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT
A multidisciplinary approach is required for optimal decision making, treatment planning, and post-
treatment response assessment. This should include surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation
oncologists, chemotherapy oncologists as well as dentists, speech/swallowing pathologists, dietitians,
psycho social oncology, prosthodontist , and rehabilitation therapists. Specifically, a multidisciplinary
tumor board affects diagnostic and treatment decisions in a significant number of patients with
newly diagnosed head and neck tumors for the best outcome.
What’s Next?
The next phase now is for your cancer team to look at your scans, biopsy, physical condition, blood
tests possibly and work up a treatment plan for you using all the information on you they have.
Your case may be brought before a tumor board of doctors to discuss your case and share opinions so
you get the best possible treatment and the least side effects.
Your treatment could include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation of some variety or all the above is
possible in some cases.
Dental Care
Get a full dental exam and any teeth that need repaired should be and any that need extracted should be.
You want to go into H&N cancer treatment with your dental condition in perfect condition.
Gain Weight
Gain weight unless you already carry extra weight. Eat everything you like and lots of it.
This is one time you can let go and not worry about calories-enjoy.
Consult with your doctor about your weight.
Feeding Tube?--Port?
Depending on your cancer situation and the treatment plan that is worked up for you your doctors may
want you to--
● Get a feeding tube put in. (Gives your nourishment when you can’t eat-they are a lifesaver)
● Get a Port put in. (Ports are true vein savers)
I highly recommend if your doctors tell you to get either of these or both of them before you start
treatment don’t hesitate to get them you will be glad later you did. The doctors have experience with
past cases and the treatments you are going to get and they know how it affects the human body-trust
them.
Mask?
If radiation is going to be part of your treatment you will be getting a mask made that is custom made
to your head and face.
What is a radiation mask for?
“The purpose of the mask is to “hold your head and neck still and in exactly the right position
during treatment,” To make sure treatments are delivered exactly in the proper area every single time.
Nothing to fear here, they take a nylon mesh from warm water and stretch it over your head and it
conforms to the shape of your head and face. This mask fastens to the table as it will during all your
radiation treatments so your head is held still and in one place and insures your head is in exactly the
same place every time providing extreme accuracy in the delivery of radiation every treatment. After
about 20 minutes they will unfasten your mask and when it dries and sets up will retain the form of
your head and securely and gently hold your head in place for treatment each time. This ensures
treatment is delivered exactly every single time to the cancer area.
Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer
Cancer of the head and neck is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of malignant tumors
that occur in the mouth, lips, throat, nose, sinuses, larynx, and salivary glands. Together, head
and neck cancers account for about 4% of all cancers in the United States.
A diagnosis of head and neck cancer can be overwhelming. Fortunately, effective treatments are
available, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy.
How is head and neck cancer treated?
From my experience and observations these days many doctors, hospitals, or cancer centers try to treat
Head and Neck cancer with Chemotherapy and Radiation if possible. The reason for this is it is less
debilitating and disfiguring and is usually very effective. I have had this type of treatment for throat
cancer. It seems the general rule of thumb as per this treatment regimen is 35 radiation treatments with
chemotherapy in the beginning, middle, and at the end of the radiation treatments. Also at times
depending on the patients particular situation such as tumor size or location they may receive
chemotherapy before this general treatment starts such as extra chemotherapy or possibly in hospital
chemo for 5 days at a time.
Each persons case is different and your doctor will consider all 3 options or more and most likely your
case will go before a tumor board of doctors for discussion and conclusion coming up with the best
treatment plan for you.
Several types of treatment are available for head and neck cancers. The choice of treatment varies
based on the location of the cancer, whether it is localized or has spread to other parts of the body, and
other factors.
Surgery.Surgical removal of the tumor is often used to treat head and neck cancers. It may be used
alone or in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In some cases, nearby lymph nodes
are removed as part of treatment.
Radiation therapy. This therapy, commonly used to treat head and neck cancers, kills cancer cells by
exposing them to radiation. It may be used alone or in combination with surgery. It may also be used
before or after surgery to shrink the tumor or destroy any remaining cancer cells, respectively. For
advanced-stage cancer, radiation therapy is frequently used in combination with surgery and/or
chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy.Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy or damage cancer cells. For head and neck
cancers, it is usually used in combination with surgery, radiation therapy, or both. It may be given
before or after surgery. For advanced-stage cancer, it may be used in combination radiation therapy
(known as chemoradiation).
Targeted therapy. Drugs designed to target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a protein found
on the surface of cells that helps them grow, may be used to treat some head and neck cancers.
Immunotherapy.These drugs stimulate the patient’s immune system to help it better fight cancer.
Reconstructive surgery to restore function of structures damaged by disease or treatment may be
necessary.
In some cases, patients will need to undergo rehabilitation therapy for speech and
swallowing.
Surgery
Surgery itself for cancer treatment of the Head and Neck area is pretty self explanatory. It is basically
one of the choices of treatment and can be used when it is the best treatment for the cancer you have
and the area you have it in. Many times a tumor or cancer area can be removed without affecting
function and surrounding areas such as removing a small spot on the tongue for example or a cancer
growth somewhere else in the H&N area. Sometimes it is a more involved surgery such as a tumor in
the throat area, removal of the thyroid gland, or a radical neck dissection to remove cancerous and
suspect lymph nodes. Each individual case is different and the doctors may have a tumor board of
doctors to present your case to to come up with the best treatment options and decide the best approach
which may be surgery. Your side effects and long term effects from surgery will depend on your
specific case. Below is a link to a web site “Perlmutter Cancer Center” offering examples of the types
of surgery that may be performed.
Side Effects During Treatment With Radiation
What are the side effects of radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy can damage normal, healthy cells near and around your cancer. The damage may
cause side effects. These side effects can be very different for different people. Your side effects may
depend on:
• The dose and type of radiation used
• The site of your head and neck cancer
• The stage of your head and neck cancer
• Your age
Types of side effects
Side effects can appear around 2 weeks after the first radiation treatment or much later and can include:
• Mouth sores (ulcers in your mouth)
• Dry mouth
• Pain or difficulty swallowing
• Changes in taste or smell
• Changes in the sound of your voice
• Jaw stiffness and other problems with your jaw bone
• Changes in your skin
• Feeling tired
Side Effects During Treatment With Chemotherapy
Side effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can affect the healthy cells in the body and cause side effects. Everyone reacts
differently to chemotherapy, and effects will vary according to the drugs you are given. Some people
may have few side effects, while others have many.
Your medical oncologist or nurse will discuss the likely side effects with you, including how these can
be prevented or controlled with medicine.
Common side effects include:
• tiredness and fatigue
• nausea and/or vomiting
• tingling or numbness in fingers and/or toes (peripheral neuropathy)
• changes in appetite and loss of taste
• diarrhea or constipation
• hair loss
• low red blood cell count (anemia)
• hearing loss
• ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• lower levels of white blood cells, which may increase the risk of infection
• mouth sores.
Keep a record of the names and doses of your chemotherapy drugs handy. This will save time if you
become ill and need to go to the hospital emergency department.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy targets specific features of cancer cells to stop the cancer growing and spreading.
Each targeted therapy drug works on a particular feature, and the drug will only be given if the cancer
cells have that feature. For some head and neck cancers, a targeted therapy drug called cetuximab is
occasionally used when people cannot take the standard chemotherapy drug or the cancer is advanced.
What are the possible side effects of targeted therapy?
Targeted therapy drugs have different side effects than standard or traditional chemotherapy.
...
Other side effects
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Mouth sores.
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
• Cough.
• Feeling tired all the time (fatigue)
• Headache.
• Hair loss.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The main type of immunotherapy
in Australia uses drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, which help the immune system to recognize
and attack cancer cells. Nivolumab is a checkpoint inhibitor used to treat some types of advanced head
and neck cancer.
Side Effects of Immunotherapy Head and Neck Cancer
These side effects are common but may not occur in all people or with all types of
immunotherapies.
• Feeling tired (fatigue)
• Diarrhea.
• Fever.
• Shortness of breath.
• Rash and/or blisters, covering less than 10% of the body.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Itching.
Below is one persons story of typical Head and Neck Cancer Treatment involving
radiation and chemotherapy.
It gives you an idea of what people face that go through this.
What you or a loved one may encounter.
Your results may vary, for example some people get diarrhea and or constipation and some don’t.
Some get sores inside their mouth from the chemotherapy called mucositis other not so much.
Consult your care team to deal with any side effects you encounter
One Persons Story of Head & Neck Cancer Treatment
Hello Again
I had 7 weeks of radiation, and three infusions of high-dose cisplatin. (The chemo requires an overnight
hospital stay - except for the last dose, which they fractionated because they were worried about
permanent hearing damage).
On that, yes, I'm still getting tinnitus. It's intermittent and was much worse directly after the chemo -
but it's still there. I don't know if it will go away fully or not, but I hope so. (If not, a small price to pay
to fight the cancer).
I never lost my voice, but when the mucositis was at its worst, talking was sometimes difficult - just
because of the thick mucous accumulating in my mouth and the need to spit .. so I would sometimes
sound like a cartoon supervillain or someone with some kind of speech impediment as I talk/gargled
through a thick layer of yuck.
(And yeah, I used flat mineral water and every other thing the internet suggests, including a concoction
of magic mouthwash - which has viscous lidocaine (for numbing), sucralfate (for a barrier),
antihistamine (to reduce phlegm), and other bits and bobs all mixed up by a compound chemist. You
could google it for a try, as it was OK ... from my research the best mucositis treatments are new patent
medicines available in the USA, and I think maybe just now starting to distribute into Australia ..
google medicines like "Gelclair", which advertise symptomatic (and prophylactic) relief of mucositis.
I couldn't get my hands on any in time to help me.
I stopped eating around weeks 4-5 of treatment, mostly because of the rancid taste dysgeusia.
Everything in my mouth tasted contaminated. (A side effect of the chemo).
It's gone now, and I am able to take everything I need by mouth - but no solids .. just hydration and the
formula that I'd otherwise put into the PEG I can drink by mouth now (so I'll look at getting the PEG
removed in the next couple of weeks).
Yes, I still have a sometimes sore throat. Basically, the radiation damage you suffer over the course of
treatment is .. well it's just a horrible insult to your body. It's worse than a normal wound or injury
because the treatment actively attacks the stem cells (which normally help you heal), so the wounds can
be severe and slow to heal. But my pain is very manageable now .. just 2 panadol today. It was at its
worst the first 2 weeks after treatment.
When you finish the course of radiation - yes, the interior and external radiation damage can be a
problem (who knows, you might get lucky, don't expect the worst). It's great to no longer have to go to
the hospital every day - just be ready for the possibility that you might be debilitated at that point, and
be prepared that you might need 2 solid weeks of pretty much bed rest and just ticking away time
before you start to heal and feel better.
For me, it went something like this, over the span of treatment:
Week 1: First round chemo & 5 rads (felt fine, some nausea from chemo)
Week 2: (5 rads) minor tinnitus onset from chemo, some vomiting, radiation fine
Week 3: (5 rads) tinnitus fading, feeling quite good, no issue with rads some reduction in taste
Week 4: (5 rads, chemo) start to notice mucous problems, no burns yet, more serious nausea and
vomiting from chemo
Week 5: 5 rads) noticeable exterior burns and sore, stretched skin, mucositis more severe, notice rancid
taste to everything in mouth - can no longer eat or drink, become PEG reliant
Week 6: (5 rads) mucositis worsening, always have to carry spit bag, burns need intrasite gel and daily
dressing, relying on panadol / neurofin but pain increasing
Week 7: (5 rads + chemo) mucositis debilitating, need to gag up mucous constantly, accidentally
swallowing any precipitates a need to vomit, exterior neck burns are moderate and need dressings and
intrasite gel, doctor escalates pain management to endone / morphine
Week 8: (first-week post-treatment) awful awful suffering, vomiting, spitting up blood, constipation,
bloating, night cramps in legs, mucositis severe, pain moderate to severe, wounds still require intrasite
and dressing for a few days
Week 9: (second-week post-treatment): exterior burns healing nicely, no longer require dressings, just
moo goo (healing moisturizing cream). Pain lessening, but mucositis still awful, night cramps in legs
Week 10: (third-week post): exterior burns gone, pain better, mucositis still bad, but feels a little bit
better, able to sleep for more than an hour or two at a time thanks to improving mucous, night cramps
gone after taking daily vitamin & zinc
Week 11: (fourth-week post): turned a corner with mucositis, now still have to spit during day and
night, but it's a fraction of what it was. Experimenting with foods but can't viably swallow them due to
gross mucous - but start tentatively to sip drinks .. still mostly PEG reliant
Week 12: (fifth post): mucositis backing off more, can now take most nutrition and hydration via the
mouth and thinking of getting rid of PEG. Pain is manageable, don't require anything more than
panadol. Can't yet eat solid foods, although taste appears to have returned to at least 50% of pre-cancer
levels
So ... that should give a pretty fair idea of how things have been for me .. you might get better (or
worse) luck with side effects, but hopefully, it gives a little perspective. Knowing what to expect has
been really tough, and it's easy to get into this habit of scouring Doctor Google almost daily. I think in
the post-treatment phase the most important thing is to take it easy and not expect too much from
yourself. Your body has been subjected to a major attack, give yourself time to rest and heal, and if you
need help make sure you ask for it.
Oh yeah .. and our kids .. no, they have no idea, just "dad's been a little sick"
Link below to this online forum posting of people discussing treatment side effects.
https://onlinecommunity.cancercouncil.com.au/t5/Treatments-and-side-effects/Your-experience-with-
side-effects-from-head-amp-neck-cancer/td-p/25626/page/2
Rustx
Aug 18, 2024 • 6:26 PM
David Malone Post treatment 4 months symptoms back
Hello David, sorry you are having issues.
What most people don't realize about this treatment and providers and care teams many times do not make clear is the recovery from this treatment is a slow process. It's a sure process but a slow process.
You know when you have a bad cold or mild flu and you recover and it is a week or two maybe three till you feel all better again.
Well, I think we have this ingrained in our brain from past experiences and we figger cancer treatment may be worse but recovery not much different.
This is Brutal Treatment, I repeat This is Brutal Treatment.
Head & neck cancer Recovery is much different and instead of days and weeks, you should expect recovery from H&N treatment to take weeks and months, so much so that some people can require a year or more to get fully recovered.
So you finished treatment on March 19 of this year and then allow another 2 weeks post-treatment because they say we are still cookin so to speak from the radiation, basically, it is still affecting us that long.
So that takes us up to May 2 of this year.
So you are about 4 months and 2 weeks out of treatment and the estimate I usually quote in general is recovery is from at least 4-8 months and could be and usually are more than that.
So I am inclined to agree with your consultants and the other folks on here.
Your recovery is in the early stages yet.
It could be another 4 to 8 months until full recovery and possibly more.
I say more because every case and cancer and treatment area and radiation is different and one is not like another.
On the other hand, you may be feeling pretty good in 2-4 more months who knows?
I had a couple weeks of chemo beforehand to shrink my throat tumor then the regular treatment started with 35 rads and chemo beginning middle and the end.
My different care team folks told me how difficult treatment is and told me how rough it is and to prepare myself for it.
My radiation nurse told me straight out that I might as well figger a year of my life dealing with this and I never forgot that and as it turns out she was right on because it was a year till I felt reasonably normal again.
It was worse than tough it was horrible and it was the toughest thing I ever did in my life up to that point.
Did I mention that this treatment is BRUTAL.
Did I mention that it Shakes You TO Your Core?
It's just going to take time and patience and dealing with what you got as you go along.
If you have a sore throat and have trouble eating ask your team for some magic mouthwash to numb your throat so you can swallow to get food down.
I hope you didn't have your feeding tube removed yet you can just tube feed and not plague yourself trying to eat.
If it is removed try to live on smoothies and anything you can get down to get past this tough period.
If you have a feeding tube do not get it removed until you can maintain your weight for at least 2-3 weeks by mouth.
I have some recipes if you need them.
If you lose too much weight you may need it back in if it has already been removed.
So that's my opinion and story, you need more time yet and also this treatment can alter a lot of things in the body, physical, chemical and otherwise it just takes time and you need to be patient and take each day and enjoy it for the Blessing it truly is.
Wishing You The Very Best
Take Care, God Bless,
(NEGU) Never Ever Give Up
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He will get to the only liquid diet.
Boost/ensure, add carnation instant breakfast, add yogurt, bananas, ice cube, whiz it all up. About 900 cals a glass. Add ice cream, it adds more.
Do not do apple sauce!! It's like lemon juice to a paper cut...
Get Dr to hand over the magic stuff, magic mouthwash, and lidocaine...
Get appts late in the day, it knocks you out.
Questions? Ask, we are here for you
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Yesterday with the oral surgeon. The surgeon removed 8 teeth, two lower and six up top, all frontal teeth.
He also took many biopsies of his lower left jaw and removed the baby tooth that never grew in/ formed from his lower jaw that caused the huge cyst to begin with—something an oral surgeon was supposed to do when he was 18!
Tomorrow is our 24 wedding anniversary, which will be different this year. The Doctors want him to gain more weight because of his height (6'1) he is at 150. They want him close to 200 something, before chemo and radiation, So we bought a 3lb jug of Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition today. Right now he's just resting, eating, and taking his meds and antibiotics.
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Eat! Have everything he's ever wanted and thought "calories" eat, eat, eat. Seriously not kidding :)
Won't be able to, won't want to, and won't be able to, in that order.
But you got this, you know the enemy now, rest, eat, put on weight, then go to eat!
Russ is right, the two weeks or so after rads, is rough. No one told me, I woke hysterical because my hair, skin, and nightshirt were all stuck together.
There is an easy way to get thru it, I'll look up the creams etc for you. One was a cleaner, next was a healing lotion, then non sticky pads, covered by a tubular dressing twice a day. My 25 year old son dressed mine. Color me shocked! I have no scars, no damage after all the care he took.
Best nurses to ask are the ones in radiation. Kathy had my back.
The gunk in my throat? Ugh, but a few weeks, this too shall pass.
People saying sorry sucks - why I didn't tell anyone till after. Just tell the patient how gorgeous they are, every day, we need to hear it :)
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LadyEM43, listen to SuzJ she is right on, eat all he can, hi fat, pile on the butter, anything with hi calories.
I am posting a weight gain list I gathered over the years I hope it helps…
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 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
ByeByeCancersays:
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).
Grandmax4says:
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
Drivingdaisysays:
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
Wishing You The Best
NEGU (Never Ever Give Up)
Take Care, God Bless
0 -
LadyEM43, I can't see that it would hurt anything to drink some beer, and I am assuming you are wondering if it would affect treatments. It won't hurt treatments and it may put on a little weight.
Of course, this all depends on how much he plans on drinking. In a day or a given period. Use common sense and if he gets carried away, pull rank on him and give orders.
Actually, I have found out from smarter men and my own past experiences that you are better off staying away from alcohol altogether.
Your choice, my 2 cents.
Wishing You The Best
Take Care, God Bless
Russ
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