APPETITE

My shrunk...
I was the exact same way. Could eat only small quantities, then be hungry again in a couple of hours. But...it does gets better. I now eat good portions at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I still eat some quality snackage between meals. I'm enjoying food much much more.

I didn't have a peg, but drank Ensure/Boost for a couple of months...

I'm 11 months post treatment and have gained back 15 of the 35 pounds I lost. I'm very comfortable at my current weight and really have no desire to gain more weight, but get back into better shape. Hopefully you will feel as I do now...

Kimba1505 said:

Mark gets hungry...
...and he eats. Got right back in the game soon after treatment. Had the PEG pulled a month after treatment ended. Looks very healthy again. Can't see his hip bones.
Best to you Mike, I too believe it will return.
Kim

I am finally back to being
I am finally back to being starving all the time like I used to be. (kind of annoying, since I'm trying to cut calories a little) It took about 20 months to feel that way. When I first started to eat I could only eat a couple if tablespoons if food and I was full. That's if I even got hungry in the first place. I still don't eat as much as I used to way back when, but I do get hungry and I eat well. Enough that I have gained weight, so I suppose my appetite is ok.

adventurebob said:

Appetite
Hey Mike,

I got my appetite back but I eat so slow now and have to use so much water to get everything down I just can't get as much in before it all hits my stomach. My weight has been stable but adding any is just not happening now. It seems like my body uses every calorie for healing instead of weight gain no matter how many calories I put in. I sure do miss my old clothes. We ought to start a clothing swap on here. I'm getting tired of buying new pants.

Bob

Yes
" It seems like my body uses every calorie for healing instead of weight gain no matter how many calories I put in."

That is exactly the way I felt. I was getting in 2400 cals for a long time and I was like 90 lbs. When I got to 100 (finally, it took well over a year, I think) I went to about 2000. Now I am averaging about 1600-1800.

Although my calorie consumption is down, I am eating way more food because I have been able to add more fruits and vegetables and whole grains into my diet to replace the ice cream, tons of milk, cream, butter, olive oil.... Etc

It feels like it has taken forever to be able to move to more healthy foods. You can only eat what your mouth can tolerate and what you can swallow.

Dang a clothing swap would have been a great idea. I'm almost back in my old clothes though.

GraceLibby said:

Right there with ya
I'm about 5 months out of treatment, eating pretty normal food, but my appetite just isn't there. I mean, I get hungry, but after about 5 or 6 bites the hunger sensation goes away and I'm eating for calories again. Not that I'm complaining, I ate too much to begin with. My relationship with food has definitely changed since all this happened.

Calories
Hey Mike,

I don't know if you remember when I did all of my whineing about how many calories I had to get in to maintain/gain weight. Went from 210# to 150# after treatment. When I was trying to put weight back on I measured all my calories (as accurately as I could). To gain weight I had to do 3500> calories/day. To maintain I had to do 3200 calories/day. I was eating non-stop. That was thru about 9 months. For some reason when I hit about 9-10 months out I could slow down on my eating. I'm about 172# right now and to keep it at that level I normally do about 2500 calories/day. So I really think during the healing process some of us need an extra amount of calories to assist with the healing.

So, at least for me, that got somewhat better with time (11 months post treatment).

Greg

Hondo said:

Hi Mike

I am still losing weight and for some reason, just can’t keep it on, a friend in Oregon told me about trying medical Marijuana there are no side affects and it works great. I am not sure where you live but may want to try and see if it is lawful in your state. I found out it is not lawful in Louisiana. It is a pill so you don’t smoke it

All the best
Hondo

Hondo & Mike
I tried Marinol, the marijuana pill and 10 mgs got me higher than a 1970's rock concert. I had to stop taking it after just one tablet because I couldn't stand the euphoria all the time. I'd start with a 5mg pill and work up from there if you want to try it. I'm just eating on cue when the clock hits a certain time, I eat or drink some calories. I can easily take in 2500 calories with shakes, food, gravy on meats and potatoes, etc.
I'm hoping to try the Megace mentioned above also....
All the best,
STeve

hawk711 said:

Hondo & Mike
I tried Marinol, the marijuana pill and 10 mgs got me higher than a 1970's rock concert. I had to stop taking it after just one tablet because I couldn't stand the euphoria all the time. I'd start with a 5mg pill and work up from there if you want to try it. I'm just eating on cue when the clock hits a certain time, I eat or drink some calories. I can easily take in 2500 calories with shakes, food, gravy on meats and potatoes, etc.
I'm hoping to try the Megace mentioned above also....
All the best,
STeve

Too Much Euphoria???
I understand what you're saying Steve, but your statement "...I couldn't stand the euphoria all the time" gave me a bit of a chuckle.

luv4lacrosse said:

NOT LEGAL IN MISSOURI
It is not legal in Missouri, and I would be worried about any type of pill form of it as I am subject to numerous drug testing with allot of the Industrial Facilities my company works in.

I supplement with shakes, but that gets old. When I am hungry, I can eat 6-10 bites of food and then I feel full.

I wish I received a dollar for everytime I heard the phrase "it just takes time." Man I am tired of that.

Mike

It just takes some time...
Yeah, I wish I had a dollar everytime heard that too. It was like nails on a chalk board. Honestly I didn't believe it was true for at least a year. Especially when I still couldn't eat and I was like a year out. As much as I hated hearing that- It just takes time- hating it doesn't make it any less true.

hawk711 said:

Hondo & Mike
I tried Marinol, the marijuana pill and 10 mgs got me higher than a 1970's rock concert. I had to stop taking it after just one tablet because I couldn't stand the euphoria all the time. I'd start with a 5mg pill and work up from there if you want to try it. I'm just eating on cue when the clock hits a certain time, I eat or drink some calories. I can easily take in 2500 calories with shakes, food, gravy on meats and potatoes, etc.
I'm hoping to try the Megace mentioned above also....
All the best,
STeve

Hi Steve
Thanks for the info on the Medical Mj I never tried it was just going by what a friend told me, found out yesterday that it is not legal here in Louisiana anyway. Funny I can get Oxycotton with no problem and the doctors will prescribe for me as much as I want so I can stay higher than a kite, but something with a bad name and that might work is not lawful. I guess I will be a skinny sack of bones the rest of my life

Thanks again
Hondo