Post Treatment Diet & Exercise

Bella_G
Bella_G Member Posts: 30 Member
in Anal Cancer #1
After 3.5 weeks post treatment I am starting to feel pretty good. My wounds are healed and my only complaint is digestion. I lost 20 pounds and have had a low appetite. I am primarily eating bland no-fiber foods. Now I need more calories to get my energy back, but I'm not sure how to reintroduce "normal" foods. The Doctors say to add one new food per week.

Does anyone have a recommendation for what foods to start eating? I tried a tablespoon of Quinoa and went straight into diarrhea mode. I haven't had any veggies except potatoes and butternut squash.

Also, when did you start exercising again? I am still quite tired just doing a few chores so I know I'm not ready yet.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,
Bella

Comments

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #2
    Hi Bella--
    One of my biggest struggles after treatment ended was adjusting my diet. The wrong foods would send my bowels into overdrive. I realized that I was trying to add too many fresh fruits and veggies back into my diet and too quickly. I started trying just a spoonful of something to see how it went (or more accurately, to see how I went!). Eventually, I got to the point where I could easily handle cooked fruits and veggies. Salads remained forbidden for quite some time. For cooked fruits, I always cut up apples, peaches or pears and put them in a glass measuring cup, sprinkled on cinammon and nuked covered with wax paper for about 90 seconds. I always peeled everything, as there was too much fiber in the skins. I love Quinoa, but it is pretty high in fiber. You might want to stick to white rice and white pasta for awhile. Also, I would be cautious with anything acidic, such as tomato based pasta sauce. Now is the time to go Alfredo, especially since you have some weight to gain. You could always try Coucous, as long as it's not the whole wheat variety. If you need the calories, you can make shakes loaded with yogurt, which is good for the gut, or ice cream and add in some dry milk powder. I got pretty tired of the pre-made shakes, such as Boost, since I drank those during treatment. Keep a food journal and track what you eat daily and the results afterwards. It will help you pinpoint trouble foods and good foods. I wish you all the very best--let us know how it goes.
  • Dog Girl
    Dog Girl Member Posts: 100
    #3
    Diet after tx
    I think it is good to eat protein in order to build your strength back. Greek yogurt would be a good way to ease back into it as it has a lot of protein. I personally like the Fage brand and a 5.3 oz container has 13 grams of protein which is 26% of the US RDA. You can add honey or agave to it to sweeten it up and if you want it as a desert, try adding cocoa powder or even sugar free hot chocolate mix to it to make it a treat.

    I still have to be careful with rich foods as I have a touch of IBS and with lessened control, I am just asking for trouble. I just find that if I eat "clean" (no sauces, nothing spicy, etc...) I do better. You may also try taking some citrucil or something like that to bulk up your stools a little bit. Ease into it as you don't want to become constipated.
  • Bella_G
    Bella_G Member Posts: 30 Member
    #4
    mp327 said:

    Hi Bella--
    One of my biggest struggles after treatment ended was adjusting my diet. The wrong foods would send my bowels into overdrive. I realized that I was trying to add too many fresh fruits and veggies back into my diet and too quickly. I started trying just a spoonful of something to see how it went (or more accurately, to see how I went!). Eventually, I got to the point where I could easily handle cooked fruits and veggies. Salads remained forbidden for quite some time. For cooked fruits, I always cut up apples, peaches or pears and put them in a glass measuring cup, sprinkled on cinammon and nuked covered with wax paper for about 90 seconds. I always peeled everything, as there was too much fiber in the skins. I love Quinoa, but it is pretty high in fiber. You might want to stick to white rice and white pasta for awhile. Also, I would be cautious with anything acidic, such as tomato based pasta sauce. Now is the time to go Alfredo, especially since you have some weight to gain. You could always try Coucous, as long as it's not the whole wheat variety. If you need the calories, you can make shakes loaded with yogurt, which is good for the gut, or ice cream and add in some dry milk powder. I got pretty tired of the pre-made shakes, such as Boost, since I drank those during treatment. Keep a food journal and track what you eat daily and the results afterwards. It will help you pinpoint trouble foods and good foods. I wish you all the very best--let us know how it goes.

    Thanks for the food tips
    I like the food journal - especially with my addled memory these days!

    I'll proceed with caution and add more yogurt. I actually miss spinach! Oh well, I will supplement with vitamins for now.

    I even brought my own microwave container of beef and white rice to a party last weekend! I was teased a bit for bringing white rice to a party :)

    Bless you fellow survivors for providing support here!
  • BeaRose
    BeaRose Member Posts: 45
    #5
    Dog Girl said:

    Diet after tx
    I think it is good to eat protein in order to build your strength back. Greek yogurt would be a good way to ease back into it as it has a lot of protein. I personally like the Fage brand and a 5.3 oz container has 13 grams of protein which is 26% of the US RDA. You can add honey or agave to it to sweeten it up and if you want it as a desert, try adding cocoa powder or even sugar free hot chocolate mix to it to make it a treat.

    I still have to be careful with rich foods as I have a touch of IBS and with lessened control, I am just asking for trouble. I just find that if I eat "clean" (no sauces, nothing spicy, etc...) I do better. You may also try taking some citrucil or something like that to bulk up your stools a little bit. Ease into it as you don't want to become constipated.

    diet
    I am 17 month out of tx. I found that initially sweet potatoes and chicken worked well. Now I have for the last couple of months been craving red meat. Steak as rare as possible. I came to realize that we don't have ibs we have really pissed off bowels.

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