Ensure - PLUS

I have been surviving on 5 a day through a PEG tube for over 6 months now that's my only food. I have 2_3 bottles of water as well. I started to put on weight so my dietition has told me to have 4 one day 5 the next. I read in the paper this morning that obese people are being put on a liquid diet now and lose weight faster than a regular diet. They don't have to count calories.  I'm never hungry. I fancy things but as my throat is completely blocked I have to go without. I craved coffee the other day so had a sweet black strong coffee through my tube with the tube held under my nose so I got the smell, worked fine and 20 minutes later I was on a high and cleaned house all day. I guess because my body was deprived of caffeine I got a buzz from the first coffee for 6 months. I had another this morning and have felt energetic all day. Now when I need a buzz of energy I will have a coffee.its nearly midnight and I'm still wide awake. Hope I can sleep tonight.

Boost VHC....it has 530 calories per 8 oz....course I didn't have to worry about the taste during rads or via the tube (it only comes in vanilla...yuck)....I also thinned it with milk.

p

Ensure 2 Cal is higher calorie than Ensure Plus.

I have lost 8 stone in the last 12 months with all this cancer malarkey. I was 22 stone before, now I am 14 stone - so I am still classed as obese.

I have a BIG problem with too much skin now, and I can only hope it will go away.

They want me to have 6 Ensures a day, but I will not. Anyone who has been obese and has lost their weight would understand - I never want to be 22 stone again.

Here's the American versions of the weights:

22 stone = 308 lbs

14 stone = 196 lbs

Weight loss in 12 months: 112 lbs

So it's a real conflict about how many Ensures to have a day, and what to do with my weight LOL. I think a lot of my weight now is just skin - very embarrassing!

hwt said:

JFlash

I live in Missouri, a six pack of regular Ensure is $8.99 and Ensure Plus $11.99. Haven't ever seen Ensure 2Cal. 

In 2012, when I had a g-tube, I used Walmart brand because I couldn't taste it and cost was less. Now that I am drinking it, I'm willing to spend the extra for taste. Tried Walgreen's brand but that wasn't any good.

Estelle, I always battled my weight and ended up happy to have some extra pounds in 2012 when I went through surgery, rads and chemo, losing 65 pounds. Kept it off 2 years. Recent bout of cellulitus and inability to eat everything that I was eating has taken off another 15 almost 20 pounds. I have to make the daily effort to keep weight on or will be back on g-tube. When I lost 65 pounds, I felt more energetic but now not so much. I'm hoping the lack of energy is from a month of diflucan and heavy antibiotics. I was eating fine then the cellulitus hit. Doctors thought difficulty eating likely from that but now it's been a month. Could be all the rads. Have an appt. in Sept. at Mayo to see what they have to say. I can still do ice cream and soup. 

 

 

OMG Sorry to hear you had cellulitis! One of the most painful things, I reckon (I had it once in a wonky piercing - I'm ashamed to say... will never forget the pain!)

Antibiotics can cause fatigue, and just generally having any sort of infection.

How is your senseof taste? How long is it since your radio and surgery?

Yup, Ensure plus is always what Jim drank. We checked the calories on all thise drinks. He also prefered the chocolate.

Debbie

Estelle_H said:

Ensure 2 Cal is higher

Ensure 2 Cal is higher calorie than Ensure Plus.

I have lost 8 stone in the last 12 months with all this cancer malarkey. I was 22 stone before, now I am 14 stone - so I am still classed as obese.

I have a BIG problem with too much skin now, and I can only hope it will go away.

They want me to have 6 Ensures a day, but I will not. Anyone who has been obese and has lost their weight would understand - I never want to be 22 stone again.

 

Here's the American versions of the weights:

22 stone = 308 lbs

14 stone = 196 lbs

Weight loss in 12 months: 112 lbs

 

So it's a real conflict about how many Ensures to have a day, and what to do with my weight LOL. I think a lot of my weight now is just skin - very embarrassing!

Estelle, I was in the 275 LB. range Dec 2012 and got down to 155 LBS but now I'm back to my fighting weight of 180. Its somewhat easy to maintain as I cant swallow very well so liquids and puree food is my route.Can't have chips, crackers, cheese, candy. All alcohol is off the list as it burns my mouth due to sensitivity from radiation

Sugar in Ensure -v- Risk of Osteoradionecrosis!

This is another thing that worries me with all these horribly sugary Ensures I'm pouring down my gob!

My gums are already receding at a rate of knots since surgery and finishing my radio in March. We are all at an increased risk of osteoradionecrosis - surely all these sugary Ensures are going to speed up tooth decay?!

I've spoken to my Cancer Nurses about this, but it seems there's nothing really can be done. I *have* to get those calories in somehow. I have started using a straw with them, hoping this will keep at least some of the Ensure from sticking to my teef! ;D

LOL - I was just going to say life was never this complicated before cancer, but you know what - I stupidly have spent all my adult life MAKING life unnecessarily complicated. If I had my time again - I definitely wouldn't do that! I reckon we can all identify with this sentiment   xxx peace out xxx

Hondo said:

5g Sugar

The Ensure High Protein Shake I use has only 5grams of sugar in a 14oz bottle. I use it on my oatmeal cookies and sometime just as a extra meal during the day.

Is 5g a lot or not much? I'm not very good with numbers LOL

hwt said:

Estelle

Never lost my sense of taste. Had trouble with hot/cold/spicey. Just got passed that (2 1/2 years) when inability to eat happened.  My surgery was to jaw not tongue 01/2012. First rads/chemo 05/2012, SBRT 08/2013, more chemo 02/2014 then SBRT again 04/2014. Recent cellulitus not terribly painful but my cheek swelled to size of a melon and included a stint in hospital. The cellulitus was yeast based.

Do you get lymphedema in your face/mouth as well?

I do. At the moment it's a bit of a battle, because it's in my mouth and throat too, and that's cocked everything up basically.

Any tips??