Diet

GregP
GregP Member Posts: 22
in Kidney Cancer #1

Question.....after surgery were you given a specific diet or list of stuff to avoid?

Comments

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    #2
    Take home info.

    I found the information I was given on discharge. It is just a sheet of A4 paper printed on both sides in a largish font. Most of it is related to the recovery, but there is a 'Lifestyle' section. 

    Following is the sum total of 'lifestyle' advice I was given, quoted verbatim. (note that I don't fully agree with the weight loss strategy.)

    Steve.

     

    Lifestyle

    Even though one kidney functions as well as two, you may be advised to take some precautions to protect the remaining one. These may be:

    - Cut down on alcohol intake

    - Stop smoking

    - Reduce your weight (cut down on foods high in fats, salts and sugars)

    - Increase your fluid intake 2-3 litres / day

    - Regular check ups including monitoring of blood pressure and tests testing your kidney function

  • Deanie0916
    Deanie0916 Member Posts: 626 Member
    #3
    Hi GregP

    I was told to eat a low sodium diet and cut back on meat proteins. No red meat, but chicken or fish 2 - 3 times a week. And drinking lots of water. That's what was recommended to me.

  • GregP
    GregP Member Posts: 22
    #4
    Thanks guys.....just

    Thanks guys.....just wondering cause I couldn't seem to find any definitive info anywhere

  • DAC677
    DAC677 Member Posts: 59
    #5
    Diet

    After going through a couple Oncologists here in my hometown I finally got an appointment with a specialist at IUPUI and those guys are incredible. The things he shared about new studies and updated survivability percentages was great. however one of the things he shared is that among the top two to three thigns they have made advances on in the last few years is the relation of stress and diet to cancer growth. Obviously there is a lot more to it and more factors than i could remember and type here. But i will say that some of the top specialists in RCC research seem to be on the diet bandwagon. I figure its one of thos things I can do to help tip the figures in my way a point or two.

    He did say that the most recent research puts the high chance reccurance window at about three years for my type of cancer (RCC, 11CM, Grade 3C). He said that some of the new numbers put the reccurance at about 50% during that window but he felt with early detective that survivability was up around 80%. He said that each 90 days that i pass a scan I can shave 2-3% off that 50% number (he didnt like talking in percentages but i pushed for it). After 12 clean scans the recurrance percenatage would drop to around 10-12%. A good diet can move the needle a percentage point or two in my favor. He said there are certain foods and diet that cancer seems to thrive on.

  • Steve.Adam
    Steve.Adam Member Posts: 463 Member
    #6
    Which foods?

    Hi DAC,

    Did he say which foods helped or hindered cancer?

    Steve.

  • DAC677
    DAC677 Member Posts: 59
    #7
    Steve.Adam said:

    Which foods?

    Hi DAC,

    Did he say which foods helped or hindered cancer?

    Steve.

    Food

    I hestitate to answer because honestly my wife was with me writing everything down and shes been planning my meals. i know he was particularly interested in cutting down or out my red meat. he said that cancer seems to thrive when we are overweight or under stree and have a low alkalinity. He was also pushing fruits and vegetables.

    i know there are some cancer diets out there but i have to believe that either on the IUPUI website or if you call them they would freely share their dietary advice or documentation.

    I was extremely impressed with those guys. although it wasnt RCC thats where lance Armstrong chose to be treated and they had a concierge for people coming to the center from Europe and other places.

    http://iuhealth.org/simon-cancer-center/kidney-cancer/

     

     

  • JerzyGrrl
    JerzyGrrl Member Posts: 760 Member
    #8
    Nobody on my care team...

    Nobody on my care team has told me to make major changes to my diet. Of course, the fact that I was already a vegetarian meant nobody's going to tell me to cut out red meat or just say no to this year's deep fried bacon-wrapped batter-dipped twinkie when I go to the the county fair. 

    Eating a whole foods (= nothing processed, therefore not even adding plant oils when cooking), plant based diet seems to show that there's less chance of getting cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.  For some, it has been shown to reverse the effects of heart disease and diabetes. However, I'm not sure what effect that diet has after the cancer has already made its appearance.  Is it like shutting the barn door after the horse has gone? Maybe, maybe not.  I find that I'm calmer on it, and calm is always good. So that's how I eat. 

    There are a lot of things that are stressors in our lives.  I get a little impatient with folks who say "If you're stressed, you're more likely to get / have [fill in name of dis-ease here].  It's more about how our immune systems react to various types of stresses, what's the combination at any given time that creates "too much" stress, and how we take care of ourselves.  If diet can help it, great. For some folks, pizza and beer -- AT LEAST once in a while -- is a healing elixer. 

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