Ideas for food to eat? (

MissBlueEyes4Life
MissBlueEyes4Life Member Posts: 35
edited March 2018 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

So here I am 7 months post treatment and still no taste. Still only pure salt pure sugar and strangely cranberries. (Literally the only thing that tastes normal)  I am honestly losing hope that I will ever get my taste back. It is very depressing. 

Anyhow, I'm about to get my throat dilated for the 2nd time and it should work this time. I need ideas for foods to eat, like normal food. I want to get rid of this tube I have. Right now the only thing I found I can eat is mac and cheese and ice cream. Not exactly healthy. I do have those nutritional drinks but I want to try more solid food as liquid doesn't fill me up as much.

I've tried alot, I can barely stand eating any type of sauce. They all seen spicy to me (ketchup,bbq,tomato) or 'bite' my tongue. Breads are hard because of my dry mouth.  I tried oatmeal, that was just nasty feeling. 

Eggs are ok

Yogurt Is ok

 

Comments

  • Dean54
    Dean54 Member Posts: 160 Member
    #2
    I'm not near as far out as you (4 mo)

    But wonder the same thing, am I ever going to enjoy food again? Besides the nutritional drinks, about the only thing I seem to get down right now are soups and tuna and egg salad with extra mayo to help it slide down and nothing tastes good at all.

    With the reduced saliva it makes it really hard to get most food down and it sure isn't fun having to drink water with almost every bite but I guess that is the price we pay for having this type of cancer.

    I feel for you sorry I couldn't be more help.

  • debbiel0
    debbiel0 Member Posts: 134 Member
    #3
    I have had my tube for 8

    I have had my tube for 8 months now. In the last week or so I have been able to maintain my weight without using the tube, so things are looking up. I also cannot tolerate any sort of sauce.  I eat a lot of very runny mashed potatoes made with lots of butter. I have a lot of allergies, egg and dairy being at the top of the list, so have to be creative.  One thing that works for me is  Cream of Wheat ( oatmeal wont go down) made with soy milk. I add hemp hearts and or chia seeds to add calories. The juice from  thawed frozen strawberries  adds flavour.  I add hemp hearts to everything!    A croissant( on my no list but cheat once in awhile) goes down easier than bread .  I make lots of blender drinks, using the cream of wheat mixture as a base then add yogurt, soy milk and banana. 

    I have lost over 60 lbs, most of which I couldn't afford to lose so my advice from my nutritionist was to get calories any way I can for now and worry about healthy eating later. So, if you can eat mac and cheese and ice cream go for it! 

    MissBlue, you seem to be at the same stage as I am..is your saliva coming back a bit now? Mine seems to be better this week.  

    Dean, you are doing great! Good for you!  

    I dont see much progress day by day, but when I look back on where I was 2 months ago or even two weeks ago, I realize how far I have come.

    Even though I am far from eating a meal, I am happy I am making some progress.

    Good luck! I would love to hear  anyones  "kitchen tricks" ..

     

     

  • MissBlueEyes4Life
    MissBlueEyes4Life Member Posts: 35
    edited March 2018 #4
    debbiel0 said:

    I have had my tube for 8

    I have had my tube for 8 months now. In the last week or so I have been able to maintain my weight without using the tube, so things are looking up. I also cannot tolerate any sort of sauce.  I eat a lot of very runny mashed potatoes made with lots of butter. I have a lot of allergies, egg and dairy being at the top of the list, so have to be creative.  One thing that works for me is  Cream of Wheat ( oatmeal wont go down) made with soy milk. I add hemp hearts and or chia seeds to add calories. The juice from  thawed frozen strawberries  adds flavour.  I add hemp hearts to everything!    A croissant( on my no list but cheat once in awhile) goes down easier than bread .  I make lots of blender drinks, using the cream of wheat mixture as a base then add yogurt, soy milk and banana. 

    I have lost over 60 lbs, most of which I couldn't afford to lose so my advice from my nutritionist was to get calories any way I can for now and worry about healthy eating later. So, if you can eat mac and cheese and ice cream go for it! 

    MissBlue, you seem to be at the same stage as I am..is your saliva coming back a bit now? Mine seems to be better this week.  

    Dean, you are doing great! Good for you!  

    I dont see much progress day by day, but when I look back on where I was 2 months ago or even two weeks ago, I realize how far I have come.

    Even though I am far from eating a meal, I am happy I am making some progress.

    Good luck! I would love to hear  anyones  "kitchen tricks" ..

     

     

    I was told my dry mouth would

    I was told my dry mouth would be permanent. Hoping they are wrong but time will tell. They have me on a drug called cevimeline to stimulate saliva production. Unfortunately it only works like 25% of the time. I would like to be rid of carrying water with me everywhere I go...

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    edited March 2018 #5
    MissBlueEyes4Life said:

    I was told my dry mouth would

    I was told my dry mouth would be permanent. Hoping they are wrong but time will tell. They have me on a drug called cevimeline to stimulate saliva production. Unfortunately it only works like 25% of the time. I would like to be rid of carrying water with me everywhere I go...

    I always carry those ACT

    I always carry those ACT lozenges from Walmart with me. They are made specifically for dry mouth. I buy them in the large 36 count package and go through a box every week. They work really good for me, especially when I'm in situations where I can't keep a bottle of water on me at all times.

  • MikefromWinthrop
    MikefromWinthrop Member Posts: 31
    #6
    ideas

    I am 3.5 months post, 35 rads and chemo. I suggest using something like I have been, Bulk 1340 from GNC. Mixed with milk it is 1700 calories, split it in half, this gives you more room to try different foods. I started with eggs, over easy, the yolks help with lubrication. began eating about 4 weeks post, added sausage and then hash browns, dinner was mac an cheese or mashed potatoes with pot roast, meat falls apart, nice and tender. I stopped using the tube day after treatment, shakes and soft foods allowed me to. Couple weeks later I began eating steak tips, pasta with vodka sauce, drank orange juice 50/50 with water. 

     Biggest help was swallow therapy, after the video swallow session, I had 3 sessions with them. They had me eat a meal each time with no liquid, had to use sour cream, marinara or apple sauce , etc. This gave me the confidence to move on to Big Macs, pizza, and chicken parmisan. I have found I am now eating anything and everything, at first it was difficult, but using the methods swallow therapy taught, i am able to get my food down. Even went out with friends to a resteraunt 2 weeks ago, went well. 

     I don't have an issue with dry mouth unless I am talking for a long period, only the saliva glands in the back of the mouth were damaged, but they work sometimes. As for the lump, it is gone now, just woke up one day and did not feel it anymore. I eat potato chips, nachos, and bread. Bread being the hardest to swallow, but it can be done, just have to remember bite size must be smaller than BC (before cancer)

     Swallow therapy is more important than the doctors after treatment, in my opinion, and personnally, I would avoid Boost and those type drinks, they are mostly fat. 

  • Lisa I.
    Lisa I. Member Posts: 16
    #7
    there IS hope!

    My husband is now 5 months post treatment For Stage 3, SCC P-16+ Cancer. His saliva has somewhat returned. Taste is also slowly returning. He underwent 35 rad, 5 chemo treatments. Had to have Feeding tube, chemo port and oral surgery to remove 2 compromised molars and a wisdom tooth. We were thankful for that Feeding tube! 

    He was dependent on that tube and the nutrition drinks for weeks and didn’t resume actual food for a couple weeks after treatment ended.

    When he was ready, I would make lots of cockpot roasts and chicken, making the meats VERY soft and falling apart. I made lots of gravies, nothing too thick. He would eat lots of mashed potatoes and pasta with creamy sauces As the tomato based was too strong. I also made LOTS of soups with veggies and meats, again, nothing too thick. He ate lots of yogurt! The more fat content, the better! He also enjoyed Grits with lots of butter (he is a southern boy!), juices, flavored waters and thinned milkshakes. Another thing he could tolerate was canned peaches and fruit cocktail in the fruit juice. He preferred the small single serving fruit cups, as that fruit was softer. He progressed to softer, ripened bananas too. Tony lost over 60 lbs, 45 as he went thru the pretreatment procedures, start of treatment and the rest as he progressed thru treatment. We are SLOWLY getting a few pounds on him again.

    He underwent radical neck dissection last Friday to remove what was left of the tumor and the scar tissue that had developed from treatment. This also meant removing a neck muscle and the main nerve running down his head, neck and shoulder. Amazingly enough, he is doing really well and has no food restrictions or difficulty with eating! Thank goodness. This surgery will require further treatment but we will cross that road as we get to that point.

    Miss Blue, I sure hope you can try some of these foods and they will be tolerated well. Know there is hope! It took a looong time for any food to taste as it should. Tony has not regained all taste or saliva back and most likely won’t, the Drs said. BUT he enjoys the smell, the look and the social part of food with family and friends. It has been a VERY difficult year but we are Now hopeful. Bless you and may you find what works for you!

    Lisa I.

  • caregiver wife
    caregiver wife Member Posts: 234
    #8

    I found a great cook book that includes: Easy to chew; Soft diet; and Smooth or Pureed.  It discusses different problems and how to deal with each.  Products to use. Nutritional information. From Smoothies, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert.  I keep showing to husband to inspire him to try more things.

    "Soft Foods For Easier Eating" by Sandra Woodruff, RD and Leah Gilbert-Henderson, PhD

    Crystal

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