New Diagnosis

I have found that keeping a food diary really helps. 

Each of us react differently to chemo meds, so looking at your food diary can give you great insight into what triggers nausea, diarhea, bloating and the like. 

The usual 'good foods' like fruits (especially berries), vegetables are great for your health, unless they cause problems for the bowel. It all depends on what surgery he has had, if he has a bag, and what chemo regime he is on - thus, the food diary. 

When the appetite wanes, as it usually does, then drinks like Ensure and Boost - protien drinks, to keep energy up. Always pass this by his Oncologist first though.  

Also, dehydration can be a huge problem, so lots of water or, if it gets bad, electrolytes. 

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. He has a good daughter, and your support will mean the world to him.

Tru

chistyr1 said:

Thanks for the tips!

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the tips reading a lot of the discussion posts of what you all are going through is helping me get some insight on what he will be going throug. We do not have a history of cancer in the family so none of us have seen it up close.He has 3 daughters and a son that are fighting for him! He’s only 55 so all of us are very young.

Thanks,

Rafia

If you have more questions while he is going through tests or treatments, please come back and ask.  We are always here to help.

Kim

SandiaBuddy said:

Chemo

As he is starting chemo, it would make great sense to read some of the postings about side-effects and ways to deal with them.  Things like having anti-nausea meds on hand and other tips really helped me.  These are things that the doctors often neglect to mention but that are disussed widely on this forum.  Sorry you have to be dealing with this.

I followed the BRAT diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast. I struggled with being sick and anything I ate didn't stay. These items were easier to eat, especially the toast, and I had more luck keeping them down. Sounds strange, but I relied on sweet tart candy. The sourness helped distract me and settle my stomach. 

SophDan2 said:

I went throuh Folfox 5FU

I went through Folfox last June through November. Your father will, due to the Oxaliplatin (most intense drug of the Folfox regimen), have extreme sensitivity to cold, neuropathy in fingers and toes, nausea, when eating everything will have a metallic taste to it and exhaustion.

This how I dealt with each of these issues:

Sensitivity to cold: Drink and eat room temperature or hot food and liquids. Keep gloves handy (in the car, on top of the fridge). He is very lucky (as was I) that he is receiving his treatments during the warmer months.

Neuropathy: Communicate with Oncologist about how long the neuropathy lasts from treatment to treatment, do not let it get to the point where it lasts from one treatment to the next. I had 12 treatments over 6 months; I cut back the Oxaliplatin for treatments 10 and 11 and eliminated it for #12. This is the most important thing to be aware of and communicate with the Oncologist what your father's wishes are; he does have a say in this matter!!!!!

Metallic tasting food and drink: Cook very healthy looking and colorful meals and eat (if possible) 3 healthy meals a day. He won't be able to taste the food (or at least as you think it would taste / metallic tasting). It is so important to eat during the treatment, as that is what will allow your body to rejuvenate the healthy cells that the chemo will kill (red, white, platelets etc...). The chemo has a 72 hour life span, the 1st drop in lasts 72 hours and last drop in last 72 hours, so for approximately 5 to 6 day the chemo is raging in your body, when it wears off, you want your body in a position to fight back.

I would investigate marijuana edibles; I used them during my treatment for 5 of the 12. It helped me deal with the nausea, it gave me an appetite and I slept like a baby. No side effects like the anti-nausea drugs that are prescribed. Worth it, if it is legal where you live (or not .

I hope that this info helps! 

I agree. I take Nabilone which is a drug that contains the compounds that are beneficial from the cannabis. I started on oils but they taste yucky and aren't covered by our insurance plan. The pills are. I have been able to eliminate my pain pills, anti-nausea pills, and sleeping pills since I started on them. I was feeling better within two days and have continued to feel much better ever since. I've never smoked pot and didn't actually believe it would work so the fact that it made such a difference so quickly is very impressive to me.

I'd been taking anti-nausea pills that were $5 each, our portion. They didn't touch the nausea.

Jan