sleep and food

melbas
melbas Member Posts: 43
edited March 2014 in Anal Cancer #1
I've already gone from 102 to 89, and just started treatment. I love yogurt, so I'll pick up a bunch tomorrow, My sister is taking me to the grocery after radiation. Now I'm finding it almost impossible to sleep. Can't find a comfortable place to put the fanny pack. It gets easier,,,doesn't it? Melodie

Comments

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #2
    Melodie
    Hi Melodie,

    I hope you were able to get to sleep. Yes, it will get easier, as I remember with the fanny pack its just a matter of figuring out where to put it, so that you may be in a comfortable position to relax and drift off to sleep. After the chemo and radiation start taking their full effect, I know I was tired, and getting to sleep wasn't as much of an issue. I think in the beginning we are so anxious, its hard to relax. I hope you will find foods that will help you maintain your weight and possibly gain some more. It sounds like your a small person to begin with, and you shouldn't lose any more weight. I on the other hand could afford to lose weight. I like the idea of the protein shakes, in addition to whatever else you like to eat, as long as its not on the avoid list, so that you may avoid the diarreha. I hope you have a good day, and are able to rest and eat well.
    Lori
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #3
    Ok I just have to say I
    Ok I just have to say I HATED that pack. I could not sleep well with it....the good news was I only wore it 4 days at a time. It's hard to sleep when you're afraid to move because you think you're going to disconnect the dang thing! Just mark off the days til you get it off :)!
    I'm Italian and LOVE to eat.....but I had such a hard time finding anything that sounded/tasted good. My boyfriend kept bringing me things to try, and I just couldn't stomach most of it. Cream of wheat was great for me.....I still like to eat it, and it reminds me of my boyfriend cooking it for me before he went to work in the morning. He tried so hard! I, oddly enough, LOVED the small little hamburgers at McDonalds. I NEVER eat McD's so that was odd....and tuna fish sandwiches. Other than that.....NOTHING worked for me for quite a while. I felt like I was never going to eat normal again.....but I am!!
    It does pass......and normalcy returns, even though, now, it is hard to imagine.
    Hang in there and try to find things with protein that taste good. Ensure is good if you can find a flavor that works for you. Keep telling yourself, the old phrase....This TOO shall pass!!!!!
  • sissy310
    sissy310 Member Posts: 300
    #4
    SueRelays said:

    Ok I just have to say I
    Ok I just have to say I HATED that pack. I could not sleep well with it....the good news was I only wore it 4 days at a time. It's hard to sleep when you're afraid to move because you think you're going to disconnect the dang thing! Just mark off the days til you get it off :)!
    I'm Italian and LOVE to eat.....but I had such a hard time finding anything that sounded/tasted good. My boyfriend kept bringing me things to try, and I just couldn't stomach most of it. Cream of wheat was great for me.....I still like to eat it, and it reminds me of my boyfriend cooking it for me before he went to work in the morning. He tried so hard! I, oddly enough, LOVED the small little hamburgers at McDonalds. I NEVER eat McD's so that was odd....and tuna fish sandwiches. Other than that.....NOTHING worked for me for quite a while. I felt like I was never going to eat normal again.....but I am!!
    It does pass......and normalcy returns, even though, now, it is hard to imagine.
    Hang in there and try to find things with protein that taste good. Ensure is good if you can find a flavor that works for you. Keep telling yourself, the old phrase....This TOO shall pass!!!!!

    I agree with Sue Relays...it
    I agree with Sue Relays...it took a day or two to get used to the fanny pack - kept swinging around my waist and I was happy it was only four days at a time too. It's a nice relief to get rid of that little 'kangaroo' -- I love that phrase "This Too Shall Pass" - it's just a matter of taking it one day at a time. I'm learning that as well and I'm not too far ahead of you. Ensure is good, I like the chocolate one, but it has to be on the cold side. I found small food snacks all day work better for me. Sometimes I have an urge for something, like yesterday I wanted a swiss/mushroom butter burger. I ate half of it at one point and ate the other half a few hours later. Wasn't sick from it, and it didn't taste great but it wasn't bad either. I am taking ativan and I wonder if that calms my stomach enough to tolerate some of this stuff. Not sure. I will eat as long as I can eat and until my stomach or tastebuds or sense of smell or whatever says I don't think so...then I will try other things. Hang in there. Mariylne
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #5
    SueRelays said:

    Ok I just have to say I
    Ok I just have to say I HATED that pack. I could not sleep well with it....the good news was I only wore it 4 days at a time. It's hard to sleep when you're afraid to move because you think you're going to disconnect the dang thing! Just mark off the days til you get it off :)!
    I'm Italian and LOVE to eat.....but I had such a hard time finding anything that sounded/tasted good. My boyfriend kept bringing me things to try, and I just couldn't stomach most of it. Cream of wheat was great for me.....I still like to eat it, and it reminds me of my boyfriend cooking it for me before he went to work in the morning. He tried so hard! I, oddly enough, LOVED the small little hamburgers at McDonalds. I NEVER eat McD's so that was odd....and tuna fish sandwiches. Other than that.....NOTHING worked for me for quite a while. I felt like I was never going to eat normal again.....but I am!!
    It does pass......and normalcy returns, even though, now, it is hard to imagine.
    Hang in there and try to find things with protein that taste good. Ensure is good if you can find a flavor that works for you. Keep telling yourself, the old phrase....This TOO shall pass!!!!!

    Thumbs up on the cream of

    Thumbs up on the cream of wheat! I ate a lot of that too, only without the usual teaspoon or two of sugar. How I wish my sweet tooth would have stayed permanently on the fritz--but it's back!
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #6
    mp327 said:

    Thumbs up on the cream of

    Thumbs up on the cream of wheat! I ate a lot of that too, only without the usual teaspoon or two of sugar. How I wish my sweet tooth would have stayed permanently on the fritz--but it's back!

    Hey Martha...have you tried
    Hey Martha...have you tried Agave Nectar??? Looks like honey? I LOVE it.....I'm not doing sugar anymore....ever since I read that book by the doctor who ended up with brain cancer? Great book, can't think of the name of it. Anyway, just one of the things I decided to change. The Agave is a great substitute and tastes great on cream of wheat :)
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #7
    SueRelays said:

    Hey Martha...have you tried
    Hey Martha...have you tried Agave Nectar??? Looks like honey? I LOVE it.....I'm not doing sugar anymore....ever since I read that book by the doctor who ended up with brain cancer? Great book, can't think of the name of it. Anyway, just one of the things I decided to change. The Agave is a great substitute and tastes great on cream of wheat :)

    I'll have to try it!
    I've heard that it is very good and lots of chefs are turning to it to sweeten things. Where do you buy the stuff? Next to the honey? I eat honey on my oatmeal every morning, but will have to try this stuff when I find it. Thanks Sue!
  • lemonade
    lemonade Member Posts: 63
    #8
    mp327 said:

    I'll have to try it!
    I've heard that it is very good and lots of chefs are turning to it to sweeten things. Where do you buy the stuff? Next to the honey? I eat honey on my oatmeal every morning, but will have to try this stuff when I find it. Thanks Sue!

    Food
    You 2 runners put me to shame on what I ate during treatment. I liked milkshakes and smoothies from Sonic. I also ate mashed potatoes. I had horrible mouth sores and drank ensure. I tried a hamburger when I had mouthsores and it really hurt my mouth. The mouth sores lasted about 10 days and the smoothies were the best. I also drank kool-aid. Everything had to be soft and bland.

    Barbara
  • lizdeli
    lizdeli Member Posts: 569 Member
    #9
    lemonade said:

    Food
    You 2 runners put me to shame on what I ate during treatment. I liked milkshakes and smoothies from Sonic. I also ate mashed potatoes. I had horrible mouth sores and drank ensure. I tried a hamburger when I had mouthsores and it really hurt my mouth. The mouth sores lasted about 10 days and the smoothies were the best. I also drank kool-aid. Everything had to be soft and bland.

    Barbara

    Food
    I lived on the small McDonald's cheeseburgers and gingerale. I was losing weight from loss of appetite and the nutrionist told me to eat whatever I was told not to eat before! She said to focus on keeping weight on and if it meant the cheeseburgers, then go for it. I never ate junk food before. I lost a bunch of weight then maintained it at a certain point. I was around 129 before treatment, dropped 14 or so, gained back 5 and stayed that way....until post treatment! Since I was put into instant menopause the weight came back and then some. Now I am trying to lose around 8 lbs. Not happening that easily I must say!
    Liz
  • lil lady
    lil lady Member Posts: 36
    #10
    mp327 said:

    Thumbs up on the cream of

    Thumbs up on the cream of wheat! I ate a lot of that too, only without the usual teaspoon or two of sugar. How I wish my sweet tooth would have stayed permanently on the fritz--but it's back!

    cream of wheat for me too
    had good luck with the cream of wheat but also ate alot of scambled eggs and apple sauce. real important to get alot of protien
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #11
    lemonade said:

    Food
    You 2 runners put me to shame on what I ate during treatment. I liked milkshakes and smoothies from Sonic. I also ate mashed potatoes. I had horrible mouth sores and drank ensure. I tried a hamburger when I had mouthsores and it really hurt my mouth. The mouth sores lasted about 10 days and the smoothies were the best. I also drank kool-aid. Everything had to be soft and bland.

    Barbara

    Well I have to fess up
    Well I have to fess up Barbara.....my relay pertains to Relay for Life. I'm a team captain for it. Are you familiar with Relay? It's similar to The Susan Komen walk for breast cancer, but this is a fundraiser for ALL cancers. One weekend a year we camp out on a high school track for 24 hours....with really special events for survivors, honoring those we've lost, and actually having a great time bonding with each other. Band, DJ, games, food, etc.....so NO running for me :)....just walking! Martha is the ALL STAR there :):)
    And as far as eating.....I only eat healthy NOW. When I was undergoing treatment, same as you, was told to eat whatever I could, and I did! I had mouth sores too.....and that horrible taste in my mouth! WOW...so another thing to be thankful for today....NO mouth sores!!!
    Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #12
    mp327 said:

    I'll have to try it!
    I've heard that it is very good and lots of chefs are turning to it to sweeten things. Where do you buy the stuff? Next to the honey? I eat honey on my oatmeal every morning, but will have to try this stuff when I find it. Thanks Sue!

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #13
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Agave Nectar
    Thanks Kathy! The next time I go to Costco, I'll search it out.
  • sissy310
    sissy310 Member Posts: 300
    #14
    lizdeli said:

    Food
    I lived on the small McDonald's cheeseburgers and gingerale. I was losing weight from loss of appetite and the nutrionist told me to eat whatever I was told not to eat before! She said to focus on keeping weight on and if it meant the cheeseburgers, then go for it. I never ate junk food before. I lost a bunch of weight then maintained it at a certain point. I was around 129 before treatment, dropped 14 or so, gained back 5 and stayed that way....until post treatment! Since I was put into instant menopause the weight came back and then some. Now I am trying to lose around 8 lbs. Not happening that easily I must say!
    Liz

    That is kind of what I'm
    That is kind of what I'm doing, eating whatever I can eat and just maintaining. Gingerale is a favorite of mine too and I found I'm able to drink gatorade if it is the lemonaide one but I have to water it down to 1/3 gatorade and rest water. I can drink that as well without feeling queazy. I guess it is a matter of trial and error.
  • Chris3
    Chris3 Member Posts: 58
    #15
    Sleep
    I had problems sleeping from the stress of it all. I just couldn't shut my brain off. I ended up getting an Rx for Ambien. Very glad I did. Sleep is part of the healing process and I am just a hot mess if I am sleep deprived!

    I would also not hesitate to ask for pain meds as you get further along in treatment.

    Chris
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #16
    Chris3 said:

    Sleep
    I had problems sleeping from the stress of it all. I just couldn't shut my brain off. I ended up getting an Rx for Ambien. Very glad I did. Sleep is part of the healing process and I am just a hot mess if I am sleep deprived!

    I would also not hesitate to ask for pain meds as you get further along in treatment.

    Chris

    Sleep
    Ambien helped me too. Without it and Ativan, which also works, I never would have gotten any good sleep. I had the same problem--inability to turn my brain off at night.

Discussion Boards