Hi Bill, welcome to OCF! You are not alone in this. We will help you with your recovery.
As a survivor Ive been where you are and I know how frustrating recovery can be. Seems like every time you have a couple better days that a set back hits. Everyone is different, you will hear that over and over. Even a few others the same age with the same diagnosis and treatment plan as you can have very different results and recoveries.
A complete recovery can take every bit of 2 years. Im sure if you look back to when you first finished rads you are doing alot better than back then. Recovery is full of ups and downs. Try to focus on what you can control which is your intake and attitude. Every single day for at least the first year of recovery you need to take in a minimum of 2500 calories and 48-80 oz of water daily. Dont skimp and try to play catch up the next day as tomorrow your catch up usually will never happen. Do you have a feeding tube? If so you should have a pump, if not ask for a prescription to get one from a medical supply company. If you dont have a feeding tube push yourself to drink more. Ive gone thru it and know its not easy but you must force yourself to drink to get well. Your intake will help you to bounce back. If losing weight is an issue you need to bump up the daily calories to a minimum of 3500 daily. I know it sounds like too much but after what your body has been thru it is necessary in order to rebuild your battered body.
Try this milkshake out. Its loaded with calories and tastes pretty good. Dont be afraid to drink 2 or even 3 of these per day without fear of gaining a ton of weight. many weeks I drank 2 or 3 and never gained an ounce.
Easy to Eat Food List (All measurements are estimates)
Giant High Calorie Choc-Peanut Butter Milkshake3 or 4 cups chocolate ice cream (regular/full fat type)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth type)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 or 2 cups whole milk (can substitute half and half to add even more calories)
1 scoop carnation instant breakfast
1 scoop high protein whey powder (check with doc if this is ok)
Blend this extra long to make it very smooth and creamy so it goes down easier. If the shake is too thick, add more milk to thin it down to what works best for you.
Hang in there, things really will get better.
