I was my husband’s caregiver and I agree with you totally that one tries and tries but there is only so much one can do. Have you tried poached eggs? I’m sure it’s on Christine’s list of Easy-to-Eat Food. It worked really well for John. The problem that I found was while we would like them to be able to eat “real” food, it’s really hard to reach the daily calorie count just on that alone, otherwise the patient will have to be eating all the time — which doesn’t work and is the problem in the first place. You can try putting ice cream in the supplement to improve the taste and make sure there is some variety. Do you have access to a dietitian at your hospital? They often have good ideas to share. Having a Vitamix blender also helps as you can blend food so that your hubby can swallow it more easily. If you ever add milk to whatever he’s drinking, e.g. tea and coffee (do not underestimate the comfort a good cup of tea can bring, as I found out), use cream instead. Any little thing that you can add to what he puts in his mouth will help with the calorie-intake.

When John was prescribed painkillers, he also got a prescription for Senakot and a stool softener. That kept the constipation problem at bay. It also enable him to take the painkillers while he needed them. You might want to talk to your doctors about it.

I know how frustrating it is for the recovering patient. It is like they have lost most of their abilities all of a sudden because of the treatments. John really enjoyed Jello before he got sick, so I thought I would give him a treat by making him some. It turned out tasting all metallic and he felt it was a cruel joke.