Hi All,

After 2 esophageal dilations I am able to swallow so much better - small bites and softer, easier foods. I am struggling with moving up (down?) the food chain with what to eat next. I think it is more depression, residual from fighting this battle, lack of appetite, fear of possible pain and no planning. I am using the PEG for 1 or 2 cans to supplement a day. I know getting off the PEG completely and having it removed will be good for my mental state, but also know I need to eat more to keep my weight up. I have a high calorie Boost shake every afternoon and light meals (oatmeal, mac & cheese, tuna) through the day but find myself thinking 'using the PEG' is easier as I don't have to plan or do anything.

Aside from the list of easy to eat foods, I am wondering what types of meals people eat in a regular day. Do you eat at specific times, planned meals, must haves, recipes, etc.?


Thanks,
Nancy

HI there.... start off with simple foods that are mild and you like, and then work your way around to stuff that's a bit more challenging that you want to try. Always have a back up on hand in case it doesn't work out. So if you like mac and cheese then try that. I am over two years out. And I can eat well for what I've been through. Still sometimes I'll order a meal when I'm out and it will taste good but at some point eating it becomes too much work... It depends on what it is mind you, but say for example if it is vinegary it's fine at the start and then my mouth says HOLY CRAP that burns and I stop. I do try to order stuff I know I can handle when I am eating out. And sometimes as much fun as it is to go out to dinner, and even though it is more work to stay at home and cook, I do it anyway because I know I can get something I like, can eat, and will enjoy. Everything in time. Try to relax and pick one or two simple things a day that you think you would do okay with... maybe mashed potatoes, a soft omelet? steamed veggies. etc. hugs. I know it is frustrating.

It takes time, and your problems sound multi factorial with loss of appetite, feeling depressed about not eating, pain, the swallowing problems, and other matters have to be dealt with to eat, and enjoy eating once again.

As far as appetite, there are ways to increase that. Prescription Marinol. Megace, caffeine, wine, smelling of food, fat, and sugar. I watched the food channel even when I couldn't eat, which made me hungry, and so does the appearance of the food matter, room ambience, even the room color.

Saliva also involves taste, so increasing that will help with taste, and swallowing. Drink lemon water before meals, chewin gum, smelling lemons, hard citric candy, milk also replicates saliva, and coats the mouth, vegetable or any other healthy oil coats the mouth, and helps prevent mouth dryness.

The pain can be controlled by meds, magic mouthwash rinses, proper oral care, taking care of any infections.

For depression see about counseling, a support group, and does have factor in with eating disorders, such as self induced anorexia.

As far as foods, avoid hot foods, and serve warm, spicy, acidic, crunchy, which not only dulls the taste buds, but may also cause mouth ulcers or worsen them.

As Cheyrl mentioned, eat foods that easier to eat, and work your way up. I started taking pictures of my first meals, post treatment, and haven stopped since. I probably have a 1,000. I think my first bite was cream of wheat, with butter, sugar, milk, then added canned peaches, chicken broth with pastina, Chinese egg drop, soft boiled egg, and kept moving up the food chain. I eat everything now, from bagels to steak, pizza. You name it, I probably ate it, and make most of my foods. Prepared foods, frozen type junk, food coloring, badically cheap food taste worst than they did before, but do like an occasional Big Mac, fries.

My mouth tires out after a while in both chewing, and swallowing, so I eat smaller portions with plrnty of water. They say eating six times a day is better, but I'm lucky to do three.

One thing you can do is visit a buffet, and take a sample of everything, and see what you can tolerate. It beats making a whole meal, and not eating it, which I've done before, and right into the garbage, cause I don't like saving food depending how long it sat, and if I didn't like it the first time, I won't the 2nd time.

Even now, most proteins I eat are fatty cuts, not lean. I use sauces, make casseroles, fry, use butter, olive oil, so my foods are moist. There is a spray bottle, called, Misto, that you can put any oil in it, pump it, and spay on food. This will not only help swallowing, but the fat increases taste, appetite.

Some fight after treatments have a smell, and taste aversion to foods. Some which were probably associated with illness, nausea, vomiting. Proteins have a higher taste aversion that carbohydrates, which were easier to eat.

You want the softest scrabbled eggs, do them for 30 minutes, I actually do 20, and cook in a sauce pan, on the lowest setting, scrabble eggs 18 beats, and use 2 Tps of butter for every egg, a little at a time, and constantly mix slowly. Their so easy to swallow. I have others recipes, and basically live to eat. Today I made homemade macaroni, and potato salad, and going to have a cheeseburger with it, which i liked rare or med rare, otherwise I have swallowing difficulty, and toast, butter the hamburger roll, mayo, maybe mustard, ketchup. This morning I had eggs, fried sith bsvon, slice of butered toast. I know what I can eat, and don't think twice about it.

Tasting also involves more than just eating. It involves smell of food, hearing it cooking, seeing a nicely prepared dish, tasting with the 5 taste buds, and texture of the food.

Good luck.

Thank you, Cheryld and PaulB; you are both right and it so helpful to read and get acknowledgement for this part of the challenge. I may be nuts but when I am feeling down, I go back to these threads and they give me courage and acceptance that makes things a bit easier.

PaulB - what a chef you've become! Reading about your scrambled eggs, hamburgers and bacon with breakfast is quite inspiring. Too bad you are so far away: you could open a catering business and I would sign up for 3 meals a day!!

Thanks!

Thanks. I should have made a blog with my eating adventures, photos. I only have them on my FB page, if you care to look there, I can give you my fb name. I probably can talk about food all day lol. Oh, I made a Ragu the other day, here in NYC, it's called gravy or Sunday gravy, with several meats cooked for several hours in tomato sauce. I did 4 or 5 hrs, but the meat, usually served separately, is so tender, you can cut it with a spoon. The next day, I made baked ziti with the leftover sauce, pasta. Like Cheryl. I make omelets, and put sour cream in sometimes, and comes out fluffy, also an Italian frittata or a Spanish Tortilla, all really omelets too with different ingredients, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, asparagus, anything you want, even leftover rice, and even a pasta frittata.

Paul,

I perused your FB page and if I could drool I would! I look forward to the day I can eat whatever I want. I know what "gravy" is. I lived in S Philly for many years and you could smell the gravy cooking on the street on a Sunday afternoon.

"T"

Thanks T. About two years ago, I was QVC's. "Foodie of the Week " for "In the Kitchen with David." I was making homemade pizza, and had it on the pizza peel before putting it in the oven. I had a cap on, mustache, so looked like an authentic pizza man. I was cooking by gong back and forth from the kitchen to my bed, and saying, why did I do this lol.

As I say, eaing is more than just tasting. This article is about the color of utensils effecting eating, so sight is one factor.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/tableware-color-influences-food-taste-article-1.1383198