#43403 06-14-2004 04:04 PM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 | Hi all - My sister Cathy has a PEG tube - right now she has managed to get up to 4 cans of a high cal Ensure type liguid called Isosource a day - that gets her 1500 calories.She jsut can't take all that volume. Has anyone tried adding anything to these to boose the calories? There is a product called Polycose which you can get in liquid or powder form - when you add it to anything it's supposed to boost calories without adding volume - has anyone tried anything like that? Cathy was only 100 pounds when she had her surgery and is way down from that now.
Caregiver/twin sister to Cathy diagnosed with tongue cancer Feb. 2004/partial glossectomy and neck dissection Mar 2004/recurrence may 2004
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#43404 06-14-2004 04:27 PM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Member | Member Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 | Hi Carol, My mother-in-law used the polycose in everything. The doc said it would be better than her filling up on empty calories 'cause she drank her tea without sugar. I don't know if it helped any but it has no taste and it does add calories so just put it in everything. Karen | | |
#43405 06-15-2004 03:53 AM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 | KarenC - thanks - we actually have left a message for the nutritionist at the cancer centre about this too.
Where in Ontario are you?
Caregiver/twin sister to Cathy diagnosed with tongue cancer Feb. 2004/partial glossectomy and neck dissection Mar 2004/recurrence may 2004
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#43406 06-15-2004 04:16 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 Member | Member Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 22 | Carol, I'm in Oshawa and my mother-in-law is closer to you in Markham. Tomorrow we make the trip again to Princess Margaret to see her oncologist. Her G.P found a "mass" in her cheek last week that is suspicious, so here we go again!! Karen | | |
#43407 06-15-2004 03:50 PM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 | Karen - what I've learned from this board is that you have to alwasy keep this in mind - it's not cancer until they say it's cancer.
Caregiver/twin sister to Cathy diagnosed with tongue cancer Feb. 2004/partial glossectomy and neck dissection Mar 2004/recurrence may 2004
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#43408 06-16-2004 01:13 PM | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 546 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 546 | Carol,
You can also check out Scandi Shakes. They have more calories in the same volume as most of the other drinks like Ensure and Boost.
Rosie
Was primary caregiver to my daughter Heather who had stage IV base of tongue SCC w/ primary recurrence. Original diagnosis August 21st, 2002. Primary recurrence March 18th, 2003. Died October 6th, 2003.
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#43409 06-17-2004 01:52 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 482 | Carol: I added Carnation Instant Breakfast to Ensure type drinks. That added about 100 calories to each serving. I also could only take four cans a day. Good luck and hope all goes well.
Regards, Kirk Georgia Stage IV, T1N2aM0, right tonsil primary, Tonsilectomy 11/03, 35 rad/3cisplatin chemo, right neck dissection 1/04 - 5/04.
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#43410 06-17-2004 02:46 AM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP Contributing Member (25+ posts) Joined: May 2004 Posts: 34 | HI all - the dietician switched Cathy to something called Resource 2.0 which has 475 calories in a juice box size container - so if she can manage 4 a day that's 1900 cal.
A question about weight gain - how fast does the weight come back? I heard that if you can boost your calories sufficiently its about a pound a week. Does that sound right?
Caregiver/twin sister to Cathy diagnosed with tongue cancer Feb. 2004/partial glossectomy and neck dissection Mar 2004/recurrence may 2004
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#43411 06-17-2004 09:50 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | Once my weight came back, it was 12 pounds the first week, 3-4 after that. 3 months later it is a total of 25. I think it would depend more on the metabolism of the individual. I can fluctuate my weight 2-3 lbs in as many days.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0 Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03 Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08. Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11 Cervical Myelitis 09/12 Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12 Dysautonomia 11/12 Hospice care 09/12-01/13. COPD 01/14 Intermittent CHF 6/15 Feeding tube NPO 03/16 VFI 12/2016 ORN 12/2017 Cardiac Event 06/2018 Bilateral VFI 01/2021 Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022 Bilateral VFI 05/2022 Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#43412 06-17-2004 01:32 PM | Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 1,163 | Hi Carol,
When I was feeding myself Jevity and it was an 8oz. can. It contained 250 calories per can. I mixed carnation Instant Breakfast (1 Pkg.) to every two cans I injected into my peg tube. This added 120 calories four times a day. I was taking in about 2600 calories per day. I am also a small man, nornal weight of 145 lbs. I was able to inject two cans per feeding with no problem. I also crushed a lactaid pill and mixed it in, It kept me solid. I topped it off with about 6 ounces of Gatorade and finished with a water flush of the tube of 8 oz, of water. Remember to always flush the tube with water when done.
Also when full the stopper on the tube would pop open if I bent over. That was a real treat!!! We learned to use a small rubber band to make sure it couldn't pop open.
I got back to my normal weight in about 6 weeeks.
Dan
Daniel Bogan DX 7/16/03 Right tonsil,SCC T4NOMO. right side neck disection, IMRT Radiation x 33.
Recurrance in June 05 in right tonsil area. Now receiving palliative chemo (Erbitux) starting 3/9/06
Our good friend and loved member of the forum has passed away RIP Dannyboy 7-16-2006
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