| | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) |  OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | He may be one of the very few that tough their way through treatments, and in the process lose a ton of body weight. While there are exceptions to everything, for the most part he will perhaps prove he is a tough guy, but he will heal slower than necessary. The recovery period of a month for every week of treatment is a common denominator. His hardheadedness will only cause that period to last longer than necessary, allow him to be more susceptible to every bug, flu, virus, that comes his way while his immune system is not up to par.
For some people logic does not make a difference. Let's hope that his decisions do not compromise his healing to much.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 19 Member | | Member
Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 19 | Hi Michelle
Maybe you can try a different approach.
Craig is barely eating 3 meals a day and won't eat the whole meal just pick off what he can stomach. I've told him that he has to supplement with the Boost Plus because he isn't getting enough vitamins!
As he is barely able to swallow his chemo meds (let alone a big 'ol horsepill-sized vitamin) he is taking the Boost as his vitamin pill equivalent to make up for any vitamin deficiencies.
I also mentioned the possibility of getting scurvy if he doesn't get enough Vitamin C and that his teeth will fall out as a result(something he fears) and showed him the side of the Boost where it lists all the vitamins it contains including Vitamin C.
He's not giving me much trouble with this anymore. He's drinking at least one Boost Plus a day.
Maybe this might work for your hubby?
Marina, wife of Craig, 52 former smoker/drinker quit 9 years ago.
dx Feb 2008, SCC Stage 4a Tongue with mets to left and right neck lymph nodes.
Cisplatin x 3 and concurrent IMRT x 35 (scheduled to end May 1/08)
We have two children, 3 and 2, and #3 is on the way.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 510 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 510 | ..oh, no! not ANOTHER Superman! Yeah, Buzz was THE MAN....Before beginning IMRT/Chemo, he was determined NOT to get PEG tube (those were for 'sissies')...then we met a guy in the waiting room who was about half way through his tx WITHOUT a PEG...Buzz was horrified because the guy looked like a POW survivor! He immediately changed his mind, got the PEG and STILL has lost about 50 lbs (down to approx. 145 now). Not only was he doing feedings, there were only TWO days during tx when Buzz couldn't eat three meals.
Almost six months out of tx now...he eats like a horse, drinks Boost/Ensure/VHC, but still gains no weight!
(On the other hand I have gained more than 15 lbs while trying to 'fatten him up'!
Keep harping...he may thank you one day!
Lois
CG to 77 y/o hubby;SCC Alveolar Ridge; Wake Forest Baptist Hosp surgery: 07/19/07; bi mod radical resection/jaw replacement;
T2 N2-B M0 Stage IV-A
28 IMRT +
6 Paclitaxel/Carboplatin
Getting stronger every day!
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 341 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | OP Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 341 | Brian - thanks for the straight talk
Marina - good idea. I'm going to try that approach tomorrow.
Lois - thanks for the commiseration. I am working hard on him and hopefully I will get through that thick head of his.
I'm just going to have to be more tough with him and take the gloves off. I love him and I'm sorry he's sick, but damn if I am going to sit by quietly and let him make stupid descions that will hurt thim. That would be like letting David touch the candle flame.
Thanks to all of you!
Michelle, CG to husband (45), DX 2/08 Stage IVa Adenocarcinoma Salivary Gland (T2N2bMO)
Parotidectomy & ND 2/08, Tumor margins not clear, 4 of 30 nodes positve for cancer,
TX IMRT 39x, cisplatin 7x (completed 5/1/08),
PEG (4/22 - 7/9), No port. Currently in remission!
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Michelle:
You mentioned adding carnation instant breakfast to his milk. I drink chocolate milk which is 400 calories a pint. To add more caloies I add a scoop of the instant breakfast which makes it now 530 calories for the pint. I do taste the difference, and its thicker too. But it sure tastes alot better than boost or ensure. Since your hubby's taste isnt quite what it should be, wouldnt hurt to give it a try.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | When the going gets tough, Carnation Instant Breakfast VHC is the way to go with 560 balanced calories in an 8 oz can. It only costs about $1.30 a can and some have gotten their insurance to cover it.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 79 Senior Member (75+ posts) | | Senior Member (75+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 79 | My brother added the dry carnation breakfast to a lot of things - ice cream, whole milk, cereal, etc. He also drank lots and lots of the VHC that David mentioned.
Jean
* Root for Joe *
Sister of Joe (43, non-smoker/chewer; occ. drinker). Mouth problem 3/07. Diag with Stage I 6/07. Diag with Stage IV 9/07. In EPOC at Univ of Chicago. Cisplatin/cetuximab 1/wk x 8. Then, IMRT 5x/wk x 7 and weekly chemo. Done 12/21/07. Looks good as of 4/08, 7/08, 8/08, 1/09.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 2 Member | | Member
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 2 | This is what worked for me, once my taste buds "went bad" then went out, and carried me all the way through:
Whey protein powder mixed in milk to assure 1gm protein for every lb of pre-treatment body weight.
Cream of Wheat swimming in butter for breakfast when I could get it down.
Daily multivitamin/multimineral (I tried Boost for the vitamins but it was "oily" tasting to me and after a while I couldn't stand it told my wife to throw the rest out.)
Liquid L-Glutamine every morning during tx.
As much water or sports drinks as I could stomach (toward the end so little that the MO's office would have to "fill me up" with liquids even in between chemo sessions.)
If I could eat anything else (my problem was nausea, not mouth pain during tx) I did, but it wasn't ever much.
The RO said I was in the "top 5%" insofar as showing little adverse impact from the radiation, the tech people who administered the tx agreed, and gave the whey protein the credit.
Like I said, it worked for me, but check with your doctors before trying it. I stayed away from the nutritonists recommendation to "get calories any way you can," and lost about 30 pounds during treatment (from 210 down to 180.)I am stable now at 200 (21 months after tx ended).
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