Okay I just need to put some thoughts down here. I have been doing pretty good though all of this until now. Seems Marvin has decided he doesnt need as much of the boost as he has been taking 6 to 7 cans. Also thinks he will be going back to work in aug. He isnt eating much by mouth other then the drinks. He seems to get upset when I tell him he needs to make sure to drink his cans, do his mouth excerises each day. He thinks I am pushing to much food. So I have backed off to see how he does by himself. NOt sure if this is the right thing to do. I hope that he sees if he doesnt get in the required amount that he will be getting more tired and going backward instead of forward. He has been feeling good here lately but that was with 6 cans (2 of the cans are Carnation vhc)plus extra protein mixed in some of the cans. Today he only had 5 cans and no extra food....Hope it doesnt take long for him to understand.. I told him that the doctors set the amount needed before we started to make sure he stayed healthy and if he plans on going back to work he needs to eat more. He goes back July 24 to see docs. I told him I wounld tell the docs that he isnt eating much yet... HOpe this changes soon.....

Barb, I would suggest that this is not an issue worth stressing over. Some sweet little thing with a nutritionist badge once told me that I needed 3,000 calories a day. I just smiled and dismissed her from my mind. I usually took in only two or three cans a day and I healed rapidly. I am 5'9" so not a small person. I just didn't need all that food, and that is the reason I had cases of it to donate later.

While Marvin will most probably need more food than I did, it is not going to hurt him to miss a few cans. At this point, having control of any aspect of one's own life is pretty darned important to a patient.

In just a few weeks things will be so different you will be amazed, so I suggest you have a cup of tea and let this issue go. You don't need to tell the doctors about this; if he loses weight, they will take notice.

Just some thoughts from a former patient's view.

Hi Barb,

Into our third week post-treatment and Sam is still taking feeds only through the PEG. He was on 3,000 calories a day (3 feedings of 2 cans of TwoCal HN) but on some days has only gone through 4-5 cans if not feeling well or if he slept too long after the morning feeding so that the 2nd and 3rd feeds would be almost on top of each other. He has started putting a little bit of weight back on so I haven't been too fussed about it. He only had one can in the feeding can this morning and became quite nauseous so it was a good thing that he'd only poured himself one...he walked the dogs the day before and was up early trying to help me with the toddler and baby before family arrived to help.

Elaine