Andrew, when my husband started treatment and was still eating, I used to record the amount of fluid and calories he was taking everyday. This was the only way I could tell if he was getting enough of both. Your appetite as well as your ability to drink will be impacted. Don't wait until your weight goes into free fall before tracking. It will be very hard to make your way back at that point. We were also advised to have him drink a couple of bottles of Ensure a day so that he would get the essential vitamins and nutrients. That was all before he got his PEG tube.

When you start the painkillers, make sure you ask your doctor about the bowel routine. At our hospital, they have a bowel routine that is a four-step program. In treatment, the body is on a delicate balance, a bit too much laxative and there may be diarrhea and dehydration can result; too little laxative and the body may get horrible bowel cramps. It sounds complicated but you will get the hang of it.

Good luck, you can do it!