What type of chemo are you getting? If you have a couple minutes it would be a huge help if you updated your signature. As far as hair loss... cisplatin and carboplatin arent supposed to cause hair loss. The only hair loss you should notice is a small round spot on the back of your head where the radiation beam exits. Mine was about the size of a nickle but to me it seemed more like a half dollar sized. It takes a while but that hair will eventually grow back in. If you are getting Erbitux then yes you could have some hair loss. Hair loss could also be from malnutrition, so can kidney problems and many other negative side effects.

Eating dairy products usually are soothing to a sore mouth. The consistency and texture plays a huge role in weather you will be able to eat something or not, pudding is much easier to swallow than mashed potatoes. Almost every OC patient is not able to tolerate anything spicy, difficult to chew or dry. Try applesauce, canned peaches, yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, cream soups for things that have a smoother texture and are easier to swallow. Right now its all about the calories. Seaweed soup may be ok for you to eat but if its not high in calories it could be contributing to your weight loss. You need to make every swallow count with the highest amount of calories per swallow. I'll post the link for easy to eat foods.

As far as weight loss goes... this is VITALLY IMPORTANT!!!! Your treatment staff should be more concerned about this! You are not just "losing weight", you are losing muscle too which is nearly impossible to ever get back. Read about cachexia, its muscle wasting that cancer patients who dont have adequate nutrition go thru. Im also enclosing another link showing the importance of your intake. Your body is burning up calories at an incredible rate right now. Its trying to fight the cancer and rebuild itself at the same time which takes a huge amount of calories every single day. Too often (myself included) we fall into the "make up" routine. Thinking its ok to not hit the minimum calories or short yourself on taking in enough water thinking you will "make it up" the next day. Well tomorrow's "make up" day will NEVER hapen as you are already many days behind and by now its impossible to every "make up" what you are short.

I havent discussed how important it is to take in at least 48-64 oz of water daily yet. If you arent meeting these numbers that will have further negative complications as well. Talk to your doc and ask for a prescription to get extra fluids a few times a week in the chemo lab. This will help to stave off dehydration and help to make you feel better. I always felt so much better when walking out after a couple bags of fluids.

I am a big nag to most patients about their daily minimum intake and for a very good reason. I suffered far greater than I had to because of losing 65 pounds in a short period of time. So far, you are right on target to follow in my footsteps and end up with some big problems. This needs to be turned around right away. I cant stress how important this is enough!!! I ended up hospitalized several times for malnutrition and dehydration which could have been avoided if I had done better with my intake. You can drink your calories far easier than eating them. I cant remember if you have a feeding tube or not but if you dont Im pretty sure you will end up with one in the near future. But by that time you will feel so much worse because of the malnutrition. You CAN turn this around!!!! Its not an option, it MUST happen or you will soon feel so bad you wont be able to walk even one block easily. One of my lowest days of my life was when I was so sick I could barley walk and my teenaged son dragged/carried me and put me into the car got a wheelchair at the hospital and pushed me into my oncologist doctors office (without an appointment). I looked so bad, I couldnt get myself dressed, comb my hair or even hold my head up, I was practically incoherent I was so sick. The front desk looked at me and immediately took me into a room so I didnt scare any of their patients in the waiting room. Anyway, one look at me (didnt even touch me to take my temp or blood pressure or even look into my mouth) and the doctor admitted me into the hospital for a week. That was the first time, others followed. PLEASE starting as soon as you read this.... go drink a boost or ensure and continue to drink at least 4 more every day this week. You can even get the store generic brand, just get whatever kind has the highest amount of calories and get them in you. Since your weight is spiraling down so quickly you should be taking in not just 2500 calories daily, you should be doing 3500-4000 or even more. No, its not too much!!!! I was taking in some days 7000+ during my recovery and I didnt gain an ounce. During rads and the first 6 months of so of recovery its rare for any patient with OC to gain weight. I know you can turn this around!!!! Its all about how badly you want to do it and if you can force yourself to follow along what Ive explained. Im not typing all this for nothing... Im trying to help you so you do not suffer like I did. I went thru hell and back and its due to not having a caregiver to help me with my feedings. You need to ask for help and if your medical staff isnt overly concerned about your weight loss then they are doing you a huge disservice. I can count the times Ive ever criticitized anyones medical team on one hand in the past 10 years. Its not something I do but hearing they "arent too concerned" about your weight loss sends up the red flag and makes me upset and afraid about the quality of care they are giving you. It doesnt matter if you weigh 600 pounds! Bottom lines is... you should NOT be losing weight so quickly while going thru rads for OC.

I know you feel horrible enough and I so wish you didnt have to go thru this. But how much you have to struggle is all in your hands as far as making your daily minimum numbers for calories and hydration. Its all about the calories so you want to get as many as possible, the highest number per swallow you can get. So I'll give you a break and stop my ranting. I think you got the point by now. Please review the links and I promise you that once you turn this around you will feel much better!!!!

Cachexia ---- muscle - weight loss during rads

List of Easy to Eat Foods


PS....
Here is a recipe for something I used to make and drink when I went thru treatments and recovery. The shake has anywhere from 1200-2000+ calories depending on how you make it. The list of foods above will help too, they mostly have a smoother texture and arent spicy which should be easier to tolerate.


(All measurements are estimates)

Giant High Calorie Choc-Peanut Butter Milkshake

3 or 4 cups chocolate ice cream (regular/full fat type)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth type)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 or 2 cups whole milk (can substitute half and half to add even more calories)
1 scoop carnation instant breakfast
1 scoop high protein whey powder (check with doc if this is ok)

Blend this extra long to make it very smooth and creamy so it goes down easier. If the shake is too thick, add more milk to thin it down to what works best for you.


Livestrong - losing weight with chemo

Livestrong - Calorie Intake Importance

Diet and Nutrition during treatments