Karen,

I can’t speak to your first two questions, but I do know a bit about 3 & 4.

My husband was Ensure 2.0 and later Nutrin 2.0. The latter has 495 calories and was prescribed by the dietitian. Is that what you were thinking about when you said “healthier?” In fact, I also added ice cream and sometimes fruit to the supplement to boost the calorie intake. I used a Vitamix.

You will have to wet your lips as well as inside your cheeks with sponges as well. John also rinse his mouth with water but he wasn’t allowed to swallow it because he had silent aspiration. Using a lip balm also helped.


Gloria
She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails... Elizabeth Edwards

Wife to John,dx 10/2012, BOT, HPV+, T3N2MO, RAD 70 gy,Cisplatinx2 , PEG in Dec 6, 2012, dx dvt in both legs after second chemo session, Apr 03/13 NED, July 2013 met to lungs, Phase 1 immunotherapy trial Jan 18/14 to July/14. Taxol/carboplatin July/14. Esophagus re-opened Oct 14. PEG out April 8, 2015. Phase 2 trial of Selinexor April to July 2015. At peace Jan 15, 2016.