"Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 378 | Hi Barb, It's still based on total calories so as Jack started eating we cut back on the cans. Remember he can also drink the formula since that's swallowing and those calories count. You can add things to it to make a shake. Look for high calorie foods that can be pureed in a blender to start him off and build on that success.
They sell protein powder that can be added to foods as a boost. I think it's intended for shakes but also works in soft food. I've also heard that protein promotes healing. Remember that it will take time to build up the ability to eat larger amounts so start our with small frequent attempts at feeding. We made up a schedule so Jack could keep track of what he was eating and adjust his plans accordingly.
I think it's normal to be tired at this point, that took a while to get better with Jack. The statistic we kept hearing was 1 month of recovery for every week of treatment - and that's pretty much what happened. A PET scan would not be accurate at this point, everything will light up due to the treatment. It's frustrating to hurry up and wait, but some things just take time. It will get better. Regards JoAnne
JoAnne - Caregiver to husband, cancer rt. tonsil, mets to soft palate, BOT, 7 lymph nodes - T3N2BM0, stage 4. Robotic assisted surgery, radical neck dissection 2/06; 30 IMTX treatments and 4 cycles of cisplatin completed June 06.
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