| Joined: May 2009 Posts: 114 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 114 | I have been able to maintain and gain weight by having 2 ensures 3 times a day. I also use ensure as a base for smoothies. My smoothies include: vanilla ensure, Healthforce Vitamineral Greens, Healthforce Earth, fruit juice, Flax seed meal, a coop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt and a piece of fruit. add stuff you like) I smoothitize it all with a braun hand blender. I have these smoothies with whatever else I can eat like sausage gravy, wonton soup, egg drop soup. Admittedy the healthforce (dehydrated veggies, roots and barks, aren't the tastiest, but I mix 'em up to find recipes that I can bare ande sometimes really enjoy. So I was 187 having lost 103 lbs aftet first surgery and got to 210 lbs in a few months. After second surgery I went down to 180 and now am waffling between 185 and 195. Also, others have said, do not over due exercise. I find myself too tired to take care of myself well and too sore which leads to me losing weight.
Last edited by hisnibs; 04-10-2010 02:03 PM.
Age 52, T2 N0 M0 SCC of left anterior floor of mouth. Esophagoscopy, Direct laryngoscopy, Resection of left anterior FOM lesion w/ lateral tongue. left selective neck dissection levels I-IV. 5x6cm skin graft coverng excision. Finished 33-35 rad Tx. False recurrence 12-22-10 last surgery 2-15-10
| | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 212 Gold Member (200+ posts) | Gold Member (200+ posts) Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 212 | I found that ensure plus got me on tract. It is about 300 cal per bottle. I too had lost much weight, a bit more than 22%. Docs were not happy and said I had to stop the weight loss before the peg came out, I drank 3 ensures a day plus eating food, eggs, iceream every night, meat, ect. I did stop the loss and still use Ensure. Just recently I have gained a few pounds. I guess I am seven months out now....wow, has it been that long??? You can get Ensure Plus at Costco for 32 bucks a case. Expensive but worth it!
70 male, athlete...again SSC of undetermined orgin , early july 09 40 tx radiation, 8 chemo cisplatin and ebuterx finished TX in mid Sept 09 Clear at the 6 year mark! Back to swimming, biking and running! just a tad slower never regained my weight, even when I eat lots and lots, just a skinny guy now
Just way glad to be seeing the green side up!
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | Go to Sam's Club and get Members Mark. It's ensure but the label has Sam's Club Logo. Only $19 this way.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | Platinum Member (300+ posts) Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 493 | Kroger's house brand is also similar to Ensure and is a lot cheaper, as well.
Female, nonsmoker, 70, diag. 5/09 after tongue biopsy: stage IV. Left hemi-gloss. and left selec. neck disec. 30 lymph nodes removed May 20. Over 7 weeks daily rads. with three chemo. PEG removed 12/4/09 Am eating mostly soft foods. Back to work 11/09 Retired 4/1/11. 7 clear scans! Port out 9/11. 2/13. It's back: base of tongue, very invasive surgery involving lifestyle changes. 2/14: Now speaking w/Passey-Muir valve. Considering a swallow study. Grateful to be alive.
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 114 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 114 | I wanted add that I seem to be over coming a lot fatigue by pushing thru tasks like working in a garden, mowing lawn etc.
Age 52, T2 N0 M0 SCC of left anterior floor of mouth. Esophagoscopy, Direct laryngoscopy, Resection of left anterior FOM lesion w/ lateral tongue. left selective neck dissection levels I-IV. 5x6cm skin graft coverng excision. Finished 33-35 rad Tx. False recurrence 12-22-10 last surgery 2-15-10
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | hisbnibs, that is what I have done for years it seems sonce the 1st surgery and still do. My house is sold and al they have to do is tend the garden I dug and planted . Even rebushed the front yard for them.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 Senior Member (100+ posts) | Senior Member (100+ posts) Joined: May 2009 Posts: 132 | Angelia -
You might try supplementing with Carnation Instant Breakfast VHC (Very High Calorie) -- thin it first with milk, though, it's very thick and rich! You can get it from amazon.com by the case.
Chrissy
Stage 2 SCC upper right palate Hemi-palatectomy and maxillectomy 5/28/09 Six teeth gone IMRT x30 starts July 13. Completed 8/26/09 Carboplatin and Taxol x6 starting 7/14/09. Completed 8/25/09.
| | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 61 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: May 2010 Posts: 61 | I was 215 pre-Dx. Now 165. I've dropped 15 pounds since the PEG came out. I went through 6 sessions to stretch my throat after RT. Also had a colonoscopy during the last session. Lost weight fasting for the colonoscopy. Had an emergency appendectomy last week. Lost more weight during that two day process... my Oncologist is going to be mad. I was trying to maintain 180... I HATE Ensure Plus but still drink one every day...
I have started to track my intake. I use an iPhone app called My Fitness Pal. Tracks calories, weight, and exercise daily.
Survivor. 55yr male. Dx 07/09 SqCCa Stage IV, Rt Tonsil, Lt&Rt Lymph Nodes. Aborted tonsilectomy 07/09. Chemo port 07/09. PEG 09/09. Chemo - 3xCisplatin 6xErbitux. RTx35. Tx ended 11/09. CAT scan (clean) 01/10. PET scan (clean) 02/10. Port & PEG removed 04/10.
| | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Mike, Try Carnation Instant Breakdfast VHC. It has 560 cals in the same size can so more bang for the buck. Post Tx I mixed the can with an equal amount of whole milk and drank one with each meal to "boost" my caloric intake. I still didn't gain any weight my first year of recovery so I can only imagine how much more i would have lost if I didn't do that. Were you ever tested for HPV?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 61 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: May 2010 Posts: 61 | If I was tested for HPV, my Oncologist never mentioned it. I had barely heard of HPV until I attended a SPOHNC meeting after my treatment was complete. The bizarre part of that was my Oncologist was the speaker at that meeting (I didn't know that in advance). Thanks for the Carnation idea - I'll give that a try. I drink at least one glass of whole milk with dinner most evenings, sometimes for lunch too. But I'll try the Carnation and milk too. Did I say I was happy to find this place?
Survivor. 55yr male. Dx 07/09 SqCCa Stage IV, Rt Tonsil, Lt&Rt Lymph Nodes. Aborted tonsilectomy 07/09. Chemo port 07/09. PEG 09/09. Chemo - 3xCisplatin 6xErbitux. RTx35. Tx ended 11/09. CAT scan (clean) 01/10. PET scan (clean) 02/10. Port & PEG removed 04/10.
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