Helping Mom prepare for Treatment

mommasgirl

My mother was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer, she is scheduled for a Lumpectomy in two weeks, and then will begin chemo and radiation treatment following that. My way of coping is research and preparation (don't get me wrong, I've cried and cried, but anxiety doesn't help anyone, right?) , so I am looking for recipes and meals that I can make ahead and leave with my dad and brothers for when Mom doesn't feel like cooking. I also want to help her prepare as much as I can for treatment. 

So, my question is, what should and shouldn't she eat? What will help her body deal with the treatments best? What comfort foods can she have? 

Also, any other thoughts and ideas on what I can do to help her through this please feel free to PM me! This is all very new to me and my family. 

mjm1

Hi, thats very thoughtful of you.

my mum's going through chemo at the moment. It may vary depending on what combination of chemo drugs she has. Mum is on taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin.

Food is a very trying issue for her, for the following reasons: 1- chemo kills off her taste buds each cycle so she goes through stages where everything tastes different, and many things taste horrid, and it can change from 1 day to the next. 2 - her digestions is all over the place - heartburn, from constipation to the opposite and back, and this affects what she can comfortably have in her tummy 3) she has a couple of days each cycle where the inside of her mouth and throat feel very tender and she only wants really soft, bland foods. Acidic foods are often a problem.

All the usual nutritional advice still applies (fruit, vegies, milk), but the biggest help has been to have a range of things available so she can pick something that works on each day with all these changing conditions. Watermelon is good for fluid retention. Icecream is one of Mum's comfort foods, though not ideal as she's watching her weight. Having a range of frozen soups, berries and vegies makes it easier to have more options available. 

Mum finds it helps to walk every day. 

Try and get your Dad and brothers to help your Mum at home too. After surgery mum would always overdo it when i wasn't there as she doesn't like asking for help.

And make sure you look after yourself too. xo

NatsFan

Mac and cheese, white rice, and instant mashed potatoes were all I could tolerate the first week or 10 days after chemo.  Plain water and seltzer water were about the only liquids I could tolerate.  Not great nutrition, but that was the least of my worries at the time.  By the second week, I could tolerate a few more normal foods - fresh strawberries and other berries were a favorite. By week 3 I was able to eat everything I'd eaten before without any issues. (I love Mexican food, so I always made sure to eat out at least once during Week 3 at a Mexican restaurant cuz I knew I wouldn't want it for a few weeks.)  Then of course it was time for another treatment and the cycle started all over again.

Mjm's advice is good - have a range of foods available so she can eat bland foods when she needs to, but enjoy some comfort food when she's able.