Chemo completed but weakness and didn't feel like eating

leaf999 · June 2015

What is the best food one would like after the chemo, when you simply don't feel like eating any more for days?

My mother is going to have a surgery on July 25th. She has just completed a six months course of Chemo. First 3 months of Chemo on one type of Chemo Drug and the last 3 months on another Chemo drug. Last 3 months of Chemo was more painful for her. She is 71 years old. After her last chemo, which was on July 16th, she is feeling very weak and says that she don't feel like eating any more and is hardly eating. As of now she is only drinking water and lemonade mostly.

After every chemo session she also get 5 injections in the stomach for increasing White Blood Cell count. She feels extreme pain after those injections, which last for a week.

So the good news is that her Chemo is complete. But the bad news is that she is extremely weak and don't feel like eating. She is worried about the surgery and think that it will be lot of pain.

Anyone can you please share your experience:

1. What is the best food one would like after the chemo, when you simply don't feel like eating for days?

2. Is the surgery after Chemo a painful process or you simply don't feel anything during the surgery.

Sid

leaf999 · June 2015

Thanks Kayb for your response. We will see if she will respond to eating protein. She tells that Chemo has killed her taste buds, so everything feels like that it has no taste.

littleblueflowers · June 2015

Your poor Mom! During chemo when I didn't want to eat I forced myself to drink smoothies with yogurt and protein powder. I also did lots of home made broth with lots of natural gelatin from the bones in it, and blended soups with meat veggies cheese and heavy cream. Anything to get calories and protein down. McDonald's burgers sat well also. It's mind over matter at this point. She's just gotta eat like it's her job. For me surgery wasn't that painful, but it does kill your a petite and constipated you and limit range of motion. Good news it, it's way better than chemo. Talk to a nutritionist for sure, and maybe a therapist. Trust me, she will be able to retrain herself to eat, but it takes work. I had to set an alarm to remind myself to eat every hour.Good luck!

ElaineTherese · June 2015

Hi!

Chemo killed my taste buds, too. I ended up eating a lot of bland foods because they were the only things I could tolerate. Kayb is right that your Mom needs proteins. I ate a lot of scrambled eggs, chicken, turkey, and fish. It's not clear from your post whether your Mom is having a mastectomy or lumpectomy. I had the latter, and it was a relatively easy surgery to recover from. (I was back at work the next day.) Then again, I'm 47, not 71. Best wishes to you and your Mom!

kcat2013 · June 2015

I drank alot of whey protein shakes. I could mix it up and just force myself to drink it down. That might appeal to her more since her taste buds are messed up right now. Also, encourage her to eat whatever sounds good, even if it's not healthiest food. If she thinks she could eat ice cream, serve her up a bowl Once she gets some food back in her regularly she'll start feeling more like eating and can ditch the less healthy stuff. Chemo really takes a toll on a body, I'm sorry your mom is feeling so poorly.

Kendra

crs003 · June 2015

Congrats on you mom completing the chemo, I'm sorry she is feeling so bad. I agree with others about whey protein and shakes, but with supplements ask your doctor first. Does she have a favorite food? I liked to put a scoop of low fat vanilla ice cream over oatmeal for breakfast. That is good that she is drinking water and lemonade, I got into trouble from not drinking enough water. I found that walking or just getting out or shopping helped work up an appetite and helped my energy levels and spirits.

ksusan · June 2015

Good luck to your mom. It's hard but necessary to eat even when nothing has much flavor.

Here's a whey protein drink you can get at CostCo. They have free delivery, too, for a double carton (=36 shakes): http://www.costco.com/Premier-Protein%C2%AE-Vanill...

That's a link to the vanilla, which I found unobjectionable and easy (each 11 oz. container has 30 grams of protein). They have two other flavors online. My local CostCo only had the vanilla.

Chemo completed but weakness and didn't feel like eating

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