nutrition?

[pamm]

Does anyone have any info or a source of info for nutrition during chemo therapy? Am looking for diets that tell you what to eat and how much in order to gain maximum nutrition.

Thanks in advance, Pam

[Kel M]

Pam -

You may find this booklet helpful - it's from the Canadian Cancer Society.

http://www.cancer.ca/vgn/images/portal/cit_86751114/53/48/220175317cw_library_goodnutirtion_en.pdf

Kel

[SDianneB]

When I had chest radiation last year, their office had a part-time nutritionist on staff. She was a godsend and helped me a great deal. I found out later,and basically on my own, that the regular oncologist's office has access to nutritionists, but I guess their patients have to request them.

We are such unique critters though. They kept telling me to try gravy and sauces to help things go down while my esophagus was irritated, but those were the very things I did NOT want then. Go figure!

Try asking at your doctor's office, oncology office, hospital, or wherever you are being treated. Surely there is some kind of help available.

Good luck!

Di

[Mike Evans]

Look for "What to eat if you have cancer" by Maurine Keane,M.S.,andDaniella Chace,M.S.

Mike Evans

[Cindy RN]

Funny-I looked up the same thing when I first was diagnosed. I found a million different diets.

I asked the Dr and he said eat everything you can, weight loss is not good for you during chemo. I know that protein is good for healing sooooo I did just that.

I am probably the ONLY person to Gain weight while on chemo!! I actually put on 20 pounds during that first yr!! LIKE I NEEDED TO!!!!!!!

Good luck.

Cindy

[Addie]

My onc said protein was really important for healing tissue. Luckily for me....I love cheese, yogurt, milk....so could always get some sort of protein down. And Cindy, you're not the only one who gained weight!

When appetite is off...they tell you to eat whatever appeals. If it's doughnuts....eat doughnuts. If it's ice cream, eat ice cream. The main thing is NOT to lose weight....even if the calories aren't particularly nutritious.

But....I've been lucky in that even when my appetite was off a bit...I would still feel hungry and could find something to eat that kept my weight fairly steady.

I'm sure there is lots of info on line...and too, when I had the chest radiation, they gave me a booklet with all kinds of info on nutrition. One thing mentioned in the booklet was to really wash veggies well. I also was told not to drink well water...and we have a well. So now I drink 2-3 bottles daily of bottled water. We also got some of that anti-bacterial soap and put it by every sink in the house, along with a roll of paper towels. Cleanliness...including washing one's hands carefully, is also important while on chemo.

I tried not to get too paranoid about it all, and have relaxed some....but am still careful. I try to eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies too...organic, if at all possible. We even buy organic chicken...because Frank Perdue "infuses" his chickens with lots of growth hormones...and my mostly bald head ALREADY makes me look like a chicken!

I make lots of small to moderate concessions to a good diet....but draw the line at seaweed, brown rice...macrobiotic sorts of things. A diet without doughnuts and caramel filled Hershey's Kisses....equals poor quality of life, if you ask me!!

[Larry]

Doc told wife to eat eat eat !! When asked about sugar and carb's his answer was what ever a person feel's like eating that will make them eat is what is important for now.And i'm so glad there was not this list of not to eat food's as just finding what looked and tasted good to her was a battle.....