peebygeeby Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hi everybody, I'm curious to hear how and if you have made dietary changes since your diagnosis. Hank had his first chemo treatment several days ago, at that time dietary changes or suggestions were not discussed with us. I had been forwarded an article from Hank's sister which is something we believe was printed by Johns Hopkins. It talks about many issues including eliminating sugar, almost all red meats and pork, milk products amongst other things. I'd like to know what you are doing, and who told you to do it? Thanks, Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hi, Gail. I got a copy of what appears to be the same thing from my neighbor, but it seems a bit extreme to me and I haven't made any diet changes attempting to comply. We have a multi-generation household and have always tried to "eat healthy" with a minimum of fat and preservatives. For myself I do supplement with Ensure or its Wal-Mart clone, currently one can a day, but back when I was on Taxol/Carbo and having trouble eating, I drank three per day for several weeks to maintain weight. Some people with cancer do go on rather strict diets of one sort or another and seem to have positive results, but who knows how much credit the diet should get. Maybe they also started meditation, yoga, tai chi, or qigong at the same time... Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Look through our Nutrition forum for some more Info, Gail. The biggest thing is to drink lots of water and stay hydrated. THis is very basic and very important to do. Dehydration leads to IV's in the ER and thats just no fun at all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Gail - I havemade no changes whatsoever and I have gained 25 pounds since I began chemo I did ask my onc about the cutting out of sugar thing and he said thats not a proven thing that sugar causes the cancer to grow. Even asked Dr. West on onctalk and he said moderation is the key!! Hugs - Patti B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I asked my doc that very question, Gail. He pretty much said do whaever I'd been doing. That meant eating pretty much the same as I always had. Of course, I HAD been TRYING to eat less of the naughty stuff (candy, cake, etc.) but STILL included all that in my diet. Even some red wint too . Sloughed off the sugar question just as Patti's doc and Dr. West. Common sense and moderation. And BTW Patty.......I've gained 10 pounds EACH of the past 3 years !!!!!!! That is a YIKES for sure! Kasey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgirl Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 My mom changed her diet quite a bit, and for a 56 year-old woman who has eaten a certain way her whole life that hasn't been easy. The main changes are limiting sugar, meat, and processed foods. She tries to make veggies and whole grains her main foods. Most regular doctors have very little education in the area of nutrition, which is why they don't inform you one way or the other how you should be eating. Since my mom's diagnosis I have read a number of books on the subject that have taught me a lot. A couple that come to mind are "The China Study" and "Crazy, Sexy Cancer". I've probably read about 10 different books now and I truly believe that nutrition can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebygeeby Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Thanks everybody, I am glad to hear that you have not had to make any radical changes to your diets and are doing well. On top of being newly diagnosed with this disease I'm sure that Hank would be quite unhappy having to follow a strict diet plan. I am making him eat his veggies now and take a multivitamin!, but, his appetite is good, and he's eating well, so for now, I guess we'll leave it alone. He's not a big water drinker, but he's been drinking alot of juice, decaf ginger ale, so, I think he's staying well hydrated. Thanks everybody! Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan L Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I received the same document and forwarded it to my oncologist at Johns Hopkins. This is exactly what she wrote: "This is NOT from Johns Hopkins. There are bits of truth in parts of it but by large there are just scare tactics in there. You should focus on continuing with chemotherapy, eating a good diet, exercising if you have the energy and allowing your family and friends to support you along the way. Those things will help." Hope this helps. Susan L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 "Susan L" This is NOT from Johns Hopkins. There are bits of truth in parts of it but by large there are just scare tactics in there. You should focus on continuing with chemotherapy, eating a good diet, exercising if you have the energy and allowing your family and friends to support you along the way. Those things will help." Thanks, Susan. Suspicions confirmed! Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebygeeby Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Thanx guys, There's so much information out there. Hard to know what's valid and what's not. We have an appointment with Hank's oncologist on Friday, so at that time I will ask for any recommendations. Meanwhile, tomorrow is a week since his first treatment. We think he's come through it pretty well. For the most part, he's just more tired than usual, and had a couple of days of bone pain that he says kind of just kept jumping around to different parts of his body. Mostly in his legs though. We are assuming that this was from the Nulasta injection. His tongue was sort of sore and dried out yesterday, but that's improved today. His appetite is just fine!!! Thanks to you all everybody! Gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraL Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Wow, that John Hopkins article even made it to me. Things travel fast in the cyberworld. During chemo the most important advice I got was drink, drink, drink. And if you can't eat, well, drink some more (water that is). And watch out for the nasty constipation that can sneak up on you from anti-nausea drugs...any signs of that deal with it fast! During treatment I would not recommend any significant nutrition changes. Just eat healthy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Sandra is right about the constipation thing. When I get home from chemo the first thing I do is drink some senna tea. It works great. Otherwise, I am in BIG trouble!!! Patti B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley (MLC) Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Hi, I had a little laugh at the thought of mom changing her eating habits. She has never had the best eating habits...A candy bar for lunch is frequently the norm. Anyway, I definitely would encourage drinking as much liquids as possible (this I did get her to do) It certainly wouldn't hurt her to try and eat a veggie now and then, but after 69 years, she's not likely to change! Good nutrition or not, she seems to be doing well with chemo and her daily activities. Maybe chocolate IS magic! Shelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan L Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Talk to your oncologist about hyrdoxyzine for the Neulasta bone pain. After my first Neulasta shot, I had unbearable bone pain, mostly in my legs. Someone had posted an article on another board about antihistimines for medicine-induced bone pain. I brought the article to my oncologist. Although he said it wasn't proven and wouldn't give me a prescription for it (it's an antihistimine), I had some left over for hives and tried it for my second Neulasta shot just last week. What a difference! I only took one pill (25mg) a night the day of chemo, the day of the shot, and the day after the shot, and not only did I have very minor bone pain, but the pill also helped me sleep each night where the steroids used to keep me awake. I have an appointment with my oncologist on Friday to get results of my first CT scan since treatment and I will definitely be telling him I took the pills against his advice and that they worked, so hopefully he won't be so closed minded with others. Good luck. Susan L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phylsgirl Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 My mom has been a bit nausea since after her crainiotomy in January but she makes herself eat because she knows she has to maintain her strength and weight. One thing I discussed with my brother the other day was to speak with the oncologist and ask him if he thought we should consult with a nutritionist especially while ma is undergoing chemo. I had heard about the sugar thing and cancer, that sugar causes the cells to grow. Just my opinion, but I am thinking that maybe, just MAY be because of PET scans and the fact that it is the sugar in the PET scan injectable that "lights" up the suspicious regions in the body, maybe an assumption was made that it causes these type of cells to grow. I don't know, just a thought. I've asked a couple of doctors about this sugar link and most do not believe it. At this point I don't think, medically speaking, there is a definitive answer on this. However I choose to err on the side of caution and since my mom's Dx we have been watching/reducing her sugar and her salt intake as well. One thing I have noticed about my mom is she doesn't like tomato sauce as much any more, she used to love spaghetti and meats(tomato)auce but doesn't anymore. Maybe in time she will get that loving feeling back for her tomato sauce. I am thinking about getting my ma, possibly a Mothers' Day gift, is a juicer. Might get one for myself as well. But you are all so right, with the internet there is a lot of information out there some reliable some so-so and some just outright bogus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azgirl Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 We got a juicer for our mom and it really helped her during chemo. Sometimes she couldn't eat whole veggies, but she could always drink them. Plus most juices you buy are full of added sugar, so it was good to know she wasn't getting anything extra that she didn't need. My husband and I bought a juicer, too, and we love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 We didn't make huge changes except to add more green leafy vegetables. John also started to drink V-8 juice every day and I think that helped him a lot. I noticed a big change in how he felt after he started drinking vegetable juice. He also took more vitamins and supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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