Putting on weight

Hi NannyAnny

It amazed me how slowly weight goes on when you want or need it to ! My mum dropped three stones over chemo , I can honestly say despite eating well it took the best part of a year to eighteen months for a full 1 1/2 stones to go back on . 

The nurse is very optimistic!.

Hope he is enjoying being home .

Take care ,

Court 

Hi NanntAnny

Its wonderful to hear that at last you have your husband back and he’s eating well. You both have certainly been through it.
I am six months post op and weight loss which was nearly two  stone and now have gained six pounds. I don’t know if that’s normal. I’m eating enough to gain a stone. If I don’t eat a lot my weight can drop quickly I think that’s the Ileostomy’ but I’m not a medic

I just want to say hello and wish you both well  

Hi NannyAnny. How lovely to read how well your hubby is doing. I agree with Artsie. I lost a lot of weight and only managed to put about half of it back on and I decided it was because everything seemed to be going through me so quickly with the Ileostomy. Ive settled at about 10lbs less than when I started and I’m ok with that. 

I bet he’s loving getting out on these nice spring days at long last?

Take care

Karen x

Thank you, all. As long as he doesn't lose any more I won't worry!!! 

Yes Karen, he is thoroughly enjoying being out. We had a set back 2 weeks after he got out of hospital. He wanted a coastal walk, and we are only 10 miles from the sea. We chose a pebbly path, and he wouldn't turn back. I think he overstretched himself, and fell on the way back. Cut his eyebrow and grazed his knee. Blood poured out because he is on blood thinners. Two women passed and produced a clean tissue and plaster, and really wanted him to go to hospital! I knew that was the last thing he wanted! Anyway it all healed up no problem, but I've restricted the length of his walks since!! He has never been a slow and steady sort of person, all or nothing!!!

He sounds very like my husband hes always been the same up and out  

If he’s exercising more the calories will burn quickly so he may gain weight slower than I as I wasn’t able to do very much for quite a while however he will be gaining strength

Enjoy your walks especially this weekend it’s meant to be lovely weather 

Hi NannyAnny,

Do you use supplements to his meals? Multivitamins? 

x

Hi Lauren,

Someone else told me about Covent garden soups, which are pricey, but full of calories. He is also on 4 Fortisips a day. We saw the dietician last week and although the weight is still going up, its slow work. She thinks it is due to the walking and has put him on different drinks where he needs less drinking, but gets more calories. I've also got to fortify his drinks which he hates, and use cheese sauce wherever I can. I feel if he has any more cheese or eggs he will look like them!!!!

Any other ideas are welcome!!!!!

Hi NannyAnny,

The products I use as Juiceplus products, they literally cost pennies in comparison. I also supplement the products with multvitimins, all plant based.

• Hi Nanny Ann.I am post 2 weeks post treatment,and I have lost so much weight My body looks awful.I don't know what foods to eat,as a lot of what I eat goes through me.I have no appetite at all,But I do try to eat .I just wish I knew the sort of foods to eat but when I requested help with my diet I was just told I could eat anything.I can,t as I get stomach cramps after eating the wrong foods.I just don,t know what to do...

Hi Belzy. There’s some great ideas in the link below on how to add calories to food. It might be worth keeping a food diary to see if it’s certain foods that are causing the stomach cramps. Have you been given loperamide or immodium to help with the diarrhoea? It’s normal to lose weight during treatment and it does come back on eventually so try and eat little and often and don’t worry if it’s not particularly healthy. Hopefully things will settle down again in the next week or two but give your colorectal support nurse a ring if you’re still struggling

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/building-up-diet/adding-protein-and-energy

Take care

Karen x