Weight, dehydration and eating problems

Hi, I have OC, diagnosed in march of this year. I'm going to start post op chemo on Wednesday. Sounds like you need to get the dieticians involved to give some guidance. It will be difficult if not impossible for your dad to swallow if the tumor is large. I didn't get to that stage but even then I didn't want to eat much as it made me feel sick. The Fortisip drinks, I didn't get till after surgery. I don't particularly like them either. They are ok at first but quickly become sickly to drink.

I found that after second chemo it was easier to eat but side effects caused me to lose sense of taste everything very metallic so that puts you off eating again. There is nothing easy about this journey. A lot of it is about the sufferers outlook. He could eventually be cured by the treatment but you have to persevere and have the mental attitude to push through it all. Not at all easy and I have cried more tears than I ever have at anything before. I consider myself to be a pretty positive person on the whole but this pushes you to your limits.

Just be there for dad but don't push too hard. The cancer and treatment are already doing that to him mentally. I was quite big at 23 stone and am now at 18. 

Please take care and give dad my regards. Please click on my profile where you can read my diary of it helps.

Geo.

Hello Geo,
Thank you so much for sharing your journey, It’s very much appreciated. It sounds like you have a very similar treatment plan to my dad. I see from your diary you are through the surgery and hoping your next round of chemo goes well. 

Thank you for the advice, it’s so difficult to see loved ones in pain but I do understand he will be going through things I can’t understand. Wishing you all the best in your journey and do take care. 

Hi 

My husband was diagnosed with stage 2 OC in 2022 ..He couldn’t eat or drink orally for around five months ..During that time he had an NG line fitted for two months to assist with fluids and much needed nutrients …by this stage he’d lost a significant amount of weight ..was dehydrated and weighed under 8 stone .. He then had a JEJ feeding tube fitted into his duodenum  during his staging laparoscopy ..this he found far better than a tube running up his nose and less intrusive .

After his first pre surgery FLOT chemo cycle he found he could eat and drink again and by the fourth one he was eating normally..We took this as a very positive sign the tumour was shrinking …,The JEJ remained in situ as a back up after surgery and was removed in July of this year when his dietitian was happy with his eating regime and steady weight gain 

Your Dad’s dietitian will definitely be able to help 

wishing him every success with his treatment 

regards J 

Hello J,

Thank you for the reassurance. That’s very helpful to hear. We are off to hospital tomorrow to have the picc line fitted so we’re going to enquire about a NG line as he’s feeling like he can’t take anything down. Fingers crossed he starts to see an improvement after the chemo gets going. 

wishing you and your husband all the best, so pleased to hear he is back to a steady weight and able to eat. Take care 

Hi IP20

Sorry to hear the problems your dad is experiencing (and you too). My dad was diagnosed with OC in March, had FLOT chemo before surgery which helped reduce his tumour, then surgery in July. He's currently going through his post op chemo but on a reduced dosage.

My dad like yours has struggled massively with eating ( and still is!) Dad had a jej feeding tube inserted during his surgery which is helping to sustain some weight but dad has lost over a stone and a half since this all began. I can relate to what you're going through, as a daughter it's extremely tough to see your parent go through all this. I've lost count of the times I've cried and got upset, so goodness knows how dad has felt. My dad has always been a slim build and can't afford to lose alot of weight, but I'm glad he's had the feed tube to help to some extent. He no longer feels hunger and has to view food as medicine. He's trying as best he can but it really is a challenge at the moment.

I really hope your dads chemo will help with his eating. I've heard alot if people say that once the chemo got going their swallowing and eating greatly improved. Do speak with your dad's dietician for anything at all and for any concerns you have or if you have a specialist nurse call them too. I did this alot when dad's treatment first started as we found ourselves in this uncertain world, so you will need support and advice. They are willing to help in any way. 

I wish you and your dad all the best going forward with his treatment and hope you start to see an improvement. Take care, Claire x

Hello Claire,

Thank you so much for your message. So sorry to hear you’re going through it all too, it really does suck. How did your dad find his surgery, I hope he’s recovering as best he can. 

It really is scary, and so horrid to see them be unable to keep any food down. We had bloods done today and they think he can start chemo without the feed tube yet so I think they may be trying to hold out until surgery for that. Fingers crossed for some improvement during eating. 

Thanks for the advice, it’s very much appreciate. Sending you and your dad all the best for the rest of his treatment x

Thank you  IP20. I hope everything goes well with your dad's chemo today. Hopefully it will help with his eating. 

Regarding surgery, my dad was in hospital for 9 days in total. He did everything the physios asked, determined to get back on his feet and we continued with daily little walks once he was home. Its been slow and steady recovery and still is but we take each day as it comes. He's set a goal of trying to get back to playing golf in March next year, so here's hoping!

Again, take care, do post how your dad's getting on and look after yourself too x

Hello Claire,

Glad to hear your dad is making a slow and steady recovery. That’s a good goal to have his eyes on! I hope you’re doing ok too.

We had his first chemo session on Wednesday and on the whole he doesn’t seem to have reacted too badly. However, he’s still been unable to keep any food or drink down so we flagged again to the nurses and dietician. The dietician just said keep trying which is frustrating as he’s tried so many times and nothing works, and the nurse eventually said yesterday take him to A&E. So, we had a dramatic evening of head to A&E in an ambulance which he was irritated by. It’s so hard to know if we’re doing the right thing but he does seem to be quite desperate now for the NG line as he’s terrified of eating. Feel so hard for him to be having such a traumatic time so early on in the process. Fingers crossed we get this sorted so he can get the nutrients he needs to get through the first batch of chemo. 

Take care x

Hello IP20, 

Glad to hear your dad got through the first cycle of chemo, really hope the rest is as positive. I totally empathise with the eating side of things and I do hope your dad manages to get support with a feed tube to help with this. I totally get it, watching your dad struggle with one of life's basic needs, it's just heartbreaking. It's also a strength issue, that he needs to have enough to cope with the brutal chemo regime.  I spoke to my dad's dietician on more than one occasion and she advised fortifying foods and trying milkshakes etc. However this is often easier said than done. I know my dad isn't keen on milkshakes. So while we've tried the suggestions, we're still trying to find things that suit.

Dad is starting to find some foods that he enjoys including chicken and leek big soup by heinz. He has porridge and banana every morning, he likes beef crisps  (chewed up well) and spotted dick puddings with custard. Also Eves pudding is another fave, as well as jacket potato with cheese and beans. I'm finding that bit by bit he's starting to build up a favourites list of foods that he can manage (albeit in small portions) but as long as he enjoys them and can manage to eat them I'm happy! 

Anyway, dad will be on to cycle 3 post op chemo on Tues, ( at 50% reduction) so really hope it continues to go as well as it can (hope and pray his taste buds hold out, as this is the part he dreads losing) I hope your dad gets the support he needs with the feeding. Wishing you well on your continued journey.

Take care, Claire x