Regurgitating food

Hi Caring1. This does seem to be a difficult situation with your mum. If it were me I would get in touch with the hospital asap and ask if they can provide her with a nutritional pathway.That is either NG feeding tube or some other route.  This does not sound like something the local GP is going to solve. I wish you both all the best.

Hi Caring 1, 

I’m so sorry ti read how tough things are for you and your Mum at the moment. It’s heartbreaking to watch a loved one not be able to eat. 

I don’t know if this is of any help to you, but my experience with my late partner was that, as with your Mum, he reached a point when he was unable to eat any food, and then again when he was unable to swallow any liquids. When he was unable to swallow any water, he went into hospital and they gave him IV drips and he stayed in hospital whilst he could not drink at all. We used ice lollies a lot in this time if that’s of any help as they were the only thing he could manage. He also went a bit back and forth in that most days he could have nothing, but sometimes he could eat a bit, so it wasn’t completely one way. 

In his instance, the doctors were able to put in a stent which meant that he was then able to drink and eat. If your Mum is not able to have an operation then I presume a stent is not an option. Hopefully the hospital has advised you on other ways to ensure your Mum has some nutrients going in. 

For him, the stent very much helped, but irrespective of that, his body quickly reached a point after having it that, even tho he could eat, his body was shutting down. There’s a timeline in my profile if that’s useful. 

Sending you lots of love and hugs and I hope you are getting some support from the hospital or hospice for your Mum. 

Thank you, she seems similar to your partner. Today she ate a ginger biscuit! Weird as she can’t keep blended soups down. We have had hardly any help from hospice or hospital but I rang the hospice Friday and they were very sympathetic and listened to what I said. I have to ring today with more details of what’s happened over the weekend. 

Has your Mum not been offered a stent? My MIL was the same with food, she hadn't eaten in a good 3 months until the stent was fitted. Thankfully it worked. I hope they can do something for your Mum 

It was just the same with my partner; there seemed to be no logical explanation for some of the foods he could suddenly eat! And then the next day he wouldn’t be able to again. 
I hope you can get some more support from the hospice today. Ours was really good but I know it can be variable. We had some meetings at his home to assess as well; if you can request for someone to visit for example. And we had a 24 hour line to call which was helpful, perhaps checking your hospice had the same just in case. 

No she hasn’t, I don’t think they would do one anyway how frail she is. It’s heartbreaking watching her struggle so much 

I have rang hospice today as she’s now complaining at feeling ‘lousy’ all over, with a bad back and heavy legs. I’m worried in case the cancer has spread to her bones, but the nurse seemed to dismiss it straight away with “it may be a virus and ring her doctor!”
She has eaten a tiny amount today without being sick, and I’ve gave her a Fortisip drink diluted with ice cubes as she hates how thick they are. As she has eaten a little the hospice said see how she goes by the end of the week. We don’t seem to be getting any useful help really. I’m shocked at how little help we have actually had