5 weeks post treatment

Hi. I had a PEG & used it for overnight feeds from week 4 of treatment. I then would try to eat little amounts of soft foods in the day - everything tasted horrible but I was determined to try & get eating again in order to get my PEG removed. It’s a case of viewing food as fuel & trying different things. I tried creme caramel, mousse type desserts, tinned peaches, tops off mini trifles, soggy weetabix with full fat milk…. I reduced the amount of PEG feeds as I managed to eat more then had a Scandishake a day (600 calories) to supplement. It took many weeks to eat pasta etc I am 10 months post treatment & can eat most things, dry food like bread/crisps I avoid & have switched to vegetarian foods as I find meat difficult to eat. 
I had 6 counselling session via Macmillan after treatment finished as I was very depressed. It was extremely helpful. 

Hi Blod,

thanks for your reply, good to hear you can eat most things now, the problem is my husband is so fussy with food, he won’t eat trifles, yogurt he hates cream, he tried a bit of weetabix last week and just said it tastes disgusting and wouldn’t eat it, he is desperate to get his peg removed which is in his tummy but he’s got to eat food first. He had it fitted in October and treatment started on the 21st of November. I think he needs some counselling but I know he won’t talk to anyone. We have been together for 13 years, and I’ve never seen him cry, but now he gets upset all the time. The treatment really is brutal. He also owned his own business which he now doesn’t have due to having cancer. 

Hi Tizer, well done to your husband with his treatment. He is still in very early days, and eating is the last thing he will feel like at this stage, however, he will be able to get his calories through his PEG, try to give him things with lots of cream butter full cream milk etc, which are high in calories. Try porridge with cream and honey, scrambled eggs with lots of butter, milk puddings semolina, rice with added cream. Don't worry about meat just yet that will come later. Things will get better with time, his body has a lot of healing to do. He will get there in the end. All the best to you both.

 Regards Ray.

Yes, the treatment is brutal & I too became extremely depressed to the point of not wanting to carry on. I highly recommend the counselling. I hated my PEG but was absolutely determined to do all I could to get it removed. Your husband has to see for himself that eating is the only way to achieve the goal of having his PEG removed. This is not the time to be fussy about food, it’s about getting the calories in for recovery. Have you contacted Macmillan at all? Their live chat is great & help is there for you too. All the best. 

Hi Mandy
all the guys have we given great advice. 
I shall simply add that perhaps you can try to convince him that thousands of people have been before him treading the same road. Is it more important for him to enjoy his food or to get better? For me food was simply fuel and I got little enjoyment for six months. I vividly remember sitting at the same table in the kitchen that I’m at now. Same time of year too, gazing into the garden shovelling Ready Brek down with tears in my eyes. I had that tube out six weeks after treatment end. Anything that had calories and protein that I could swallow past the pain went down. 
If your husband waits till food is good  again his PEG might be in for a long time. 
Perhaps you could get him to read the replies on here. 

Maybe have a read if this too 

www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/.../After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

Hi Csnt add much to what others have said. Food is fuel and eat ti live was my mantra for a good  6/7 months calories was my motto I aimed gif 2500 by any way I could . Double dream in soup poached eggs on toast with smashed avocado.we loose  muscle mass it needs replacing protein yoghurts  are good protein powder in smoothies. Take  a look at these links they might help. 
The treatment is brutal what it does to our mouths is horrid but I’m almost 5 years there’s a great to be had it csn take time getting there. 
m hugs Hazel x

www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/.../After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/66263025/cookbook-by-andrew-gaylor-head-and-neck-cancer-survivor-2022

Thank you, great advice I will try anything to help him recover. I can add cream without him knowing

He has said many times he wants to give in, he has lots of support from family and friends. We haven’t found Mcmillian to be that good I’m afraid. He’s normally such a strong man, never stressed and also he’s never been poorly never even had a cold he’s 59. 

Thank you. Yes I have tried to get him to read things, this is why I came on here when he was struggling into week 2 of treatment. All your advice was great. I read posts and pass on information to him. He’s a very stubborn ex royal marine that doesn’t help. I will keep trying and maybe next week he can try soft food again.