Reintroducing food after feeding tibe

Ready brek was my first “real” food and my reaction was similar. I used to force three or four mouthfuls down chase it with water and repeat till the whole lot was down and I had to fight the nausea. I thought I just had to get it down then move on to the rest of my day. It didn’t work that way so I approached it differently. A mouthful at a time then read or walk round the kitchen or pat the dog… anything… then try another. That way it took half an hour but it stayed down. My stomach got used to food in a couple of days 
There’s a multitude of soft food you can try 

Poached eggs scrambled with Philly added to keep it soft. N number of tinned stuff that’s soft. I liked macaroni cheese as it was really soft. Tinned peaches slid down. Creamy pasta but avoid tomato sauces. Well buttered toasted tea cakes. Dunked biscuits. Jaffa cakes. Soup with added cream and butter for calories. Banana avocado mash on toast. Endless. 

I think the trick is to eat slowly till your stomach gets used to food 

Best wishes xx

If something doesn’t work abandon trying for a few days 

1. Hi Matt

i too like Dani had to push in sometimes breakfast too 45 mjns will pop a few links  on for head n neck cook books done by people whohave had our type of cancer. But as Dani says if at first you can’t manage something kesve a while until you try again. Mince and chicken were my 2 bug bears took forever and even now chicken breast is harder to manage. Sweet potato easier than ordinary potatoes as well. 
Hazel x

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/67107065/eating-with-confidence

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

Hi Matt just to add to what Dani and Hazel have suggested, milk based puddings like semolina, rice pudding go down well, you can also load them up with cream or jam to give you more calories. It's trial and error really, trying different things a bit at a time. You seem to be doing really well, so keep going you'll get there.

Regards Ray.

Hi Matt

Well done, you are getting there.

I find that weet bix well soaked in hot water with added pureed fruit (I often use canned for convenience but you can add any cooked soft fruit) and custard (I use store bought ready made custard as I am a bit lazy) all mixed together slips down easily and takes away from the bland taste of the weet bix. Soft sponge cake (my favourite is lemon flavoured) well soaked in milk or sometimes I put on Sustagen, mixed with pureed fruit and yoghurt is nice. For something savoury I cook in plenty of water on the stove any vegetables I fancy, add in a tin of baked beans and a store bought shepherd’s pie (thawed in the microwave), cook them all together and then puree. You can have as a soup or if you put in less water you can have it more like a casserole. I find the meat in the store bought shepherd’s pie is easier to manage than mince from the butcher. I figure with this recipe I am getting all the fibre, protein etc I need and it gets away from all the sweet flavours that can get a bit tiring after a while. It is very tasty but I am talking 2 years since my radiotherapy whereas tasty is probably not in your vocabulary just yet but will be soon.

Experimentation is the key at the moment.

Best wishes

Lyn

Hi Matt, well done on getting through the treatment sorry you have to sample the delicious food supplements they are not the tastiest but they do the job until your swallowing improves, as the others said don't give up trying as im sure you will find something that agrees with you, maybe you could add more liquid to begin with. Good luck , take care.

                                                                                   Chris 

My poison was throat cancer. 7 weeks RT and 7 chemo. Free of tumour but massive post RT issues with my throat.  Had a Floroscopy 'no reoccurrence of tumour ' but I might have a bulge and spasms in my throat meaning that choking and aspiration would be dangerous. The fact I had 5 teeth out to accommodate RT doesn't help!

Had a further MRI waiting now to see ENT.  However, I've lost over 3 stone, finished treatment 5 months ago. Still got bin like mouth and gunk. Eating has become a nightmare.  The only thing I can eat against their advice is very milky weetabix or shreddies!  Tomorrow I'm going to try fruit smoothies and porridge blitzed in the nutri bullet because it taste better than Ready Brek!  That made me heave just couldn't get on with it.  Somebody did suggest to me baby weaning foods!!!!!  I bought the apple and mixed it with shreddies!  Theres quite a choice and as I cantbtaste much it doesnt really matter.  I think its trial and error and I've found that it very much depends on what fancy/ think you can manage on the day!!!!

Good to know I am not alone!!!!!!

Pauline

Thanks Pauline (& all those who responded) & good luck, this bit is almost worse than the treatment as it seems to be drifting without much intervention from the professionals who seem more concerned about pain killers which I feel I can cope with. With you on the ready brek - I think its a head thing but AAAARRRGGGHHH!

I have no dicernable taste, not sure when my taste buds are going to make a reappearance?

Hi Matt

I can associate with you and Pauline. I only had 35 Radiotherapy on my neck and the effects played havoc with my taste, appetite, and saliva. I spent 4weeks in hospital with NG tube. I lost 2 stone and then a further 1 stone preparing for a colonoscopy. It WILL get better. I am now 14 months post treatment. taste almost there, appetite well improved but saliva very slow to return. 6 months post treatment was the turning point for me. During the 6 months everything tasted like chewing cardboard and lived on tomato soup and custard. I had to give up the enshake and went onto fortisip. The first taste to return was anything sweet and started to take honey on most things.I used to love porridge and boiled potato but they do nothing for me now. weetabix with loads of honey banana milk and cream is now my enjoyable breakfast. In time things will improve but I was very impatient Now the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to shine brightly. As Chris says it is not easy when you are the one going through it 

Just try and keep the chin up and take heart from those who have been there.

Ivan

I am not sure if that has cheered me up Ivan as my treatment was very similar to you & Pauline. After treatment I was expecting/hoping for a speedy recovery but that is not sounding like it will happen very soon & like Ivan I am very impatient (obviously need to check myself) 

A friend of mine does acupuncture of which I was very sceptical until I had a trapped nerve last year) & apparently this can be used to stimulate saliva as I would like to keep as many teeth as possible

Take care all