Post treatment

Hi

It's a perennial problem with CRT

I had just six weeks RT. My taste was acceptable at six months. That is to say I could tell what I was eating. I had no appetite at all and just ate to live. If I could swallow it I ate it. It's what we do. 

I must say that if I didn't need to cook for my husband I could have gone days without bothering  to eat

See if spicing your food up piques your interest. You can spice without adding heat. Play with texture if you can. Soft squashy sloppy foods don't push any buttons

It's just time and after three weeks the radiation has only just peaked

Hi 

I dropped from over 15 stone to just over 11 in 2-3 weeks during treatment, very worrying..... I was also feeling very low most days.... but it does pass, appetite and taste eventually returned, felt a lot better about the future, started exercising and going on holiday..... Our lot does improve but it takes time.....20 months post treatment and things are still improving.... tough treatment.

Peter 

Hi It’s early days for you although you  might not think  so. Your treatment will have only just stopped working or indeed might still be .I took the attitude food is fuel and I ate to live. I got no,pleasure from food but I realised that nutrition and hydration were the keys to recovery. My hospital dietician said I needed 85 g of protein and 2500 calories plus 3 litres of water every day that was to maintain weight. Our bodies for a while seem to change our metabolism as well.I ate 6 smaller plate of food a day rather than trying z3 meals a day. I fortified food with double cream, eggs were a good source of protein and cheese also. Sauces made. With Philadelphia cream cheese. I forgot the traditional meat and 2 veg found what i could eat and some days ate it more than once. 
blog below might help also reads this article I’ll pop a cook book link on as well 

Remeber it doesn’t last forever ,I’m living a great life now  

Hazel 

https://www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/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

Thnx Peter

Thnx Hazel

Omg 4 stone in 3 weeks

that scares me 

thought you had peg

Yes I had a PEG...

Peter E said:

discovered that I also could not tolerate Ensure 2cal....it caused severe vomiting

Spencerbear 

Don't stress too much. This sort of feed intolerance isn't that common. Most of us are fine on Ensures or Fortisips

Hi

Glad you've finished your radiotherapy. I've got to have 30 sessions, any advice welcome.

JDCC said:

3 weeks since finished 35 sessions of radiotherapy and still feeling so low

You, body and soul, have been through an awful lot. Sometimes I think the body heals faster than the mind 

There is an excellent piece from psychologist Dr Peter Harvey, who worked extensively with cancer patients

It may help explain a lot. I copied it out and gave it to friends and family too

After Treatment