Hello...hoping for some help

Hi. I have a meeting with my dietitian every two weeks and she told me to concentrate on one meal a day first. Then slowly with time add another meal. I can eat breakfast. I can taste everything and texture isn’t an issue for me. I’m three months post treatment. I started eating about a month ago. I too up with ensure through the Peg as the smell and taste of ensure makes me throw up instantly. Like you I wanted to get this show on the road but realise that it’s going to take time and honestly I’m in no rush to lose to peg especially as I can’t tolerate Ensure. 

breakfast for me is either egg sausage and coconut pancake or packet oats with lots of maple syrup. Sometimes granola. This has many calories as an ensure so this week I dumped the. Real fast ensure feed. I still feed at noon, 3pm and 6pm. 

During the day I’ll eat dried fruit like cranberries, shortbread and crackers, hard boiled eggs which I can nibble on during the day.    The more bland the food , the happier I am. I also was a foodie and so this has been quite a shock to my system . But I leaned to just go with the flow.  It will come back

I also found keeping a food diary helps. I don’t write daily but whenever I add a new food I record it. You’ll be amazed going over your notes of the progress you’re making without realising it  

Hi there, Nicky T2N1M0 finished CRT August 2023. Well done for getting through and keeping up the food fight.  It is tough, and you feel like it’ll never end, but it does get easier. I’m 8 months down the line and I still have issues with all sorts. Nothing tastes the same anymore, can’t eat carbs at all, chocolate (!!) a no no how sad is that. I still glug warm drinks all day to aid eating. I lost 30kg from diagnosis to coming home and thereafter.  My dietary food police are really good.  I keep a food diary which I find useful.  I managed to avoid tube and PEG through shear bloody mindedness, so I’m more fortunate than some here.  Keep at it, speak to anyone here on the forum, they’re all amazing.  Don’t get disheartened; one day at a time.  Nix

I am full of admiration for anyone who gets through all that without using a tube/RIG/PEG.  I thought I was pretty bloody minded. Clearly I’m an amateur. I could not have survived without my RIG.  I’m only 3 months post treatment, and my biggest issue is carbs.  I can just about tolerate some breads, but pasta, potatoes, rice and, sadly chocolate are definitely off the menu.  It’s a texture thing. Hopefully this will improve with time. 

Liz111 said:

Clearly I’m an amateur

We are all different. Some of us just have really nasty side effects from the treatment. I certainly did. Others have an easier ride. 
My consultant is fond of telling the tale of a patient of his having just finished six weeks of proton celebrated with a Big Mac! 

Oh what I'd give to be able to eat a burger...and taste it! (not necessarily a Big Mac)

I'm struggling getting anything down but I've decided I'm not rushing things, I'll just keep going with my swallowing exercises, drink what I can and try little bits and pieces to see what I can/can't tolerate.

xx

Hi baby steps slowly slowly is the best way. As for  burgers they are pretty dense so maybe put that to back of   list for a while. A lot of people used to tellme to eat mince it’s so hard I could around 6/9 month manage a well known a store Cumberland pie ( m snd s ) but home made took a lot longer.

Slow cooked lamb was far easier plus chicken thighs over chicken breast even now at al most 6  years thighs win . Don’t be disheartened some weeks you can eat something only ti try the following week and you can’t. We wasted so much food hubby ended up putting weight on eating my leftovers. 
You’ll get there 

Hazel 

Gentle_Whisper said:

I'm struggling getting anything down but I've decided I'm not rushing things, I'll just keep going with my swallowing exercises, drink what I can and try little bits and pieces to see what I can/can't tolerate.

THAT is the best attitude and will get you there without too many meltdowns and disappointment 

Its a marathon, not a sprint for most of us but we get there 

Hello Gentle Whisper, it just takes time, things should start to improve gradually for you from around now. If the nausea is still bad, tell your team and they should give you stronger meds - it took a while to get mine under control. Taste and appetite will return slowly - less than 18 months after treatment I'm able to eat everything & just have a slightly dry mouth though not everyone is so lucky. Hang in there! 

Catriona

My nausea is under control but I'm still struggling when I'm trying to swallow food, particularly anything that's a bit dryer.  I tried a tiny bit of scrambled egg on toast this evening...I won't be trying that again for a while.  Took all my willpower not to vom.

Thanks, dry foods are a struggle so for now I'll stick with yoghurt and rice pudding.  That's about all I can tolerate at the moment, but I'm so fed up of sweet stuff.  I'm craving savoury.

I'll have to try to the food diary idea.  Others have mentioned it too.