Chemo delayed due to low white blood count: Disappointed

To answer that question about eating, I lost 40 pounds while on chemo. So yes, I had a lot of trouble eating. I knew it was important so I tried to eat but it was a challenge for me and my husband! Drinking anything was also an issue. Switching to room temp water really helped me get more down.

I lost my taste buds so everything had a horrible mouth feel, I was nauseated and no appetite whatsoever. My sweet husband jumped through hoops trying to find foods that tempted me. He would make little bite-sized pieces of food for me on a plate. Looked like doll food! LOL
PJB bites, pieces of plain broiled chicken breast, pieces of Swanson canned Chicken breast, bites of string cheese, crackers, bites of banana, apple, applesauce, canned peaches. Sometimes pudding would work or a smoothie. Lactaid ice cream was a winner!! But even then, sometimes I could only eat something once and then it turned me off again. So it’s hit and miss, I’m afraid.

There are hints such as adding a tiny dribble of maple syrup on foods. It tricks the tastebuds. There are Cooking for Chemo recipes online too. I couldn’t for the life of me tolerate the ‘taste’ of protein powder. Sometimes I could drink Ensure fruit juice. But I couldn’t handle the taste of the shakes. They are a good source of protein though.

There can be a little backlash with anti-nausea meds because they disrupt the normal gut action. The zofran tongue melt tabs were my favorites. Your husband also has the added difficulty of having a sore mouth which further complicates things, I’d imagine.

All I can say is that this will pass. Little by little his ability to eat will return. He may not have an appetite but he’ll be able to at least hold down the food. Best bet is to have very little portions and, grazing throughout the day helped the most. Don’t even bother having him try to eat a meal. It won’t work right now. My dietitian and transplant team didn’t care what I ate at one point, as long I got calories down! That’s where the Lactaid ice cream came into play…in a dish or a smoothie.

If he can handle the taste there are candies or lozenges for anti nausea such as Ginger candy or Queasy-pops. Sometimes they can give a little extra relief right before a meal.
Wishing you both the best of luck over this rough patch! It will get better!!

Thank you! I just hate seeing him lose weight, 20lbs so far, he’s over the half way mark so far.

I know you hate to see your husband losing weight. You feel helpless as you watch him go through this huge life challenge. From a cancer patient’s perspective, I think the caregiver may have the rougher time adapting to the new situation. As a cancer patient, we just try to get through each day with whatever happens. Our lives have changed abruptly and our personal focus has pretty much blocked out any other thoughts. Unwillingly, we become the center of everyone’s attention!

The caregiver, not so much! You are being thrust into a position of having to take over the other person’s role while they are incapacitated to varying degrees. Your life changed drastically too. But instead of lying in a bed or lounging on a sofa in fight or recovery mode, you are flying by the seat of your pants trying to keep track of everything, including items that were taken care of by your partner in the usual division of labor that comes with marriage or having a close significant other. You don’t get down time! You’re filled with worry, stress, med lists, appointment calendars, making sure your husband eats, all while trying to balance everything else.
It’s good to keep a diary of your husband’s weight so that you can bring it up with his doctors. His eating will return slowly. I did find a couple of discussions over several groups regarding chemo and not wanting to eat. This is one you could skim through for ideas of food.

When will food taste good again after chemo and radiation? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trying-to-get-food-into-husband-after-chemo-and-radiation/

Try the little portions of food I suggested. Think bite-sized and not pieces on a plate. I would give my husband ideas of what I ‘might’ be hungry for and maybe could get down…but usually I could only gag down a bite or two and then I felt bad for all the work he would do in vain. Eventually, I was able to eat more and my appetite gradually returned. Your husband will too! In the meantime, he may lose more weight but it’s not your fault, ok? Unfortunately, those pounds are collateral damage in his fight against cancer but they should return when treatment is over. ☺️

Did you ever have trouble eating, no appetite? Right now my husband can’t eat, he’s a little nauseous and just doesn’t want to eat. He’s had to different meds, zofran and compazine, but didn’t help. Will ask the dr today.

I had the same thing as your husband. Just finished in Nov 23.
Definitely trouble eating. Not just appetite but everything tastes and feels like "crap". it's really indescribable.
It is difficult especially when it first hits you. Is he getting the Chemo? Cisplatin? Do they also give him dexamethasone with chemo?
Did he get the feeding tube?
Jeff

He did have chemo, cisplatin, 3 sessions. Also 35 radiations, six more to go. No feeding tube, he’s trying hard to get things down. Mainly boost and scrambled eggs, it’s so hard for him.
How many you have left or are you done?