Mom diagnosed with Lung Cancer. Need advice on helping her to eat

Posted by Karyn @kj9, Jun 10, 2020

Hi, I'm pretty new to this group but I've seen the support and help you all give each other and I think it's great. I"m writing today because my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. We are being seen by an oncologist and receiving treatment. Where my sister and I need help is with getting her to eat. to make a long story short, my mother was doing okay until recently when the docs found an arrhythmia and prescribed a blood thinner. Well my mother ate her self up with worry about taking the medicine. She worried so much and she lost a lot of weight. Having lung cancer and losing weight is not a good combination and my problem now is she only eats about 700-900 calories a day. Not enough to gain any weight and certainly not enough sustain yourself. She has always been a petite person but now she is so thin, my sister and are afraid. She doesn't have enough energy to do anything, she's constantly so tired. we try to tell her it's because of lack of nutrition. My sister and I are trying everything to get her to eat enough food in a day. My question is, has anyone experienced this? or have loved one who has gone through this? do you have any suggestions on how to get them eat? open their appetites? what kinds of food might work? I appreciate any thoughts and ideas. My sister and I are at out of our minds with worry. Thank you in advance for your support.

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Karyn | @kj9 | Jun 19, 2020

Hi@merpreb, thank you for asking. We are the same with respect to the food situation. but we've been speaking with doctors this past week and they have reassured Mom that the megace would be beneficial. We spoke with a nutritionist who would like to see my mom eat about 1500 calories a day! that's a big jump, and we're not there yet. My sister and I are hoping that this weekend we will be able to get her to take the megace and hopefully start to see some results. we've had some other issues we had to deal with this week. But I have been sharing all of the wonderful information and stories that you have all shared with me, I've shared with my mother. I haven't had a chance to set her up yet on Connect. I hope to do that this weekend. thank you so much for checking in on us, I really appreciate it. and yes, I agree. I think I need to find someone else for my Mom to talk with. I can tell there is a lot on her mind but I also know that when I ask or my sister asks, what's on your mind, she is telling us entirely. The problem is finding the right person for her to speak with!.

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jun 20, 2020

@kj9- Does you mom relate to a particular nurse or religious person?

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jun 22, 2020

In reply to @kj9 "Hi@merpreb, thank you for asking. We are the same with respect to the food situation. but..." + (show)

@kj9- Hi Karyn. How have things been with your mom this weekend?

Karyn | @kj9 | Jun 23, 2020

In reply to @becsbuddy "@kj9. No, megace is not a bad thing . We used it frequently in the hospital" + (show)

Hi, we finally took the first dose of Megace yesterday. I pray that this works. My mom has gotten so week. thank you for the information.

Karyn | @kj9 | Jun 23, 2020

In reply to @merpreb "@kj9- Hi Karyn. How have things been with your mom this weekend?" + (show)

Hi, thank you so much for checking in. we did not have a good eating weekend. Mom just took the first dose of megace yesterday. I hope to get the two prescribed doses in her today. I'm heading to her house in a few, but I understand she's week this morning. She has dry mouth inthe morning and that's bothering her.

How have people gotten over the I don't know what I want to eat, and I feel full issues? how do you force yourself to eat enought?

I know the megace needs time to kick in but those are the other two issues, we are facing. She doesn't know what she feels like eating and ends up taking only a few bites of what she does have in front of her.

Also, her oral meds are daily. No more radiation, so will the oral meds make you feel like this?
Sorry, I have so many questions, I'm trying to figure out how to get her through this so can get some food inher. we did get 1100 calories in her yesterday. so I'm praying for a 1200 calorie day today.
thank you all again so much for your input , prayers and suggestions.

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jun 23, 2020

In reply to @kj9 "Hi, thank you so much for checking in. we did not have a good eating weekend...." + (show)

@kj9- Good morning. Very glad that she is finally taking Megace. Were all of the radiation sessions finished? What are her oral meds?

Is there anyone at your mom's house with her? Or can she take care of her self-care?

Karyn | @kj9 | Jun 23, 2020

In reply to @merpreb "@kj9- Good morning. Very glad that she is finally taking Megace. Were all of the radiation..." + (show)

Hi
my sister is there now. at this point, no she can't. if left alone, she wouldn' t eat at all.
This is not a new diagnosis, the radiation was done about 3 years ago and I forget the name of the pill, but I can get when I get to her house.

Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jun 23, 2020

Karyn- You can look up the side effects on google. But it doesn't mean that she will have any. Everyone is different. Is your sister living with your mom?

Karyn | @kj9 | Jun 23, 2020

In reply to @merpreb "Karyn- You can look up the side effects on google. But it doesn't mean that she..." + (show)

Yes she is.