Mum has rectal cancer: Is it normal not to want to eat?

Hi razc. Bless you for taking care of your mum, I hope she fares well. Unfortunately, through treatment and then recovery there is no normal, but I think it is expected that she does not want to eat. Sometimes I did not eat because I was not hungry, but more often, I was afraid to eat because I knew what would happen next. She must find the balance so she can get the nutrients and calories to heal, look for healthy but also palatable. If you can, get a good variety of foods and when she finds the best stuff, stock up. Please also take care of yourself. Happy New Year.

How long did u take to recover. She has constant runny tummy and only wants sleep. Should I push her to be active or should I let her rest. Any help will be appreciated

I am still recovering (it has been three months), but I did not have the surgery, it was the chemo and radiation. I do not want to be “pushed” and I rested a lot, even though it is true that some movement is required and helps with the fatigue and appetite. When the time was right, I was able to get up and move more. Even now, on bad days, I allow myself time to rest. Keep a close eye and support (ask her how she is feeling often and listen, it is not just the physical health, but the mental health). Also, if she does not, talk with her doctors, nurses, any staff for advice.

It may also depend on where you live- I am in Florida so in the summer I hated to be outside because of the heat, but now the weather is very pleasant so I enjoy being outside more.

Thank u❤️ I wish u a full speedy recovery. Plz keep mum in ur prayers

It’s completely to be expected. We are going through this with my sweet Momma right now. She had her cancer removed on November 18th but due to a few complications she was in the hospital for three weeks. But I will caution you that this week we had to go and get two days of infusions to get her potassium, calcium and magnesium levels up. It’s been a long road for her. But we are finally seeing the light. She also takes two pills to increase her appetite. All her specialists tell us it doesn’t matter what she eats they just want calories in her body. So we are really heavy on the sweets right now. When she had the Boost drink we had condensed milk to it to provide extra calories. Tricks like that are helping.