1. < Esophageal Cancer

My sister was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer

Posted by anita1948 @anita1948, Mar 29 8:44pm

My sister was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer and has lost a lot of weight. She has a feeding tube in her stomach and needs to gain weight. I've heard that sugar feeds cancer so looking to make her food without sugar. Has anyone found a mixture I can put into her feeding tube which helps gain weight, little to no sugar has vitamins to help with her upcoming radiation and chemo?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Esophageal Cancer Support Group.

anita1948 | @anita1948 | Apr 9 9:34am

Thank you for this information, I will share it with my sister. Today will be her third radiation treatment.

REPLY
Mentor
Don Higgins, Volunteer Mentor | @dsh33782 | Apr 9 9:53am
In reply to @ktv2019 "I was on a feeding tube for one year during my treatments for stage 4 esophageal..." + (show)
@ktv2019

I was on a feeding tube for one year during my treatments for stage 4 esophageal cancer. Following chemo, radiation, and surgery I used both a regular feeding tube and a feeding tube using a pump. The pump allowed me a very slow ingestion of the supplement and I would even be hooked up to the pump at night while I slept. I was able to gain weight back to the point of pre-diagnosis weight. The feeding tube was removed 6 months after surgery. The nutritionist was able to fine tune the supplement used so that I had a high calorie liquid that I could tolerate. I was unable to take anything by mouth. I am now 6 years cancer free.

Jump to this post

KTV
Wow, that is really great that you are now cancer free after all that. I had chemo, radiation, and jtube for several months , but no surgery. Where did you have treatment?
Don

REPLY
ktv2019 | @ktv2019 | Apr 9 12:25pm

Treatment was local on the Monterey Peninsula. We went up to Stanford for consults but were assured that our surgeon and oncologist, formerly at Stanford, were as good as it gets!

REPLY
mlg111331 | @mlg111331 | 6 days ago
In reply to @anita1948 "Hi Don, she is very weak and only able to handle 3 8.5 oz carton of..." + (show)
@anita1948

Hi Don, she is very weak and only able to handle 3 8.5 oz carton of nutrition. Each one has 350 calories and the doctor wants her to get at least 2000 per day. I’m researching how I can make her something in a blender with higher calories. I have to take her on Monday to see her doctors so hopefully I will get the green light to create something for her.

Jump to this post

Hi Anita1948, There is a product on Amazon for mixing with milk or protein shakes called NakedMass it comes in a plant base or whey base. One shake is 1230 cals.

REPLY
mrgvw | @mrgvw | 5 days ago

If you wish to believe that going to a diet for your sister of little to no sugar will benefit her... then who am I to argue. My belief, from all that I've seen in counseling many hundreds of my fellow EC patients all over the world is that that ship has sailed... she has EC... it couldn't care less what her diet is. It will burn calories anywhere it can find calories. But your sister, like most of us on our EC journeys, is likely losing weight and is very weak. She needs calories (and hydration) any way she can get them! I don't care if she eats 10 donuts a day... she needs to stay strong enough to keep getting treatments. I know I had a time during my neoadjuvant treatments where I could swallow nothing. So I leaned heavily on my J tube to live... and that was 5 years ago. I know G tube feeding allows for more options than J tube feedings. All the best.

Gary

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.