Need to gain weight before surgery for liver mets: Any tips?

Posted by hheter @hheter, 2 days ago

I need to get surgery to remove some cancer from my liver and I need to gain weight first. I’ve tried everything struggle keeping stuff down. So now they’re putting me on a feeding tube. Do you have any resources on what this will be like?

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

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | 1 day ago

@hheter, hearing that you need a feeding tube can be scary. Several members have shared their apprehensions and subsequent positive outcomes regarding nutrition and weight gain. Here are a couple of discussions you might find helpful in other groups like esophageal cancer.
- Feeding tube patients: What's your experience?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/feeding-tube-patients/
- Feeding tube nutrition suggestions needed https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/feeding-tube-nutrition-suggestions-needed/

Fellow members like @tomrennie @nbkod7b @emersonmoon @suensteve17 @josk may have further tips about gaining weight to be ready for surgery.

@hheter, when will you get the feeding tube?

josk | @josk | 4 hours ago

In reply to @colleenyoung "@hheter, hearing that you need a feeding tube can be scary. Several members have shared their..." + (show)

@colleenyoung to me, personally, having feeding tube inserted during treatment time is needed and unavoidable. But, when late effects of radiation sets in after years of treatment where a feeding tube is inserted for long term (until death) - just to have the nutrition to keep alive -- I expressed my negative view to my oncologist (& family) to have a feeding tube inserted.
I hope I am making the right decision.

george544 | @george544 | 3 hours ago

What about getting a port and having TPN?

TPN has changed our lives. It's calculated just for you (proteins, lipids, etc., ), is easy to do, and has produced incredible results. It's also something you can stop anytime you want. Nothing has to be removed.

We do TPN at home each night, 8:00 PM until 6:00 AM. We do have an home infusion nurse that comes each Monday to change the dressing and needle in the port (which does hurt), but it's all worth it. The service delivers the bags and all supplies twice a week. Is an incredible service. Hopefully you can find a similar service near you.

Please consider TPN to ease your worries about the decision. It's a middle-of-the-road choice for weight gain, has been effective for us, and putting in the port wasn't a big deal.

Sending you positive energy as you move forward in your journey.