Food ideas for chemo patients?

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

DH starts his chemo tomorrow and we have been researching the food he is allowed and what he can't have, which seems to be most of the stuff that he loves

We have the Royal Marsden Cancer Cookbook but I wondered if anyone could recommend anything? So far I have planned fish with parsley sauce and new potatoes, pork chops, meat balls, all recipes from the cookbook. I understand he may not feel like eating anything due to the sickness but would like some inspiration for simple and light meals that he can have if he feels like eating.

I've bought him a treat box with ginger cordial, sea bands, fluffy blanket, mints, bamboo socks, soft pyjamas bottoms, to make him a little more comfortable, but don't know if there's anything I'm missing that will help. Thanks in advance!

Have you asked anyone about Fortisip?

It's basically Complan on steroids and not particularly nice, but it's useful for trying to get calories into sickly patients.

There's a kind of gel-like yoghurt-y type stuff, flavoured milk-y stuff in individual packs with straws and a more fruity liquid called Forti-Juice.

Ask and see if it might be suitable.

I remember my Mum used to swear by frozen melon and frozen raspberries to help get rid of the metallic taste that chemo gave her. Wishing you both the best. Cancer’s a fucker.

My Mum developed a taste for fresh pineapple (due to metallic taste after sessions) - though didn't like it before and doesn't like it now. It really helped her.

She mainly couldn't bear to smell food cooking. It had to be in tiny portions and just appear at one of the moments when she could eat.

All the best for this part of the struggle.

Thank you, hadn't heard of Fortisip so will speak to the nurses tomorrow.

Good shout for the fruit. With the metallic taste, do you think bamboo cutlery may help?

Macmillan do a book you can pick up in their centres. It has a mango cheesecake type dish ( baked ) my bf basically lived off the mango compote after each chemo session, frozen seemed the best.

My fil has chemo regularly we've given up trying to plan and he just has whatever he wants/feels like. luckily there's a shop across the road. He can't have frozen/cold things straight after chemo as he has a reaction to them.

How common are mouth sores? The nurse was talking about them as if they are inevitable, but is there anything that could reduce the risk of them occurring?

They are very common, chewing j-cloths help.

My son regularly had mouth sores , he was prescribed a mouth wash and he liked ice lollies

Thanks both. DH has been given a Difflam mouthwash. He has taken quite well to the chemo, doesn't have any sickness but was pumped full of meds to combat this. He is a little tired and isn't sleeping, but isn't as wiped out or lethargic as we had thought he might be. Maybe that will change as he goes through the cycles. Maybe he will be lucky. Who knows?

My son varied each time! Sometimes he was sick as a dog ( even with anti emetics) others he’d be fine

My dad had the mouth and throat sores and lost haf his body weight in a few weeks. We used to give him mashed potato loaded with butter, cream and cheese, fresh (Covent Garden or similar) soups with extra cheese/cream added, ice lollies (creamy ones are better than really acidic fruit/citrus for the mouth pain), dahl loaded with butter., soft chicken risotto with cream in it...anything easy to eat and packed with calories and protein.

Thanks stressed and greensleeves some useful insights. He hasn't been to bed in 6 weeks and has panic attacks at the thought of being in bed, what worries me is that he may be taken ill in the night and I won't know because I'll be in bed. I've tried staying up with him but I'm still working full time and am exhausted. I'm particularly grateful for the food tips, it's so restrictive not being able to eat salad, raw veg, ham etc., all his favourites.

My dad became very irrational and paranoid when he was on very strong chemo. He would demand to be taken to hospital in the middle of the night because he thought we had taken him home without permission. He tried to open the curtains, ripped the curtain rod don and almost fell into the fire. It's hard, hard work caring for someone having cancer treatment, but you have GOT to sleep. You minimise the risk as much as you can but you must rest or you will make yourself ill. Give him a really loud, dongy bell to ring if you're worried about him taking a turn for the worst in the night, or maybe use a baby intercom?

It's really hard to judge because everyone reacts differently (much like pregnancy when you go off certain foods you normally love but crave things you would normally run a mile from) When my daughter was on chemo we were told that if her appetite went to make sure when she did eat it was high fat content foods, but that might just be for children who need the extra calories.

I think you will find it will just be hit and miss, he will find the foods he likes or doesn't like and then you can build an easier picture of what works for him. I am also sure that raw salads and veg are fine as long as they are thoroughly rinsed?

When I had chemo the first three cycles I got a really sore tongue and the difflam was great along with something called gel clair which you swish with before eating and it coats your gums etc. The second batch I got awful oral thrush despite being really careful and everything tasted like soggy toilet roll. If his mouth gets sore or gunky get some stuff asap as the sooner it is treated the better.

I on cold full fat things like icecream and yoghurt as it was all I could bring myself to eat. I was told eat what you can and aim for full fat everything to counteract any weightloss. Mine was through the summer and I drank copious amounts of slush puppy.

My 9yr old son has ALL(Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) he is just about half way through his treatment but we have struggled so much with food, he can really fancy something but when he tastes it he says it’s disgusting or gives him a minty taste(which I think must be the metalicy taste) or he can eat for Scotland but I HATE it when he is off his food or there is nothing that tastes nice! He is off food just now😞 but thankfully he is back on steroids next week so I will be a half smiley mummy! I will try him with the watermelon idea though. Thanks. This is my first time on here so was hoping I could find some help for my baby.

When my mum was having radiation we met a lot of people having very heavy-duty chemo and watermelon and sorbet/fruit ices/ice lollies seemed to be universally tolerated among people who were struggling with nausea and poor appetite.

It's really hard to know what side effects your dh will get and how that will affect appetite. I understand the metallic taste can be hard to overcome and things you might otherwise enjoy every day (coffee sadly, even water) can taste bad. I know someone who ate mustard on everything because she wanted clean, pungent flavours.

After a few rounds of chemo we observed that day three or four was transformative and my mum's eyes would brighten up and she'd get some energy back. So once you get into a groove it might get easier.

I wouldn't go out and buy loads of stuff now. I threw masses in the bin because my mum knew immediately after chemo that it wouldn't work, even if it was food she'd normally enjoy, even the usual sickroom food you always get in when someone has a stomach virus, a lot of that stuff didn't appeal.

I do remember a nutritionist or dietician coming around to give us a list of 'light snacks' that would be easier on the stomach than full meals and we took one look at it and thought . It was stuff like hummous and carrots and my mum was like, er I don't think so.

Good luck to you and your dh.