Continued nausea

I had the IL procedure April 29,  I have been cleared as free from any cancer at this point (a blessing!).

My problem is that even this far from the surgery I still have episodes of nausea, I am having trouble gaining weight (I had gone from 220lbs to 155lbs - I am only 5' 8").  I still have a J-peg in and feed with that at night - taking in about 600 to 900 calories.  Eating, though I know I need to just doesn't seem to interest me. 

Any suggestions?

Hello;

 My name is Todd and I am a 10 year esophagus cancer survivor, (stage 3).  I had 60% of my esophagus removed and 1/3 of my stomach.  I was 6'2" tall and wighed 235lbs. when diagnosed, dropped to 155lbs through radiation, surgery and chemo.  I was unable to gain any weight for a period of probably 2 to 3 yrs.  Today I weigh 170lbs. and still sometimes suffer with nausea.  I have found that usually when I feel really nauseous is when I have tried to either eat too much or eat too fast.  I have also foud that if I keep somwhat active after eating I feel better.  I usually feel more nauseous if I sit or lay around after eating.  I am also a muncher, I eat a bunch of snacks all day long so I feel decent, and then in the evening when I am done with my days work and activities I will eat heavier.  This often allows me to sometimes doze off during my peak miserable feeling time. 

 While this may not sound real encouraging, I can tell you that this sense of nausea does get a little better, or at least it seems that I have been able to learn to tolerate it better.  Some days are not so bad, others days are, but overall it does become very tolerable.

Best of Luck

Todd

You have only been post surgery 2 1/2 months and it will take time to gain weight for I am 18 months post surgery and have only gained back 12 lbs and originally lost 52. I believe your calories seem low for someone using a peg and 900 is not that much, if anything those numbers will not help you gain weight. I would speak to your nutritionist and ask what your calorie intake should be to gain or at least maintain the weight you have presently. I know it takes a long time to regain weight and I am up several and then down again, but have patience and it will work out for you.  Phil A.

I agree with Phil you are only 2 1/2 months post op and it does take some time to gain weight back. I am up and down with my weight 10 1/2 months post op. I still have times of nausea and not wanting to eat as I am not interested in food at all at times and I eat because I must not because I want to. It does get better as time goes, but it does take time, I was not eating good until 5 months out, the first 3 to 4 months I would eat and throw up but I kept eating anyway. We have to learn to chew well and eat less more often and at times we forget this. I am still having some problems with certain foods and at times I choke up what I have eaten to enable my passage to be unblocked. I was fortunate not to need a feeding tube as one was put in but fell out of the intestine so they just removed and I was left to do it on my own. I know I will never regain all the weight I lost, but that is okay, at least now I am maintaining.

Take Care and Be Positive

Evelyn 

Yep!  It is a little too soon.  Don't let it get you down because it will get much much better.  It was so good to hear from Todd, a 10 year, survivor.  I am a 5 year survivor and I am also guilty of the things Todd mentioned.  I overeat, I eat too fast, I eat and then try to work hard or scrub floors or I just plain eat too much junk and then sit with a tummy ache or nausea.

Most of the time, though, life is good.  You will get to your goal...just give it some more time.  God bless.

Phil,

The 900 calories is just from the feeding tube, I also get about another 300 to 500 a day from eating "normal"

By the way, I'm John

 

John

John thats fine just on your peg but until I was able to eat more food my weight stayed about the same. I lost most of my weight after going home from surgery where my weight was 189 lbs. and I dropped to 159 lbs and then up to 174 and now I have been at 169 lbs for several months.This whole recovery is long but you will gain, just continue eating foods high in protein and good fats, especially using extra virgin olive oil for weight gain and some protein like whey will also help. Take care and eat small but frequent meals probably every two hours or so and drink liquids to hydrate yourself. My tube feeding at night consisted of a protein of 250 cal. x 6 cans =1500 cal. plus what I ate during the day. Please go slow and eat what you can without filling yourself to much to avoid nausea, it worked for me. Take care you will do well. Phil A.

 

On 7/2/2009 Phil A. wrote:

John thats fine just on your peg but until I was able to eat more food my weight stayed about the same. I lost most of my weight after going home from surgery where my weight was 189 lbs. and I dropped to 159 lbs and then up to 174 and now I have been at 169 lbs for several months.This whole recovery is long but you will gain, just continue eating foods high in protein and good fats, especially using extra virgin olive oil for weight gain and some protein like whey will also help. Take care and eat small but frequent meals probably every two hours or so and drink liquids to hydrate yourself. My tube feeding at night consisted of a protein of 250 cal. x 6 cans =1500 cal. plus what I ate during the day. Please go slow and eat what you can without filling yourself to much to avoid nausea, it worked for me. Take care you will do well. Phil A.

 

Phil A, I'm asking you specifically, TrueBrit here, trying desperately to manage my husband Harry at home. He was at BI Boston for 46 days, came home, I was so happy but was back in the local hospital 2 days later with 103 fever and severe vomitting. 

I am beginning to think he cannot tolerate the current formulary feeding through the J tube, Yep, we came home with that bloody thing anyway.

I have only been able to get him to tolerate flow rate of 50-65 flow rate maximum have no idea what the number of calories per day should be, 2000-3000 no one has any idea. He is on Keflex (cephalexin for infection) either a residual inffection not completely cleard, or aspirational pnuemonia, the spitum showed staph not terribly over grown but he had gastic contents in the exudate. I am trying everything I can think of that will entice him to eat, small 4oz portions, again you all say small amounts, but what you need to say is miniscule amounts of food. He coughs constantly, looks like he is 80 years old, not 54, is so incredibly weak and frail. I am having a very hard time dealing with this, was this surgery with no discernable cancer left, worth the ravaging his body has endured. Was it one big experiement in a teaching hosptial.. 

How do we deal with this every day, the vomitting the naseau, the pain. What did you take for pain, currently on diluadid but the rx is going to run out today, so I can't get any more of that prescription apparently, so will have to switch to vicodan... I really need some advice from some one who has been there. He lives on  the sofa, sleeps all the time, sweats profusely, but is cold... Help me please. Did you have any of these problems after surgery when you came home.  

It really does get better as time goes. The one big problem I had was nausea and vomiting.  For the first 4 months that is about all I did. I would something and shortly after throw it up, I thought it would never stop. But as time went I went one day then two then three and actually reached 11 days without vomiting. Now after almost 11 months post op, I still have the occasional day where I vomit, lately it has been a bit more don't know why but it happens I guess. I had to keep a diary of everything I ate and something I ate today would not agree with me tomorrow. It is a rough road but it does get better. I was cold all the time, never really had a fever. Now I've picked up this nagging cough whenever I eat, hopefully it is only temporary. I am sure with time your husband will improve, recovery is slow and a years later, some still have problems, so hang in there.

Take Care and Be Positive

Evelyn

TrueBrit, I was on Oxycodone a couple of times a day and sometimes at night with pain from the feeding tube. I stopped all pain meds in my third week and took only tylenol. I had no problems whatsoever except for the feeding tube falling out and my nurse at home was an IV nurse and put in back in me 1 hour later and I had to go to Boston to have a scan to be certain it was properly installed. She saved me another surgical procedure and as far as eating, I lived on cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, carnation instant breakfast, protein drinks and anything I could get down. I had very little nausea and to this day never vomited from chemo or after surgery. I ate very slow and very very small amounts but often. Today, I can consume more food but I do not eat until I am stuffed that is the key to this surgery, for I eat to live not live to eat. Everyone on this board wants to eat like before our surgery but we know thats impossible. I am thankful to be here and see my first and second grandchildren last year and this year. I would ask him what he wants to eat and what he might crave within reason but make sure he keeps hydrated at all times. I would try cutting his portions back and see if that helps and increase them when he is ready. I thank you and all caregivers for without you it would be a diffrent story. Take care and god bless you both.  Phil A.