CancerCompass message board discussion started by Cookie on 5/27/2006 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,5472,0.htm Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I have had a complete gastrectomy (complete stomach removal) on the 28th of March. I really would like some advice or ideas that others have that have also gone through this. I am down to a mere 92lbs, and really need to get some food with calories and good nutrition benefits into me. I have been practically living on eggs, chicken and cheese the last two months, and need some more ideas. Ensure, Boost etc.. doesn't work for me I get cramping and diarrhea. Any ideas on foods that can help put on weight??? This nutrition eating thing is the hardest thing to do. please help....Sabina Cookie Sat, 27 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT why don't you try eating avocados. they are full of antioxidans and they are fattening. Thereishope Fri, 16 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT My mother had a total gastrectomy in 1971. She is alive and well. She still gets biweekly B12 injections and she has always taken multivitamins. When she first had her surgery, 35 years ago, she was a pioneer, more or less. They told her at the time she would have to survive on baby food for the rest of her life. My mom, being herself, got fed up with that very early on and slowly worked up to finely chopped food and now eats pretty much everything the rest of the family eats. In fact, this evening, I took her out to Swiss Chalet for chicken and baked potato. She cannot eat as large meals and tends to more or less have three major meals and three minor meals per day. I just wanted to let you know that there is hope. That you can survive and survive well. Shadowetalia Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT My dad had a total gastrectomy and splenectomy March 31, 2006. His biggest problem these days is trying to keep things down. Fluids are ok, but he can't eat (even pureed food) without hacking up really thick mucous. Did your mother experience this after her surgery? Any suggestions are appreciated. My dad is wasting away in front of my eyes. Ebbfordad Wed, 09 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT It was great to read that your Mom had surgery so long ago and is still alive and well. My daughter-in-law is facing total stomach removal in the next couple of weeks and is scared to death. She is 32 and has 2 small children. She hasn't been able to find anyone to talk to who has had the surgery. Would it be possible for her to call your Mom or you and talk? Motherinlaw Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT but in the meantime, I'll give you my throwaway e-mail addy so you can contact me. --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---- Shadowetalia Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT Thanks for your message, but this page evidently deleted your email address. If it will let mine go through I would appreciate it if you would email me --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ----. Thanks so much for any info on your Mom and how she did after surgery. Motherinlaw Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT There was a different kind of crisis in our home and this is the first opportunity I have had to talk with Mom about this issue. Yes, she had trouble with thick mucus stuff. She still does when she gets those exams where they put the tube down your throat. She just basically ignored it. She found that slightly acidic foods would help with nausea. Maybe a piece of orange...or if that is too acidic, something a little less acidy. To this day, she needs to be careful about fatty foods. She uses very little butter on her bread and uses milk in coffee instead of cream. During the first year, she said she ate nearly constantly, whether she felt like it or not. You know those Carnation Instant Breakfasts? She would make one of those in the morning and take sips all day. But it would take her the whole day to drink one of those. But it helped with the calories. She blended a lot of stuff in the blender. She suggests a slice of bread with maybe a piece of melon to help your father with the nausea/mucous stuff. She also strongly suggests, if he is not already doing so, to never sleep laying flat. My parents always had about six inches worth of books stacked under the legs of the headboard, to raise the head part of the bed so the stomach contents to stay down. Shadowetalia Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT How Are You Doing Now With Eating? My Mother Had A Total Gastrectomy A Week Ago. Would Love To Hear Your Story.Did You Have Chemo After Surgery? claudia1 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT Hello. My mom had gastrectomy last year in November. She is in Russia. Iam scared to death for her. She lost a lo of weight (from size 1x to 10-12). She was diagnosed with stage 3 (lymphnodes wer affected). She is coping ok so far. But for about 5 months she has been suffering with thick mucus. Sometime she would eat ok all day. Sometimes, she'll eat 1 spoon of soup & then the food would not go down. More than that, her stomach would start hurting & she has to vomit.Wen she does, very think (she says gum-like) clear mucus comes out. She sometime is able to pull it out with the hands (it's very stretchy). Once this thing comes out, she feels ok and can eat again. Does anyone know what is this? Doctors are telling her that she is lucky that she can eat....  spiro Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT How is your mom doing? What stage was she diagnozed with? I guess our moms had the surgery at the same time. My mom's was on Nov 1 spiro Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello,I received your message on 10/22/08, sorry for the delay.  You had mentioned that your mother had an operation.  Was it a total gastrectomy?  And is she suffering from cancer?  Here is a one year report in short of it.Operation of total gastrectomy was completed approximately 10 months ago.  The first two months were very difficult, expect this to occur if your mother is going for a total gastrectomy.  It's a phase of many levels to go through for both patient and family members.  First, your mother would need vitamin B12 shots at least once a month, and insurance will grant twice a month with doctors approval.  In order to spot it, just see how your mother feels near the mid to end of hear incision healing process (could take a month of two).   If she is tired and depressed, do not think it's just the blues.  The stomach absorbs the B12, without the stomach, a body can not receive it unless given in shot.  Some doctors claim that nasal sprays of B12 work, however, some complain of it irritating the nasal area and throat.  Consult the doctor on this one but it could make the difference between your mother having the will to pull through emotionally to better heal physically.Once the vac (if she ends up needing one to relieve the inner liquid build up) is taken out, and the doctor has signed her off, you may find a couple things to watch out for in the future.  Hernia's, bowel difficulties, and fluid build up.  My mother hit this snag a month ago.  She went in due to a hernia being spotted and to have it removed.  Once they went back in, they found another hernia to remove and her gall bladder was enlarged oddly so they removed that too.  In all the research I have done, the gall bladder removal takes less care than the T.G..  However, fluid build up seems to occur afterwards.  Today my mother had to be reopened, drained, sewed back up and sent home within thirty minutes.  I can only hope your mother trusts her doctor, most know what they are doing.  These are the phases it seems to such an operation as the T.G. although each body is different.  The key denominator seems to be the gall bladder after a T.G..  Once the use of the gall bladder is no longer needed after the stomach is removed, there is no need for it.  If you run across this, do not be alarmed.  If not, than consider yourself in the small percentile that this does not pertain to.  Our mother will be fine.  How do you project your mother to recover, and how has things been for you?    Total Gastrectomy Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/27/2006 Cookie wrote:I have had a complete gastrectomy (complete stomach removal) on the 28th of March. I really would like some advice or ideas that others have that have also gone through this. I am down to a mere 92lbs, and really need to get some food with calories and good nutrition benefits into me. I have been practically living on eggs, chicken and cheese the last two months, and need some more ideas. Ensure, Boost etc.. doesn't work for me I get cramping and diarrhea. Any ideas on foods that can help put on weight??? This nutrition eating thing is the hardest thing to do. please help....Sabinahi Sabina my father inlaw had this he had to have Vitamin K injestion and he had eight little plates of food a day. I think you don’t need any thing fating but what you do need is to put on protein, you can see your doctor  or if you like see your drug store or chemist they will have some thing for you and you can also see a dietitian you can then ask your insurance to pay for the cost  hope this helps jcr65566 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT