Nutrition after Total Gastrectomy

karajabola · New User Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 1

Hello,

My 39-year-old sister-in-law just had a total gastrectomy for stomach cancer with metastasis. She is recovering from surgery and awaiting Chemo.

She is really struggling with food as the doctors provided her with very little info on what she can and can't eat. The family does not know how to help (they have been bringing over rice and bread which I've just learned is a no-no)

Here's my questions:
1. What types of food are ok to eat? (specific examples please, she doesn't know a lot about nutrition) I believe that she needs a diet relatively high in fat and protein, but that's all I know. Perhaps the Atkins diet is a good way to describe her requirements?
2. Is she supposed to have a dietition at this stage? All she got was a sheet of paper
3. Would anyone be willing to post their diet?
4. Are there any good web sites out there dedicated to this subject? I haven't found any yet
5. This may be stupid, but are there certain baby foods that would have the right nutrition?

Thank you all so much for any help you can give, we want her to be happy, and throwing up and pain in the abdomen isn't doing it.

Jenny King · Regular Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 27 Location: London

Hi

Sorry to hear your sister-in-law is struggling with food.

I would have thought that she should have been assigned a dietition - so nag her exisiting medical team.

http://www.eccafe.org/cnt/index.html this site has some recommended books and information on nutrition and 'dumping'. I've referred you to this site because many Ec patients have a sizable section of thier stomachs removed - so food and nutrition is a big issue.

Sorry I can't be more helpful, but if I find anything useful on my travels across the internet I'll forward them on to you.

All the best Jenny

byermoor2 · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 10:00 am Post subject: food

hi Kara
my mother is going through the same thing, she had her op 9 weeks ago.She has a lot of pain, so we keep trying ,the best i have found is let her eat anything she wants but on small plates.i have done a lot of reading and the best way to deal with it is as follows
9am -tea or coffee
10am -breakfast
11 -am-drink
12am-snack
1pm-drink
2pm lunch
3pm-drink
4pm-snack
5pm-drink
6pm-tea
7pm-drink
8pm-snack ans so on, do not have any drinks with food as it pushes the food down too quick and causes pain and sickness.Drinks can be tea coffee juice or soda ,but take the fizz out first,The snacks can be anything from a buiscuit,a piece of fruit a pkt of crisps a milk shake. my sister has just bought my mother a smoothie maker so we can make milkshakes with fresh fruit in it, add a scoop of ice cream to it .milk, pasta ,rice,eggs are all build up foods, but you must remember small amounts,and put it on a small plate as just the thought or a big plate of food puts them off. hope this helps you ,it seems alot but if they go along time without food it is a shock to the system and pain sickness and the shivers all start
she is not alone ,it will get better.Let me know if this helps
regards
jill (UK)

Kaz1 · New User Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

Hi

My Dad had his stomach removed in July last year and then had a course of chemo until December. He had trouble eating during the chemo as just the smell of food made him feel ill. I think this is quite common.

He didn't get much advice from a dietitian either, apart from "avoid bread, drink lots of milk and your body will tell you what it needs"!!?

What we found works for him is to have lots of small meals through out the day. We make batches of soup (don't use the packet or tinned soup if you can) and freeze it in small containers for him to take out during the week. We also do this with cooking up batches of fish and meat with rice to freeze in small containers. We also make smoothies with fruit and veg which again we freeze for him to take out every day.

It all takes a bit of planning in advance but we find it much easier to have the frozen food for him during the day and then he eats a meal with everyone at night.

The doctor advised him to drink a milk supplement which helped him gain weight but I don't know if the same one will be available in your country so check with the doctor. It doesn't taste very good and is very rich so she may have to build up to it gradually and also not stop it suddenly.

You have to try to make every meal count so get as much goodness into her with every meal and slowly she will gain weight again. Try to avoid ready made meals which may have preservatives, fizzy drinks, too much sugar etc.

Have a look at this site which I've just found as it goes through some of the problems my Dad has had

http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Resourcessupport/Eatingwell/Dietafterstomachsurgery

When I first hear he had his stomach removed I was devistated but he is leading a good life, it just takes some adjusting. Once the chemo stops it gets easier. There have been amazing medical advances so chemo is a lot more effective these days although it has horrible side affects.

Hang in there and I hope your sister gets better and make sure you are also looking after yourself and eating properly.

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