I wasn’t told to avoid anything and found that i just ate what i fancied, taste was affected!! Found that steroids gave me the nibbles for carbs! Onc told me not to worry about weight!!
hope all goes well for you! x
WOW! I cant believe the advise we are all being given is so variable.
I was told bottled water is ok, but throw it away after 3 days. I am avoiding pate but have a huge urge to eat it, i might just have to give into the urge!
Caroline I too have lost weight - about 4 kg - the nurses all say that everyone puts on weight but I haven’t - I think but not sure that the weight gain is more from the munchies that the steroids give you rather than anything else - possibly also most of us are at home all day rather than at work - I am certainly less physically active so I have cut back on what I eat but I’m just not hungry really.
I wouldn’t worry about it too much - just go with what your body tells you to do
R xx
I asked whether I should avoid anything and was told no. So I have just been keeping to my usual diet, which I try and make sure is reasonably high fibre in any case.
I’ve had takeaways, bottled water, pate, cheeses, re-heated leftovers, alcohol throughout and have been fine.
I am also taking a Yakult a day (didn’t know there was some recommendation not to) and an aloe vera drink (I don’t like honey!), just in the hope I can keep my guts protected. Bran flakes for breakfast and trying to get plenty of vegetables in my diet.
I’m tracking my weight, and it was rising alarmingly at first because I was treating myself ‘because I am poorly’, but I am now controlling it with diet. The anti-sickness tabs mess up my bowels for a week after chemo, so I put on 4 lbs, but have found I can lose it again a week later.
MMmmm… Hungry now…
Recs
I think my weight loss is down to the horrible taste of anything sweet, and I normally have a sweet tooth. I have avoided chocolate and biscuits so that I don’t get put off of eating them when this is all finished. Maybe I had better keep up the diet after chemo - now that would be a positive outcome if I could drop a dress size or two and keep it off.
Caroline
i lost weight in the first two cycles but think it was more down to muscle tone as i stopped exercising unfortunately my chosen sports are kickboxing and mountain biking and was advised not to do this anymore because of the risk of lymphoedema. Also breathlessness put paid to most of my fitness routine.
I’ve just finished chemo now and since put on 1 1/2 stone aaaaaargghhhh! Partly due to the theory that flora mentioned…i’m poorly so i’ll eat what i like!!
Will be getting back on my bike all be it with a little more caution as soon as i get my breath back!!
xx
Pixielot
I do Taekwon do and the onc has agreed that, provided I am very careful and use very little power, I can continue training when I feel up to it. I have managed one session during chemo. I was hoping to train on Friday but it was cancelled due to the snow. I suppose it’s not as high impact as kickpoxing though. I won’t be doing any sparring until everything is finished.
Good luck with the bike. Hope you manage to do some cycling.
Caroline
Hi all,
I didn’t realise there would be things that we are unable to do after chemo…or do you just mean for a while or whilst on chemo??
Do we need to be careful with our surgery arm for ever? I was never aware of this… why are we told so little!!! What about gym classes where weights are used? Can we not do these again?
As for the food, I was just told to avoid takeaways(but haven’t)Just careful,making sure everything is piping hot. Avoided pate and certain cheeses. Also didn’t know about bottled water and have been drinking that after chemo!! Although, wouldn’t use the same bottle after more than a couple of days… so hoping thats ok!
Keep warm all
Sarah x
Hi Slatch
Briefly (as this a thread about food and chemo!), yes, you do need to be careful with your surgery arm forever - no BP, no injections, no blood draws in it - because of the permanent risk of developing lymphoedema (and cellulitis). Avoid carrying heavy bags and treat any breaks in the skin (scratches, cuts, bites) with antiseptic immediately. Wear appropriate gloves for gardening and rubber gloves for dishwashing and housework.
Trauma to the arm (such as kickboxing) could also trigger lymphoedema.
I think there is a bcc publication on this site about lymphoedema.
Also I would recommend the lymphoedema threads on the this site - loads of chat and info.
If you haven’t been warned about this risk by your health care team, they want shooting, IMHO. You need to talk to your bcn about it asap.
As far as weights go, they are a thorny issue. You might well be able to go back to them but very slowly and gently, wearing a compression sleeeve as precaution/support and you may have to reduce permanently how much you lift. Ditto any weight bearing on your arm. You really need very specialist advice (from a lymphoedema physio perhaps?) on this if it is an important part of your life.
X to all
S
Hi,
Thanks for the help with all that, I sort of knew most of it ie, not having bloods taken etc. But thought the weight bearing was just after surgery!! Wasn’t told too much about it all - just given loads of leaflets!! and thats private healthcare too!!! Thank goodness for all the advice we get from here.
Sarah xx
Bahons
Thanks for the advice re weights, was wondering about that for when I get back in the gym. Will seek more advice.
x
It’s a really diffult issue this because not using your arm as normally as possible won’t do it any good and will weaken it but over using it can do it harm as well.
To my mind, there are three types of people as far as lymphoedema is concerned…
Those who will never get it no matter what they do.
Those will get it no matter what.
Those for whom the all the precautions might just make the difference.
Unfortunately, there’s no way of telling beforehand which group you might be in! So those who don’t have it need to be vigilant.
This link might be of interest:
(Page 3 gives list of risk factors for lymphoedema)
X
S
I find all this information fascinating. I was never told to avoid any food or drinks. In fact, my Oncologist told me to eat and drink what I fancied as my taste buds may be shot. I have done exactly this and having now finished my chemo, feel ok. I had no real problems during treatment and am remaining positive which I think counts for a lot.
The only things I went off during treatment were red wine and coffee and even now I don’t really like the smell of red wine. I’ve had the odd coffee when out and about but I’m a tea freak so have mainly stuck to this. I was told to listen to my body and go with whatever I felt like. It’s interesting to read about what people have been advised to avoid.
ahhh…thats what i was doing listening to my body…it kept saying “eat more chocolate and crisps”…not just a greedy beast afterall!!xx
chocolate is not a bad food group…its full or iron, just what we need at this time. I class it the same as spinach !!!
keep on munching
xx