Husband with advanced renal cell cancer

My husband was first diagnosed with cancer in his right kidney June 2015. Had a nephrectomy July 2015 and scans have been clear  until the August one. Saw the urologist in September who said his cancer has spread to his stomach and metastacised and is also in the tissue behind the original site so now stage 4. Referred to oncologist who has put him on pazopanib ( votrient) once a day.  He is 10 days in and feeling sick, full up, at times shivery and has a UTI which is being treated by antibiotics. Saw the GP yesterday who says he may need intravenous antibiotics to clear up the UTI.

My husband has also been living with MS for 38 years and is wheelchair bound. He is very strong willed and forces himself to eat; now eating to live not for pleasure. We are expecting our first grandchild in February and he is determined to see it. This is almost like history repeating itself as my dad fought bladder cancer and his final outing was on our son's Christening. He lived to see him reach 5 months old.

I have to keep well and so do several classes at the local YMCA. Positivity helps and our supportive GP who was round yesterday within an hour of calling to ask for advise about his sickness, I only expected a telephone call. If anyone has any good recipes that help with food please pass them on. Trying a chicken broth today as spicy food which he used to love is out of the question.

  • Hi Chrissie,

    It sounds like you and your husband have a lot to put up with at the moment. Like you, I lost a parent to cancer and my own cancer journey has echoes of my Mum's which is a mixed blessing. On the one hand it meant I didn't have any surprises as the care processes haven't changed much over the years. On the other hand, it is easy to forget that everyone's experience is different and that outcomes have improved.

    Not feeling like eating is pretty common on many types of chemo. When I was on chemo my wife made lots of different home made soups. Blizing the ingredients in a blender helped make it easier to swallow and was a good way of getting protein iand other essentials nto me. 

    I also enjoyed home made power shakes - use full fat milk as this is the one time it doesn't matter how much fat you eat. Peanut butter and banana go well together. There are some great recpes online - Jamie Oliver's make a good starting point. www.jamieoliver.com/.../

    My oncologist also suggested chocolate :-)

    Hope this helps
    Dave 

  • Sounds like the kind of diet I would like. Thanks for all the tips, it is just finding something he can stomach. Said my broth was bland but if I make it as I used to do he has a lot of pain in the stomach. It is finding the right combination. Over the years he has eaten a really healthy well balanced diet and so it is hard to get him to eat full fat things but will keep trying.

    Chrissie