Hi ther ,sorry to hear this, u could Myb try the drink replacement meals, at least he be getting a few nutrients. I or soups , that's Wat I eat on days I'm off my food :) .
I am so sorry to hear your husband has lost his appetite. kat32xo has already given you some very good advice and I thought I would also let you know that you can find out more information on our site on how to add calories to your husband's diet. You can read more about this here.
Don't hesitate to ring our nurses too on 0808 800 4040 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm - it's a free number from UK landlines. They may have some more suggestions for you!
I will also let our forum members give you their own tips as many here have been in the same situation as you and cared for a terminally-ill loved one.
Welcome to this forum but sorry for the reason you find yourself here. My husband had a three year journey with terminal cancer and appetite was an issue for quite a lot of the time. Along the way we had varying success with, ice cream. mashed bananas and custard, thick soups and basically anything that would ad calories (even known to eat several jam doughnuts in a day and was actively encouraged by his consultant/gp and support team to add high calorie (fats/sugars) to anything he would eat, that was no ,as some of the time he just felt he could not be bothered. It was enormously worrying as the 'watcher' and I hated being able to eat whereas he felt unable to at times. At some point I had to realise that no matter what I offered he just could not manage it and for some time he was on prescription shakes to try and up his calorie intake (we also were given dietician advice and his medical team did their upmost to encourage him and they even tried steroids on a couple of occasions).. It was one of the hardest things I had to witness and I know he saw my frustration (as much as I tried to conceal it). It was not his his fault but the way of the illness. Overall he lost nearly 5 stone but still carried on trying for as long as he was able.
I just want to send you a virtual hug at his difficult period of time. Take care of yourself too as its all to easy to forget you need nutrition too. Regards Jules54
Hi Maureen gingin has started a similar thread but about her Dad. I and some others have posted responses on there so it might be useful to check it out.
river56 had an excellent idea to point you in the direction of gingin1991's thread. You can read her post here and don't hesitate to respond there as I am sure you two will have a lot to say to each other.
My father has kidney cancer and he has withered away to a leaf with a distended stomach. His appetite is none existant. my mother and I have been making him smoothies. He has a few sips here and there. Im sorry i dont have more advice. I have a thread in the introduce yourself forums where very nice memember made better suggestions.
Ps. Feel free to drop me a line anytime. Even if it's just to vent :)
My partner who is 73 has advanced oesophageal/stomach junction cancer which has spread to his pelvic bones so is terminal. He feels sick all the time (but isn't) even though he has tablets for that. He is not interested in food, has no appetite and doesn't fancy eating anything. He does have a few drinks but can't always finish all of it.
I'm worried and try to encourage him to try different foods. He does eat porridge for breakfast with sugar, can eat rice pudding. I'm going to ask G.P for prescription for the food/drink supplements which I know they supply. Various types and flavours. You can also get powder to mix in food or drinks. My partner is a big chap who ate everything before this illness so to see him not eating is distressing. I hope you find something to help your husband.
My husband has oesphagal cancer that has spread to his spine and top rib. He weighed over 16 stone in September 2018 and today weighs 11 stone 4 oz. It's heartbreaking to watch him fade away day by day. The doctors have given him all sorts of energy drinks, which he won't use. They've just swapped his Ensure drinks for some energy fruit juices and he's turning away from them too. I've bought Meritene soups etch but he just won't touch them. He says he can't explain how it feels, just that when he eats it's like licking rusty railings and that puts him off trying anything. He used to be type 2 diabetic and has admitted to the MacMillan nurse that he thinks it's psychological, and that he feels he will get the diabetes back should he take these drinks that are obviously high in sugar content.
I'm at my witsend. They changed his sickness tablets and it seemed to work in as much as he felt slightly better, so decided he fancied a bit of pizza. Only had two small slices. Big mistake ! Spent the following day throwing it all up both ends I'm afraid. He's felt poorly all weekend, but is taking another sickness tablet tonight, and hopefully he'll feel slightly better tomorrow. I understand how you feel. I personally feel so helpless.
Anyway, we'll keep on trying anything and everything. That's all we can do.
My husband is the same, he’s been like this now for about 3 weeks, but he just seems to be getting less interested in food, I give him ice cream, jelly all sloppy food but a sandwich and he just can’t face it.
Hes on 3 Fortysips a day but I just wish he would eat! It’s so hard to just sit and watch him not be able to eat, he’s lost 2 stone to date but I think when we weigh in Monday it will be more, he is just being weaned off steroids so I’m really hoping that once he has finished them on Tuesday he takes his last one give him another week and I just hope he can start eating again, but even then it’s going to be a very long road to recovery.
My husband had kidney cancer 13 years ago but they caught it early and removed the kidney, but a few months ago he suffered head pain and seeing things which were not there, they scanned him and found a secondary tumour on his brain, he was put on a very high dose of steroids and within 3 weeks they had him in for radiotherapy to remove the tumour, that all went very well and the swelling in his head has all gone down now, but the effect the steroids are having on him is not good, he’s been in hospital 3 times, with infections and very high blood sugars, all down to the steroids.
All I can tell you is what I do ask if he fancy’s anything, cook it for him and just hope he eats just a bit, most of the time it ends up in the bin, have you tried the replacement drinks, they are really nice and at least he will be having something.
