What I can do?

To answer some questions:

1. Yes, I physically can eat more often than I do.
2. It isn't what foods I'm putting in, it is how often and how much.

Here's why:

1. I have a huge sore in my throat that hurts like the dickens if ANYTHING goes past it. Water included.
2. I need to have my throat enlarged again, so it is back to baby food, so if food isn't pre-prepared (whipped) then I'm very hesitant to eat it as it gets stuck (and hurts, with or without the sore that is in the same place!)
3. It seems that practically every food I consume ends up hurting my small intestines. This combined with the chemotherapy results in my throwing up after every meal. This has lead to an aversion to many, many foods I would normally consume in mass quantities and can't even look at them now.
4. I have no appetite. The desire to eat plays a large part in how much and how often you eat. The steroid provided to me should help with that this week. Also, removal of the nauseating chemo pump should also remove many aversions.

So hopefully with the proper diet suggestions I have from all my friends and family (no need to provide any more, I'm overloaded). Then I just need to eat MORE. That is all.

Note: one of the reasons I have to eat more is that I'm not eating fast food any longer. No tacos, no chicken wings, no hambergers and fries. Therefore I have to eat more because the calories of what I am eating are less. Health food isn't all it is cracked up to be for someone like me that can't eat much.

Shane

Wasn't enough ... still losing. Talked to doctors.

Shakes weren't enough. I'm down 2 lbs to 120 lbs. My weight when I was 18 entering University. Talk about a time warp!

Doctor agrees I'm losing too much weight. So, I'm off Chemotherapy this week (I'm not going to miss that for sure!) Radiation will continue.

I've also been given some prescription steroids to increase appetite and reduce nausea for this week. If this doesn't work, then I will probably be stuck with a feeding tube directly into my intestines through my side (don't want that!)

Shane

Still "losing" ... Kaye wants me to stop miss-spelling the word.

Smoothies going down. Taste ok, some better than others. They make me more hungry after I've had them, like I'm still empty. Even though they claim to have a half day's worth of calories per dosage. Odd.

Jeff / Cindy's tomato sauce tastes great, but I can't eat it often (too acidic) as my mucus membranes are starting to erode due to the radiation & chemo. Already I have a sore at the back of my throat that makes it hurt just to drink water. More salt water rinses are in order...

Shane

Still loosing...

Chemo through PICC line is unforgiving. More nausea & vomiting (well, it tries anyway).

I'm down to 122 lbs. Not cool.

Attempting to eat more, but apparently I think my "mucus membranes" of my throat are starting to give way (so here comes gargling with salt water again). So my throat now hurts too.

My sister's coming for a visit today with many shake / smoothie recipies we're going to try.  I also just picked up a blender. So hopefully the shakes will be more palatable than the ensure plus I'm supposed to be drinking (but haven't been). I also hope the natural sugar content will be lower than the pear/lichee juice I just bought. Sugars are still a diarrhea curse (again, another cause to loose weight).

This is really hard to balance!

I've been sleeping 11 hour days too, from fatigue. That's cutting into the number of meals I take in. I may have to have Kaye wake me for a mid-nap meal then keep sleeping. Just to keep my weight stable.

I'm tired.

Shane

PICC line is annoying.

I'm not enjoying the PICC line...

It limits range of motion and is a constant irritant (sleeping and awake).

I also got the edge of the included tape a bit wet my first shower with it (after attempting to cover the area with a large zip-lock bag and some elastics...) which ruined its stickiness. The tape I placed over the edge to keep it flat is not "flexible" like my skin and the first tape, so it limits motion even more as it pulls my skin.

Can't wait for Tuesday for them to replace the bandaging and get a proper tape on it again.

Shane