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Stomach Mets

Forums General Melanoma Community Stomach Mets

  • Post
    AMcReader
    Participant
      Hi Friends,

      I’m still battling away on this clinical trial (initial results after month 1 looked good!), but I am struuuuuggling! The met in my stomach makes it so hard for me to eat and I’m wondering if any of you brilliant people had some ideas from personal experience.

      I’ve talked to my oncologist and several cancer specialist dieticians and just haven’t found any solutions that have worked well for me. Unfortunately, my stomach reacts poorly to protein drinks/shakes/powder and any form of meat right now, but I do ok with small amounts of nuts, fruits and some veggies. Any thoughts on snacks, meals, foods I could try would be so appreciated. I’ve lost 30lbs since the end of July and I’m only 5’2 with not that much to lose from the get-go.

      Labs and other indicators show that I’m on the right path, but as you all know the path with immunotherapy can be long and arduous and I need to get some good food in my body!

      Thanks!

      Amanda

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    • Replies
        Christinad
        Participant
          Hi Amanda,

          mom happy to hear your results are looking good! That’s great! Sorry you’re not feeling well with stomach issues. Have you tried eating a soft diet? Things like oatmeal, cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, Mac n cheese, yogurt etc. I don’t have a stomach net but have had a lot of stomach issues since starting immunotherapy and am down 40 pounds in 5 months. Although some of those foods aren’t healthy I was able to tolerate them in small amounts to try and get some calories in my body.

            Christinad
            Participant
              I meant to say “I’m” not mom.  Autocorrect gets me every time:)
            Bubbles
            Participant
              Bless your heart, Amanda!  Melanoma sucks great big green hairy stinky wizard balls!!!!  I’ve taken care of a fair number of cancer kiddos and experienced all my own fun and games – but have yet to find any perfect answers for the question you pose, but these are the tips I can give:

              First and foremost – you have permission to eat whatever the heck you want and can keep down!  If that is a doughnut and peanut butter – so be it!!!  Speaking of – peanut butter can provide a good source of protein and calories if you can take it – on the spoon right out of the jar? on toast or crackers? with apple slices?

              Sometimes oatmeal and quinoa go down pretty well – making them sweet or savory as you see fit.  Quinoa in particular provides lots of protein.

              Grilled cheese sandwiches are my particular go to when nothing else tastes good or will stay down.

              Oddly enough, in my own experience and in the care of my little ones – weird sounding items like dill pickles and lemonade taste good and stay on board somehow.  Can’t say there’s a great deal of nutrition in a dill pickle – but enjoying that may spark a bit of appetite?  Lemonade will at least provide fluids.

              Scrambled eggs alone or with a carb – grits? toast? pancakes? potatoes? – have been things that I could tolerate in difficult times.

              Don’t know if any of those ideas will work for you.  Perhaps they can at least be food for thought!  HA!  Hopefully others will chime in.

              Hang tough!!!  Hugs!  celeste

              soonerjenn14
              Participant
                Hi Amanda,

                Sorry to hear you are having tummy troubles! I don’t or haven’t had a stomach met but I have had issues with eating while on targeted therapy meds. Some ideas – some others have suggested:

                plain hummus and wheat crackers, peanut butter plain on a spoon or on something, mild soups, toast, grilled chicken, beans, chicken salad, cheese sticks (I adore cheese but may not be palatable for everyone), crab sticks, apples. Or anything that sounds good – you are in a position to eat whatever you feel like you can handle!

                I hope you can find something you can keep down! Keep up the good fight! #melanomawarriors

                Best,

                Jenn

                tedtell1
                Participant
                  Amanda, So sorry you are going through this, but glad that treatment seems to be working!
                  Have you considered putting things in pudding/jello form. You could add protein and fruit etc to both forms. Also have you tried soups? There is so much you can do with soup to add nutrition!
                  Good luck,
                  Ted
                  jbronicki
                  Participant
                    Hi Amanda,

                    So good to see your post and so proud of you on the clinical trial, you are truly amazing and so glad that response is occurring, but so sorry for all the stomach problems.  That is so rough and we all definitely want you to keep your strength!  I can only offer this as you never know what will actually do the trick for any one person:  When my mom was doing chemotherapy and couldn’t eat really anything, the one thing she really liked, which doesn’t sound great, was “creamed spinach” from a can, it just seemed to be the one thing that she could handle and enjoyed and was high in iron, calories, etc.  She also always loved grilled cheese and oatmeal too, as mentioned above.

                    Keeping fingers crossed that one of the suggestions that the group has mentioned will do the trick!  Also, Blizzards from Dairy Queen sound good too 🙂

                    Thinking of you!

                    Jackie

                    sing123
                    Participant
                      Hi Amanda, I often think of you and hope that you are doing well. Only to add to those above, how about a daily avocado and some of the higher fat nuts, such as cashews and macadamian? And as much olive oil as you tolerate, added to your cooked veggies. Hang in there and keep us posted as you can.
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