Have you got the "can"t eat' cancer blues? Does the steak that once enticed you make you want to run to the bathroom and empty your insides? Well, not eating is not an option, sorry to have to tell you. That's why I've assembled this handy little list of options that may help you keep up the appetite. These are tips and tricks I've learned as I stumble down the road of caring for a cancer patient. You don't have to do what I say, but if you're not eating, then it can't hurt to try right?
- Forget about big traditional meals. Focus instead on small meals. Better yet, snacks. Generally, if you're not feeling so swift in the stomach department, looking at a good hearty serving of food is not going to help you. Most likely you'll feel nauseous just thinking about trying to eat it. Instead, keep a supply of snack food near you at all times. They make some great nutritional bars if you're worried about the content of your snack food.
- Frozen foods are good. The may not be the best, but they cut down on prep time which limits your exposure to the scent of the food which may well be enough to put you over the edge. So frozen waffles, appetizers, hamburgers, etc - buy them.
- Don't underestimate the value of drinks whenever you're not eating. If you can manage to drink in between eating, you'll find your energy will increase, and sometimes it even improves your appetite.
- Ginger, ginger, ginger - This little root thingy, or whatever it is, is brilliant for the ole tummy. Just about any form that it comes in is helpful. There's ginger ale, crystallized ginger, ginger candy, and ginger tea. Try some out. There's bound to be a form of ginger that you like.
- Don't wait until you're nauseated to take your medicine. Take it as it is prescribed. It is much easier to control the symptoms before they've set in than to try to stop them once they've started.
- Medicine isn't working? Maybe you want to consider the alternative that is legalized in some states, but that the federal government is too thick to allow. Just a suggestion, it does work.
- Keep your pain under control. Sometimes pain is the major contributing factor to nausea. By taking your pain killers on time and as instructed you can greatly improve your chances of eating.
The important thing to remember is to take care of your self. Curing cancer is a nasty business and eating can be one of the first things to go. But you can't fight the disease unless you master the symptoms. Master the symptoms and you may well raise those odds of being cured.
