[Laurel723]

My father has stage IV neuroendocrine cancer. Currently undergoing chemo, but has some malignancy remaining in his stomach, in addition to the tumors in his liver. (NE cx is weird stuff....) Problem is, he's nauseated much of the time, and losing weight rapidly. (Cachexia (cancer caused wasting) in addition to just not enough caloric intake.) His skin is just hanging off of his bones.
We're tracking down a source of raw milk, thinking that will help since it's supposed to be easier to digest, as well as feeding him as much saturated fat as possible-coconut oil, dairy, etc. and other fats as well (Flax oil &olive oil). I'm trying to come up with an appetizing "potion" that will help him maintain weight a little bit, while not being so rich that he can't digest it (I don't know if the tumors are affecting his gallbladder or not, but some stuff is just too rich). Homemade eggnog with cream and egg yolks, broth with coconut oil and chicken bone broth with the fat not skimmed have all come to mind-anyone have any other bright ideas? (This may not be the best place for this, but I thought I'd start here....) He's drinking a whey protein shake with added lactoferrin which is supposed to help control the cachexia, but I don't know how much it's helping. (We're mixing heavy cream into it to get more calories into him without raising his blood sugar-cancer likes insulin.

)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much

 

[saratc]

With his body so weak, I would try lacto-fermented foods. Anything that is partially or completed predigested should help his body conserve energy. The fermentation really helps break down the foods and I know that many recommend drinking the juices from fermented veggies as a tonic. Also, a bit of lacto-fermented foods can really help pick up the appetite.

You can also ferment the dairy you are giving him. You can ferment cream by adding a couple of tablespoons of well done kefir and let sit at room temperature for around 8 hours. Keep up the good fats. A high fat environment can eradicate a lot of bad things.

I know it's not a whole food but I would also try giving him lots of freshly made vegetable juices. Carrot is a good one to mix in for sweetness and you can add green veggy juices. Cucumbers, celery, and the high water content ones are the easiest to get used to. Watermelon rind juice is yummy too. Basically a good way to get lots of minerals into his body without his body having to do a whole lot of work digesting and may be a good change of pace if he's tired of broth.

Finally, encourage your father and everyone near him to envision him well. Don't just hope that he'll get better, know that he'll get better. I know this doesn't really belong in food and nutrition but thinking positively has worked well for me in my life. Also, check out the thread below (DH and I liked it so much, we bought a copy for all our family members):
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ght=the+secret

 

[Laurel723]

Bummer. I "do not have sufficient privileges to view this page". ????

I didn't think about the lacto fermented stuff-that would be easier for him to digest. (Duh!) I bought him a juicer, but I don't think he's using it....I'll have to keep after mom to get it in him. Watermelon rind juice, huh? I bet that wouldn't affect his blood sugar nearly as much as the pulp would. Maybe we'll try that this weekend when I go up there to see him...

Thanks for reminding me about that-can't believe I didn't think of that. (Of course, it might be because I haven't been successfull with anything lactofermented yet-but practice makes perfect!)

 

[lilsparrow]

Please feel free to disregard my advice, but marijuana is an incredible appetite stimulant as well as effective in eliminating nausea. This is why it is so helpful for Cancer patients and those with AIDS wasting syndrome. Depending on which state you live, you may be able to legally obtain it. If not, a joint is not hard to come by, and would probably last a week. The side effects are minimal, and easy enough to take care of, especially in the small amounts your dad would need and it's a helluva lot safer than any anti nausea med or appetite stimulant. It seems pointless to make all these healthy foods if your dad can't eat it because of his nausea.

Please do not let the Reefer Madness propoganda cause you to overlook or rule out marijuana and it's many NATURAL medicinal qualities, like many other plants.

He dosn't have to smoke it. You can buy vaporizors or give him a pot brownie. Be careful with the brownies though because it is harder to "dose" that way, and you don't want the man stoned (even if he does, it's worth getting him to eat) ... just not feeling like he's on a boat and you want him hungry. MARIJUANA WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.

I wish you the best for your father. It must be very hard seeing him sick.

You seem like such a good daughter to care for him so well. Lucky guy.

 

[provocativa]

I agree with the marijuana recommendation. Also, drinking kefir and also just whey. I would megadose coenzyme q 10, too. If you feel it's appropriate, pm JaneS or MT ( is it Montezuma Tutara, I can't remember)? They both contribute erudite posts here about nutrition, immunology, and digestion.

 

[cobluegirl]

does he eat avacado's? those are good for fat too. (((HUGS))) I can't even imagine. I will pray for him.

 

[syllymom]

I heard to do a google search on "budwig diet". It was something to do with cottage cheese and flax oil.
Anything is worth a try when fighting such a horrible disease. Wishing your dad and family all the best and with positive results.
Sylvia

 

[auntieM]

I am new to raw milk. Although I am very comfortable drinking it now & consider it safe, I'm still a bit nervous. I would not have felt comfortable consuming raw milk while I was on chemo just because of the immune compromised status it produces. I would totally go for the yogurt & kefir. I tend to be a little more conservative though. Others may feel that my concern is unwarranted.

Some of the best advice I got from an friend in her early 70s who had been through chemo was to remember to spend enough time "toes up" (resting). Best wishes to you & your family.

 

[Laurel723]

Quote:

Originally Posted by auntieM Some of the best advice I got from an friend in her early 70s who had been through chemo was to remember to spend enough time "toes up" (resting). Best wishes to you & your family.

More "toes up" is exactly what he needs...but its harvest time and he's a farmer, so you can just guess how well that goes over! I keep telling him if he doesn't knock it off, this will be the last harvest he ever participates in....

Syllymom-my mom asked me last night if I'd ever heard of mixing cottage cheese and flax oil...now I have something to look for that might get me somewhere! I thought she just made that up...oops. I wonder if I could mix avocado's into a fruit smoothy...he doesn't like the taste...maybe strawberries or something with a fairly strong flavor? Any suggestions?

Thank you all so much for the help...I (and he) really appreciate it.

 

[kdmama33]

Avocados are disguised very well in a fruit smoothie. Any berries, bananas, etc. will totally overwhelm the avocado taste. Not to mention that you can put a lot of really good for you stuff into a smoothie. Things like coconut oil, raw egg yolk, kefir, yogurt, flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc. My DS2 gets a lot of his nutrition through smoothies.

PM xenabyte for more info about the Budwig diet and the whole flax oil/cottage cheese thing. I know she recently posted about this, but I'm not coming up with anything in a search. From what I recall, her father was also battling cancer and had a great measure of success with that. You should know that flax oil goes rancid very, very quickly -- as in, almost immediately after you open the bottle -- so grinding flax seeds might be a better choice.

Also, check out this site. This mom has been winning the war against luekemia despite astounding obstacles, all through nutrition. She outlines what she's doing for her son, what he eats, etc. on this page.