Chemotherapy Support Group

you know, I can eat almost anything that isn't greasy. It's the SMELL of things cooking that make me want to lose my cheerios. Sometimes I have to go to the bedroom & shut the door -leaving my husband to cook. Espec after treatments. Chicken, mashed potatoes. Pasta (careful w/ tomato sauces though) Homemade soup! yum-these seem gentle to my tummy. hope this helps you.

Hi Lily,
How very nice of you to want to do this and to coordinate with your neighbors. Like PA said, I'd stay away from tomatoe sauces. Soups are awesome too, especially since when homeade you can regulate the salt, too much can cause swelling. I've had some people drop off casseroles, tuna, pasta etc.. They freeze well and quick to nuke when I'm hungry. I always joke that I'm trying to find something that tastes as good coming up as it did going down:-)
Ask her what she tolerates and what she doesn't. Even making her a fruit bowl is easy and it limits what she needs to do. Prepping food for us is a big deal, we don't have the energy and the smell can make you sick or just not want it anymore after you've prepared or cooked.
You are a good friend,
Hope this helps

I agree with those that posted before me. one of the biggest things for me are soft foods, pasta, soups, etc, that are easy when they come back up.

one of the best things that my mom makes for me is maccaroni with a little bit of melted cheese. it's yummy.

and definitely, just ask her. see what she likes and doesn't like. you're a great friend.

Here is a list of good fruits & vegetables to consume that help in preventing Cancer as well as dealing with side effects of cancer treatments such as Chemotherapy, etc.

Fruits

- Strawberries
- Mangos
- Dark cherries
- Blueberries
- Guavas
- Honeydew
- Kiwi
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mango
- Mulberry
- Nectarine
- Orange
- Papaya
- Passion fruit
- Peach
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Prune
- Raspberry
- Red grapes
- Tangelo
- Water melon

Vegetables

- Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Green pepper
- Mustard greens
- Onions
- Pea
- Orange pepper
- Sorrel
- Soy beans
- Spinach
- Sweet potatos
- Tomatoes
- Turnip greens
- Zucchini
Source: Mesothelioma http://www.themesotheliomalibrary.com

Apart from the diets ^^ good information above, if the patient is smoking, then it is advised to stop immediately, because the benefits far outweigh the risks. Here are the benefits for the time periods below:

If You Already Have Lung Cancer

If you already have lung cancer, it is best advised to stop smoking immediately. When you quit smoking, here are the benefits you achieve over time:

After 20 minutes - Your blood pressure will drop and heart rate beats will increase.

After 12 hours - The amount of Carbon Monoxide in your blood system drops to normal level.

After 2 weeks - 3 months - Lung function and circulation of blood from lungs to other organs of the body improves significantly.

After 1 - 9 Months - Shortness of breath & coughing decrease, functions of Cilia (small hair-like substances that get rid of Mucus from the lungs) become normal, your lungs become cleaner, and your risk of catching infections decreases.

After 1 year - Risk of Coronary heart diseases drops by 50%

After 5 years - Risk of Strokes drops to that of a non-smoker who quit smoking 5-15 years ago.

After 10 years - Risk of lung cancer death drops by 50% as well risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas or Bladder cancer also drops.

After 15 years - Risk of coronary heart diseases becomes that of a non-smoker.
Source: http://www.researchmalignantmesoth...

My mum was the same, anything that smelled made her ill. But really anything she can manage is good. Don't be offended if she can only manage tiny portions. It may be best to only make very small amounts. My mum has been told to bin all leftovers in case of infection. She has also been told to avoid raw or live food eg blue cheese, for the same reason.

She really like tinned fruits - tinned to avoid infection rather than fresh. Be careful with fruit and veg, always peel it if you must serve fresh.

Anything bland and not pungent worked for me. I drank vitamin water a lot. For some reason regular water was tough on my tummy for the few days after a treatment. I'd also be careful with lettuce and fresh fruits - especially the kind that has a lot of nooks and crannies. I swore off all salads and most fresh fruits. I stuck with canned fruit the whole time. Since chemo kills good along with bad cells the immune system is weaker and I didn't want to risk receiving a case of e-coli or bacteria. I wanted to be healthy enough to get my next treatment so I could get to the end faster. I also stayed away from public places as much as possible. It worked - I didn't even get a cold!