Hi,
i realize this isn't al all funny, but my husband and I have to laugh when we can because we've both been so depressed. I read this to him and the irony is there for us as well. My husband, Stan, was told the same thing last Nov - lose weight. And, so he cut back and started losing weight. It got easier this year and then he was really losing weight. We had no idea he had cancer until April. We'd gladly take those pounds back now. He's down about 40 lbs. I spent time on the internet last night looking for what I can give him that's high calorie. My husband has completely lost his appetite and gets full easily. One suggestion was to eat something every hour even if it's a bite or two because every calorie counts. Our plan is 3 meals, 3 snacks and little bites of food in between. I've gone back to making my own smoothies. He can't drink any of the high calorie drinks like Ensure. They all cause him to dump now that he's had the surgery. I'm using protein powder, greek yogurt (not the non-fat), half and half, fruit , and a tad of sugar (he doesn't like honey and the sugar helped him drink it). So far, no dumping. I'm cooking everything with butter - even putting it on his veggies! The site says use sauces and gravies. The problem is that I've gained more weight now!! Hope you get lots of suggestions from others. I'll be watching as well!

It is strange, isn't it? Heart disease runs in our family, and Brother has always been meticulous about keeping to a low-fat diet and maintaining a healthy weight--his new marching orders to eat, eat, eat fly in the face of everything he's practiced for twenty years. My sister stopped at Basking Robbins on her way to his place and had the clerk whip up the most high-calorie shake possible--chocolate-peanut butter something with a calorie count of 1200+. Apparently the look on Brother's face when she presented him with this concoction was priceless--he literally shrank away from the vat of brown and tan goo but ultimately forced it down.
Well, I think it's good that we can still find things to laugh at. This disease is the Devil's own--nice that it does have its humorous aspects!

As regulars here know, my daily challenge is to eat even once and try to graze/snack a little along the way. The Ivor Lewis 3 years ago robbed me permanently of any appetite whatsoever, so the first few months post-surgery had me gradually losing and ending up (I hope) at a tiny size zero and 108#. The funny thing is, I'd wanted to lose about 5-10 pounds for the previous decade, but this is NOT the preferred way to drop weight at all!! Since I'm only 5'1", I don't really mind being bone-thin, but the real danger lies in ever getting sick (even a stomach flu) since there are no reserves on which to survive as I'm only a few pounds away from a feeding tube. That's no way to live for sure.

Sometimes a glass or 2 of wine enhances my appetite....sometimes I enjoy the wine so much I forget about eating all together....ML.

Eight months after surgery I am still eating three regular meals a day and three snacks. The snacks are at 10:00 AM, 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM.

The snacks vary but include a smoothie that my wife makes from one cup of ice cream, one cup of milk and a vanilla instant breakfast all blended. I drink half of this mix at a snack. Snacks also include hard boiled egg, cheese crackers, a hot dog, a sausage or salami with crackers. Go on line for smoothie recipes

If he is lactose intolerant like I am, lactose tablets for ice cream and Lactaid milk can be used.

If nausea becomes a problem from Chemotherapy or surgery, there are a number of drugs which can help, including Ondansetron, Promethezine, Lorazpam, and for appetite, Dronabinol.