I am a 79 year old male. Last year I was a 185 lb 5' 11" male, but for the last several months was not feeling strong and easly short of breath, tieying out easy. In med Nov 2011 I admitted myself to the hospital for a check-up, and when the EDG showed that I had Stomach Cancer I opt for surgery, so on 30 Nov. 2011, the doctor. removed my entire stomoch, my gallbladder, part of my esophagus and 30 lymph nodes, of the 30, 23 were already infected with the Cancer. He then attached my small intestines to my esophagus. I stayed 10 days in the hospital. I recovered nicely, even tho I was having some trouble with what foods to eat & not eat. Even tho I was having some mild diarreah, on 9 Jan 2012 I started Chemo. 5 days then 3 weeks off and then another for the nex 6 months. After the first round, my mouth was so infected with mouth sores and my tongue so swollen, I was having a hard time eating and drinking, that I got dehydrated and ended up in the hospital. My GP had me tested and found that I had an infection that was causing the diarreah. She gave me med to help with this infection causing the diarreah.
The next time they gave me a lesser dose of Chemo and a nurse told me to suck on ice cubes all while I was getting the Chemo to help with the mouth sores, that did help a lot, but again I ended up in the hospital as I needed blood transfusion, 2 units. I then told the doctor, no more Chemo., it was killing me.
I got my diarreah in check, learned what foods to stay away from and what to eat. I have gained back some 7 lbs of my lose weight, and now can eat allmost anything I want. I am not back at 100% but doing much better.
Now I eat about 7 times a day, small meal and CHEW my food very much as so to let my mouth do the breaking down of the food that my stomach use to do, and drinking water with every bite. Needless to say that I try to get as much protien as I can. My wife makes me some fruit drinks ( 1 hole banana, over ripe when possible, plus other , apples, paers, peiches, ect. with a hole scop of protien power and lactaid free milk). I drink about 16 oz a day of this, even at night time when I wake. I eat creamy peanut butter sandwichs in the mid day. Right now I eat any thing I want, just small amounts at a time.
A few months after I stop taking Chemo, the wife and I went on a 2+ months car trip around the US and Canada. I did most of the driving.
I hope that this might help some one that is looking for info on Stomach Cancer as I know how hard it is to find info. Please fell free to ask anything you might want to know that I might help you, as I know how HARD it is to find info on this Cancer.