Dr. Arunabha Sengupta
Consultant Surgical Oncologist
Consultant Surgical Oncologist
People who generally eat well, sleep well, and try to stay well tolerate cancer treatment better. So one should take measures to ensure that. Depending on the nature of the treatment all patients will develop some side effects. These include:
1) Loss of Appetite
2) Weight Loss
3) Nausea, Vomiting,
4) Dry Mouth or Mouth Sores
5) Changes In Sense Of Taste
6) Diarrhea/Constipation
7) Fatigue, Depression & Insomnia.
All these side effects generally pass away when the treatment is complete and can be kept under control with adequate medicine.
Unlike other people Cancer Patients undergoing treatment should eat more Of High Calorie Diets with Protein and Fat.
FOOD TO EAT
Fresh Fruits
Milk, Cheese, and Cooked Eggs particularly the White Part of the Egg
Well cooked lean Meats and Fish
Drink more Fluids, Sherbets
Small Meals Frequently
Home Cooked Foods
Early Meals
Foods that one is normally habituated with
FOOD TO AVIOD
Raw Vegetables, Salads
High- Fiber Foods, because they can cause Diarrhea or Mouth Ulcerations
Fast Foods
Large Bland Meals
Late Meals
Experimentation with new or Non Habituated Food
Eat Foods that are easy to Chew and Swallow like concoctions of Milk, Rice and Banana, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Custards, Puddings, Soft Boiled Eggs. Foods that are slimy and sweet and are prepared with gravy.
Use Straws to Drink Liquids.
Use some Antacid preparation mixed with Anesthetics before taking food.
Gargle after taking food with Antiseptic Gargles.
Avoid foods that cause local irritation like Toast, Uncut whole Fruit with Skin, Citrus Fruits etc
Do not use Commercial preparations with astringents.
If you have Diarrhea following chemotherapy, that is serious condition and needs urgent attention. Otherwise simple Diarrhea without indigestion should settle with simple medication and a little change of diet. Only make sure that you are not developing lactose intolerance as a result of taking lot of milk products or intolerance to high Fiber Food. Eat plenty of sherbets and fruit juices to supplement loss of salts from the body with liquid stool.
Constipation during therapy might be caused by pain killers, anti emetics, some antibiotics, calcium supplementation, prolonged bed rest and lack of exercise. Drink more fluid, do some asanas, and if required take laxatives. Constipation can be a cause for apathy to take food.
Weight loss is normal with cancer patients particularly during a rigorous therapy but some patients actually gain weight, particularly the breast and ovarian cancer patients. It can happen because of hormonal drugs and /or accumulation of more fluid inside the body. Check with your doctor if you are gaining weight.
Anxiety and pain or discomforts are two brothers who coexist and encourage each other. And both generally accompany the disease cancer and its therapy and cause sleep disturbances. If you are not sleeping well, take adequate drugs. Pain killers do not often act if they are not taken regularly and in adequate dosage. Consult with your doctor to prepare a proper pain medication chart and sedatives. It is always less harmful to take medicines and rest well than to try to avoid side effects of the medicines and remain awake and tensed. Also take short naps during other times of the day than relying on one long rest. Sleeplessness can also be caused by too much inactivity. So take some exercises daily.
It may take several weeks after treatment for your hair to recover and begin growing again. You can expect to regrow your hair 3 to 6 months after your treatment ends.Do not worry too much about side effect like hair loss etc. They are temporary.
When your hair starts to grow back, it will probably be slightly different from the hair you lost. But the difference is usually temporary.
Your new hair might have a different texture or color. It might be curlier than it was before. It also could be gray until the cells that control the pigment in your hair begin working again.
During the course of the therapy and subsequently during the early phases of recovery it is important that the patient makes all possible and conscious efforts to stay well. It is important to avoid infection by exposure to dirty conditions and food and water that might cause infections. Light exercises are welcome but do not overstrain or engage in activities that might cause bodily injuries. Measure your diets and physical activities according to your physical condition and increase them gradually rather than suddenly returning to the normal life. Engage in activities that keep you amused and interested rather than engaging into serious tasks that exhaust you. If need be, consult doctors and take help to ward off any depression. Take help of physiotherapy rather than to develop preventable disabilities like Arm Edema, Weakness of Limbs, Body Ache etc.
