Advice DESPERATELY needed - to help my nan put on weight fast
#282775 - 09/18/06 07:07 AM
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Blondie13
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 641
Loc: Sheffield, England
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Story so far - my nan's been poorly for a long time, and after a couple of years they finally figured out what was causing it they gave her a full hysterectomy 3 weeks ago. She dealt with the operation really well, and her wound is healing nicely.
BUT - this whole time she's been poorly she's been eating less and less, before the operation she was eating just a slice of toast for breakfast, a few baked beans at lunchtmie and maybe a biscuit for tea - she weighed under SIX stones. When she was in hospital she eat a little better, though still only a fraction of what she should, but now she's out she's worse than ever - she says she simply "can't eat". She now weighs around 5 1/2 stone - we're literally watching her fade away.
The doctors won't do anything, they don't even seem to accept there's a problem. She's getting weaker and weaker, always feels faint, and is having lots of tum problems - diarrhoea, wind, pain, etc. she's on Codeine + Paracetemol for the pain, as well as antibiotics for an infection, and having all of that every 4 hours on an empty stomach can't be helping.
The doc came out to her yesteday, but wouldn't come out again today - just told her to "try and eat something" and "be wary of catching a bug" as her white blood count is down - helpful huh!! We're starting to keep records, as of today, of everything she eats and drinks, so we can work out the calorific value, to make the point as forcefully as we can to the doctors.
But, does anyone have any advice or experience as to what she should be eating or drinking? The doctor told her to drink lots of full-fat milk, as it would "help fatten her up", but I thought it was weird to prescribe for someone with a dodgy tum, and sure enough after each drink she had violent D - and the doctor that came out yesterday said she shouldn't even be touching milk til she's eating more as, surprise surprise, it will give her diarrhoea! They've told her to drink Ribena, for all the calories (450 in a 200ml glass), which she is doing - but for her a serving is probably 40-50ml, and that's only twice a day.
I DESPERATELY NEED SOME ADVICE. I'm so scared she's just going to fade away, she looks just like a skeleton with a bit of skin, and I don't know what to do.
So far today she's eaten, as of 3pm:
- 1/2 slice of toast with a smidgen of margarine
- bowl of tomato soup
- 1/2 jaffa cake
- 50ml Ribena
- 1/2 cup tea
Please help 
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http://ibsblondie13.blogspot.com/
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I'm sorry to hear you nan is still struggling. Nan is grandmother, right? I find the different dialect very interesting but sometimes I don't understand it all! 
Over here, we have supplement drinks that you can get at the drug store (guess that's what you call chemist) and even most grocery stores. The two that I know of are Ensure and Boost. They are relatively high calorie drinks but supposed to be easy on the tummy. Do you guys have anything like that over there.
I agree, the whole fat milk thing doesn't sound right, especially if she is having tummy issues already. Maybe try stuff high in sugar as sugar usually doesn't upset tummy but should help add some calories and fat.
Buy some disinfecting wipes and be sure to keep everything wiped down and keep some hand sanitizer by her bed and be sure everyone who comes over uses it. We definitely don't need her getting a bug on top of everything else.
Love and hugs!!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Sweetie, your poor Nan!!
My Grandma went through the same last year after heart surgery. She wouldn't / couldn't eat either.
She went from 10 to 8.5 stone, and she is 5'-10" tall. She tried Ensure (a booster drink like Michelle suggested). She ended up drinking Pedialite - a pediatric liquid with electrolytes in it. She ate toast - plain, oatmeal, and canned fruit. She couldn't taste anything she said and the textures were all funny.
I don't know what help to offer, but just be with your Nan to support her.
Cassandra
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Cassandra
Live like there's no tomorrow. Love like you've never loved before.
IBS A 20+ years, Chronic Migraines, Chiari Malformation (decompressed June 22, 2010), Brachial Neuritis, and ??? the list just keeps growing, but I'm still shiny side up! 
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I agree with the idea of Pedialyte, it will at least make sure she's not dehydrated and give her a bit of energy and should be gentle on the stomach. If she's dehydrated she will only feel worse and not want to eat.
Also, instead of tomato soup, I would try chicken broth (MSG free) with a bit of rice and cooked carrots in it. Thats what I eat when I'm really sick.
I would stay away from meal replacement drinks, I've never been able to tolerate them on a good day. Try instead just getting her to eat a bit more often.
I hope she's doing better real soon!
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Kat
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first get her some probiotics and take them 3 times a day to fight the potential bug and to recover the antibiotics.
Second get protein into her, egg whites and fish are the easiest to digest, you can do the rice protein powder in a smoothie if she will drink but can't eat too much.
Just keep at her to eat, the same thing hapened to my bubby after her operation and she was wasting away in front of us, it is very scary. Also do PB on toast, etc anything to up the calories of whqat she is actually eating.
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Liquids might be the best way to sneak some calories in: how about hot chocolate (could be soy/rice/milk - whatever)? soup with noodles? extra sugar in her tea?
This would also be a good time to ply her with favorite childhood foods. When it was my bubbe in the hospital, that was homemade chicken noodle soup. For your nan, might it be gingerbread or scones? Some sort of pudding?
I've dealt with my own lack of interest in eating in the past when my IBS was out of control, and having something that I could s-l-o-w-l-y nibble on or sip helped me keep body and soul together until I could eat normally again.
--AC
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