F Cancer! Meal/snack ideas for chemo?

[InBetweenDays]

So first up, Fuck cancer! My good friend C has been through the wringer. Years ago she had a spot of melanoma removed. Thankfully no further treatment needed. About 5 years ago she was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma. They said there was a 50% chance of it developing into full myeloma within 5 years, and if it did the survival rate was VERY low. She entered a medical trial and it hasn't progressed and we were nearing the 5 year mark.

In December she was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer (DCIS) after an MRI and biopsy (no lump and didn't show up on mammogram or ultrasound). Caught very early because she was being monitored closely due to family history (but no known genetic component). Plan was to do a mastectomy and she wouldn't need follow up treatment. They did the mastectomy, biopsied a larger area, got the results back, and found out there was a second kind of breast cancer hiding behind the one they had found. And this one was triple negative. Thankfully again caught very early, but moved her to Stage 1 and now requires chemo because of the aggressive nature and likelihood of recurrence with triple negative breast cancer. So... she starts chemo today.

She has a team behind her making meals, running errands, etc. She'll have 4 sessions of chemo and is getting it every 3 weeks. I would love ideas of meals that are palatable for people going through chemo. And snack ideas that are easy to get down and can give her sustenance if she doesn't want a full meal. Or any other (non food related) recommendations? We've gotten her blankets, pillows, socks, puzzles, books, etc.

[sofamonkey]

Honestly, it sounds like food is covered. Can you get a cleaning and/or laundry service instead?

I’m so sorry about your friend.

[helpshareplease]

Fuck cancer indeed! My dad is going through chemo now and to be honest I don't really have meal ideas. He eats when he is hungry and my mom pretty much Buys/makes whatever he is craving. I did bring over leftovers a while ago it was like 4 different kinds of food so that way he had choices for when he felt like eating. 

[InBetweenDays]

sofamonkey yes, certainly. We have a calendar set up for scheduling help so I can see about adding that.

Just to be clear, I'm part of the team that is making meals. I'm signed up for a meal next week and just wanted ideas of things that may be good, or things to avoid. My mom went through chemo (20 years ago) and I know there were some things that just tasted awful to her. But she doesn't remember what now.

[tennisgal]

F cancer indeed. My mom went through a stage where nothing tasted good so she was forcing herself to eat just to have something. We were trying to do things with protein, but she sometimes just wanted things like applesauce, jello, yogurt, oatmeal. Someone made her protein balls and kodiak cake muffins. She didn't love the Boost shakes, but tolerated the Boost Breeze which was more juice-like.

[InBetweenDays]

helpshareplease I hope your dad's treatment goes well.

Thanks tennisgal, I was thinking of making these peanut butter protein balls I've made before. She has a 17 yo and 12 yo boy who are both very active and deep into soccer season so if nothing else maybe they'd eat them.

[k3am]

When my friend was going through treatment, water tasted horrible. So we were constantly bringing her any kind of melon and grapes with high water content - I'd stop daily and pick her up a ton for a while. She couldn't eat any raw vegetables, but I don't know if that was a taste preference or something her medical team told her to avoid. (It was also covid-y, so I was doing drop offs and couldn't stop in to chat)

[rubytue]

Apr 24, 2024 11:14:29 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

sofamonkey yes, certainly. We have a calendar set up for scheduling help so I can see about adding that.

Just to be clear, I'm part of the team that is making meals. I'm signed up for a meal next week and just wanted ideas of things that may be good, or things to avoid. My mom went through chemo (20 years ago) and I know there were some things that just tasted awful to her. But she doesn't remember what now.

This is very true, but also really hard to predict and varies person to person and chemo to chemo. My first time, chocolate tasted HORRID. Not an issue the second time. Both times, my go to food the couple days post chemo was a grilled cheese sandwich (velveeta, not good cheese) with a fried egg for protein. 

But, for general advice, I go bland and not acidic. So, pasta dishes good, but not with a heavy tomato sauce. The acid can aggregate mouth sores, if that is an issue with her chemo. Cheesy pastas, with something for protein. Beans, eggs, chicken are good examples. 

[InBetweenDays]

k3am - great idea. I'll see about getting some grapes or other non citrusy fruits for her.

And rubytue thank you for the suggestions. I'm sorry you've been through this twice. For their dinner I think I'll plan on a parmesan pasta with chicken unless I hear from her beforehand about any aversions.

[toepick]

I recently finished up chemo / lumpectomy / radiation for triple negative breast cancer (this is the first I'm mentioning it here).

I would hold off on food gifts - I lost my sense of taste and could barely tolerate eating anything beyond very bland foods (bagels, bread, potatoes, plain pasta) and bacon - who knows why but it was the only thing that tasted like it was supposed to! Sweets tasted like nothing, and everything else tasted like metal. I was so happy when I could tolerate a grilled cheese sandwich (with bacon!). All meat (except bacon) was a complete no-go for months. 

Oh - even water tasted disgusting so I drank so much lemonade. I also missed caffeine because tea tasted bad too so I started drinking those caffeinated lemonades from Panera - before I knew how much caffeine was in them! Someone gave me the drink club monthly membership to Panera and I used the hell out of that. 

Some of my friends arranged for prepared foods and I couldn't eat them. But I was so happy to have it once I was done, and am using them up now.

This obviously will differ by person, but what I wanted most was social contact. I live by myself so I prioritized being able to go to work for at least some of the day and to go to the gym at my regular time, even if it was to just sit around and chat with people. I loved getting cards in the mail (www.fivedotpost.com had actual fuck cancer cards), small care packages, etc. I also wanted to talk to people about something that wasn't cancer-related. And the biggest thing for me was getting volunteers to go with me to every one of my chemo sessions so we could sit around and chat (and bitch about work!) - it was distracting and made the time go by faster.

[dirtyred]

Apr 24, 2024 11:14:29 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

sofamonkey yes, certainly. We have a calendar set up for scheduling help so I can see about adding that.

Just to be clear, I'm part of the team that is making meals. I'm signed up for a meal next week and just wanted ideas of things that may be good, or things to avoid. My mom went through chemo (20 years ago) and I know there were some things that just tasted awful to her. But she doesn't remember what now.

Well, what's good is going to depend on her. For a couple of weeks, all I could eat was white foods. Cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, vanilla ice cream and pudding, bagels and cream cheese. You'll need to ask from week to week what's palatable.

[dirtyred]

toepick,sounds like we were the exact same food wise!

[toepick]

Apr 24, 2024 11:37:59 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

helpshareplease I hope your dad's treatment goes well.

Thanks tennisgal , I was thinking of making these peanut butter protein balls I've made before. She has a 17 yo and 12 yo boy who are both very active and deep into soccer season so if nothing else maybe they'd eat them.

Honestly, I would probably just focus on making meals her kids would like, because she is probably eating a very limited diet right now. But would appreciate not having to think about meals. I was too tired. 

[toepick]

Apr 24, 2024 13:55:12 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

toepick ,sounds like we were the exact same food wise!

But could you taste bacon?!? Lol.  I ate so much damn bacon I'm pretty much off it now. 

[fn2187]

When I was caring for my dad, the cravings were intense. One day it would be a sandwich, the next a smoothie, and another a donut. He lost a significant amount of weight and the dr said anything he craved is a good thing. So if rush out and buy it. People showing up with random items was very nice and thoughtful but most food items were not consumed.

Personally I would have LOVED it if people would have texted asking what he was craving that particular day. Maybe you could send a text like this? “Hey friend, I’m doing a porch drop off around 5 today and rather than dropping off random items, what are you craving today? A sandwich? Fro yo? Smoothie? You name it!”. Or if there’s another caretaker in the home, text them and ask.

Cancer is so unfair. Sorry she’s going through this. She’d grateful to have a friend like you!

[underwaterrhymes]

I’m so sorry she’s going through this.

((toepick)) I’m also so sorry for your diagnosis and treatment. How are you doing now?

[ally]

DH is still going through chemo and his tastes have changed, but he says many things still taste weird or off.  Also, I think he will eat so much of something that he get tired of it after a while and doesn't want it at all. For instance, at one point, I could not keep enough pop tarts in the house and he hasn't had one for the last 6 weeks. 

He has eaten tons of ramen noodles, cereal, pop tarts, popsicles, PB&J.  I made this all the time last summer: iowagirleats.com/one-pot-chicken-and-rice/  To get him enough protein he drank Ensure and seemed to find it ok.  Lots of lemonade and juice.

[dirtyred]

Apr 24, 2024 13:58:14 GMT -5 toepick said:

Apr 24, 2024 13:55:12 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

toepick ,sounds like we were the exact same food wise!

But could you taste bacon?!? Lol.  I ate so much damn bacon I'm pretty much off it now. 

No, just looking at bacon ( or any meat) made me queasy

[Susie]

Just to echo what others have said, my mom had some really different aversions with different chemo drugs.  Chemo isn't monolithic.  She went through a bunch of drugs and protocols over the years, and some made certain things taste metallic, while others made her more queasy/no appetite, or made other foods/drinks taste bad.  You might do best to wait and see/ask questions about what's working and not working for her after she gets started.  Or, try a totally different, non-food related tack instead.

I generally steer clear of the "chemo/cancer gifts," namely, the pillows, socks, puzzles, etc. combo.  When I see those all I think is "cancer gifts."  I prefer to think about some way the ill friend can connect with things they enjoyed when they were well, and hopefully will enjoy again, even if it's just a book about the subject, or a date to watch on TV or something.  My mom hated when "cancer patient" became too close to her identity, and the gifts we receive often speak to how their givers see us.  She most appreciated "Mary gifts", not "person with cancer gifts."

[InBetweenDays]

toepick I'm so sorry - I hope you're on the other side of this and feeling good. And dirtyred I'm sorry you've been through this as well.

I like the idea of checking in with her and running out to get what she is craving. She lives just a few blocks away and that is very easy to do. And Susie that is a good point about not having gifts revolve around her cancer diagnosis and becoming part of her identity. She loves working in her yard so I was thinking of one day getting her some easy things to plant and then when she was feeling up for it seeing if she wanted company to get them planted. Also hoping to get out for walks if/when she is feeling up for it.

[ginap]

I would suggest meal delivery gift cards. When my H was in treatment his preferences often changed from day to day (and sometimes from meal to meal) and there was no way to anticipate what he could tolerate from one day to the next. We would often make one meal for the family and then something totally different for him.

[toepick]

Apr 24, 2024 14:15:27 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I’m so sorry she’s going through this.

((toepick )) I’m also so sorry for your diagnosis and treatment. How are you doing now?

I'm doing pretty well now! I had complete pathological response from the chemo so my prognosis is good, even though triple negative is a bitch. We had to cut my immunotherapy short by one treatment because now I've developed really bad joint pain in my wrists, which is frustrating on many levels. Now I'm just itching for an appointment to get my port removed! And waiting for my hair to get longer! It's growing back much darker and curly, which is quite the change - I previously had blonde, straight hair. 

But I made it through 12 weeks of weekly chemo for round 1, 8 weeks of bi-weekly chemo (red devil drug) in round 2, a lumpectomy, and 16 days of radiation. And managed to work throughout - not because I had to but because I wanted to. I feel so fortunate that my insurance covered everything, that I have a flexible job, and that my treatment was at a top cancer facility at the university where I work. 

[underwaterrhymes]

toepick - I hate that you went through all of that, but I’m so glad you’re in a good space right now. Sending wishes for continued healing.

[rosiebear]

toepick, that’s so much! I’m glad you’re on the other side of all that and I hope you get your port out soon!

[thoseareradishes]

I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer last fall and finished up treatment in March. I also did chemo every three weeks, 4 treatments. It was rough- like I was very very hungover, no appetite, had to go in for fluids after each round. Food the family likes would be good - I hated not being able to cook for my family because I felt so awful. Also, everyone gave me socks and lotion! I'm set for a long time. Maybe a gift card to a favorite place to get a treat once she's feeling better.

[gemini79]

When I was going through chemo, I was lucky in that I was pretty much able to eat and tolerate my regular foods...but...I did not want anyone except my husband cooking for me.

Maybe people don't realize this, but your diet is really, really important during chemo, as in you need to eat enough calories, plus managing the taste changes and feelings...and giving that control over to others would have added stress rather than taken it away bc if the food was wrong and I didn't like it, or couldn't eat it, it really, really did have a big impact.

I get this is a place support people think is taking stress off...and maybe it is, but if you are guessing at what your friend needs and likes...id first ask her! Then ask again bc it might change! Then I'd ask if she still thinks it's the best support!


No one likes hearing this, but you know what a good gift would have been during chemo? Laxatives. And the zippered Lululemon goodies bc it had easy access port zip. And whole foods gift cards..bc after every chemo my husband and I got big cake slices and if someone bought those for us it would have been great.