Case Study For Mesothelioma Attorney Connecticut
A Nutritional Dilemma
“When Dan*, 55, my husband of 10 years was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, I was overcome with depression and anxiety. Depressed as I knew I was going to lose him soon. Too soon infact. His doctors had informed us that Dan had only a year to live. I was worried because Dan, who was so fond of good food, would not be able to relish his meals the way he used to. As you probably know mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, devastates the body from inside and wrecks the patient’s appetite.
|
|
The treatments for Dan’s disease were intensive and aggressive. It was a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. I was really upset as I didn’t know what kind of wholesome meals should be prepared for him. Since what ever he tried to eat he would just throw up or sometimes he was unable to stand the smell or taste of certain kinds of foods.
Nutritional breakthrough
I was at my wits’ end when I met a nutritional expert Carrie* for cancer patients. She gave me some useful guidelines on meal planning and meal sharing. She revealed to me that by sharing mealtimes with Dan meant that not only would his hunger be satisfied but also his emotional needs would also be fulfilled. She suggested that for example during breakfast time I could share a toast with him or maybe a bowl of cereal and fruit. Only I would be having a lot more to eat than Dan. This way we could be together and chat with each other spending as much time as possible with each other. This was really important to me and I am grateful that Carrie helped me do it.
Getting the hang of it
Dan wasn’t hospitalized all the time, often he would come home when he felt slightly better or there was a break during his chemo sessions. I filled the food cupboard, fridge and freezer with his favorite food stuffs. I even managed to cook some meals in advance and froze them in meal size servings. All I had to do with these frozen meals was to heat them in a microwave. Carrie helped me in preparing Dan’s meals, that way I got a hang of it and how to go on about it.
I had to include extra proteins in Dan’s diet so that his tissues could be healed that were damaged during and after the intensive treatments. Also I discovered that proteins lower the risk of infection. And it was so important that Dan did not fall sick in between his treatments.
Compensating for loss of fluids
Right after his surgery Dan just couldn’t tolerate any kind of foods even if they were soft. So he was given a plain fluid diet in order to compensate for the loss of fluids in his body. He was given plain liquids only for a day or two. At times after a chemo session when he would vomit or have awful nausea then also he would be given clear liquids. This type of diet included clear vegetable soups, cranberry juice, orange juice, fruit punch, fruit ices without fruit pieces, tea, water, plain gelatin desserts and popsicles.
For longer durations when Dan felt better, his diet would become full liquid. This meant that he would get all the recommended food groups with the exception of meat in the form of liquids. In full liquid diet Dan would have soft drinks, fruit juices, soups, broths, mild cheeses, flavored yoghurts, fruit based jellies, custard, puddings, smoothies, pureed potatoes, cooked cereals, shredded meat in broths, ice-creams, fruit purees and various kinds of vegetable juices. The doctors also gave him some multivitamins to boost his energy and vitamin level. |
|
Satisfying cravings
When Dan had a craving for solid food, I would often give him soft diet foods and snacks. This is because he was unable to chew and swallow solid food. It could be very frustrating not only for him but for me as well. But by eating soft foods Dan would often satisfy his cravings. I gave him all kinds of bread to eat especially French loaves, Italian breads and cornbreads. I would bake him blueberry muffins or toss some French toasts which he absolutely loved. We would eat crackers, biscuits and cinnamon rolls, maple syrup drenched pancakes and waffles. We would also eat lots of tuna, salmon, baked lamb, stewed pork, roasted tender beef, spaghetti, baked potatoes, chicken, eggplant, mushrooms, squash, spinach and carrots.
Dan is no more but the times I spent with him are beautiful memories that I will carry with me to my grave.”
- Names of people have been changed to protect their privacy
- Do consult your doctor about the above diets
|
|
|
