creekland Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Google doesn't answer everything, so turning to the Hive's thoughts. One of the terrific benefits of my radiation last year has been the absolute loss of ever feeling hungry. I have no idea how it happened (what cells in the head got fried), but I consider it a pro to the whole deal. I can probably go for days without eating and feel nothing, but I do tend to eat something at regular times as I think going without food is probably not a good idea. :lol: Up until a few weeks ago I could still eat decent amounts. The taste/smell/situational eating have been all the same as they were before. I just don't get hunger pains telling me I'm hungry. My family often cues me in to when they are hungry and we need to be getting meals. More recently, I haven't wanted to eat nearly as much and I get uncomfortably full if I do eat a lot (a lot still being considerably less than hubby and/or my boys). There are days I skip meals at this point (usually supper as I can't bring myself to eat AGAIN in the day). I have considered this a plus too as it will undoubtedly help with the weight loss I want given a few more weeks. But someone today mentioned the nasty idea that this could indicate a problem rather than something good. Would it? Or is it just due to my body getting used to eating less and adjusting accordingly (my thoughts)? Or is it such new territory based upon the radiation, etc, that no one has an idea? I don't see the radiation dr again until June. Last Dec he found it interesting that I seem to have permanently lost the hunger bit and said that wasn't normal, but radiation deals can vary a bit, so didn't seem concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Have you changed what you are eating? Other than quantity, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Is your sense of taste or your sense of smell impaired? For a lot of people, loss of one or both of those reduces hunger a great deal by taking away some primary triggers and enjoyments of hunger and food. I don't know where your radiation was, but is it possible that it reduced the ability of your stomach to move foods into your large intestine? That makes people feel full very quickly, and keep that full feeling much longer. It can also cause mild nausea. There are medications for it. It's not uncommon in elderly diabetics, but it happens to others as well at times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Is your sense of taste or your sense of smell impaired? I don't know where your radiation was, but is it possible that it reduced the ability of your stomach to move foods into your large intestine? That makes people feel full very quickly, and keep that full feeling much longer. It can also cause mild nausea. No. Taste and smell work fine fortunately. There was a short period of time during the radiation when this wasn't the case, but they fixed themselves shortly afterward as I was told they would. And the radiation was all head/brain - nowhere else. I guess it could have fried parts telling the body what to do, but that's about as close as it would be. No nausea whatsoever - just the feeling of being full and not wanting to eat more (or much) vs the general lack of hunger feeling. Today I had two fried eggs and one slice of toast for breakfast. Hubby ate lunch. I skipped it. He's wanting supper soon. I might eat an apple, but could go without. In the not too far past I could eat when he ate regardless of whether I was hungry or not. Now I can get uncomfortably full if I eat three times a day - even with lower quantities when I eat. Skipping meals helps. Eating a small amount (like an apple) is usually ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I would put a call in to the doctor (and I am not a big "CALL THE DOC!" kinda gal). Although I would welcome this problem myself, I don't think two eggs, an apple and a piece of toast is adequate calories or nutrition for the day, and I think it could cause you issues long-term. I will not object to waiting a month or so to call if you want to see if this changes as long as you track your weight and are not losing too fast or feeling faint or low in energy as a result of not eating. But hey, I'm not a medical professional. I just dabble on the internet. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 You need to go to the doctor and make sure there isn't a physicl, GI cause. Sorry :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Have you noticed any weight loss or loss of muscle mass? Do you take supplemental vitamins? Do you exercise regularly? I would be concerned about not getting enough vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. so that the body can maintain all the proper functions and strength. You don't want to lose too much muscle and bone mass in the long-term, and you want to make sure that your heart muscle is healthy. Small meals with lots of variety of veggies, fruit, protein and fibre would be something I'd strive for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Although I would welcome this problem myself, I don't think two eggs, an apple and a piece of toast is adequate calories or nutrition for the day, and I think it could cause you issues long-term. I will not object to waiting a month or so to call if you want to see if this changes as long as you track your weight and are not losing too fast or feeling faint or low in energy as a result of not eating. I've welcomed the whole thing to be honest. Not getting hungry has been the #1 best side effect of radiation. I'm looking forward to taking weight off. So far, that's been tough due to eating when others eat even when I haven't been hungry. I've lost a couple of pounds, but nothing like what I want to lose (20 - 25 would be nice). And normally I do eat as I think endless fasting is not the way to go. It's only in the past 3, maybe 4, weeks that I've felt too full to want to eat with minimal consumption. And just today someone planted the idea that maybe this was a problem rather than a good thing. I kinda want to lose the weight first. Have you noticed any weight loss or loss of muscle mass? Do you take supplemental vitamins? Do you exercise regularly? I would be concerned about not getting enough vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. so that the body can maintain all the proper functions and strength. You don't want to lose too much muscle and bone mass in the long-term, and you want to make sure that your heart muscle is healthy. Small meals with lots of variety of veggies, fruit, protein and fibre would be something I'd strive for. I take a multi vitamin daily and most days we get a minimum of a 2 mile walk in plus any extra from working at school or similar. It's not gym exercise or anything strenuous. I don't feel the least bit tired from any of what's going on. I'll keep in mind the need to eat a little more. Instead of an apple I had a small plate of veggies (celery sticks and pea pods) and dip with a couple of slices of munster cheese to go along with it. That's definitely enough for now though. In the past I could have eaten more if it were on my plate or whatever. Right now the thought of eating more is kind of repulsive to my brain/stomach. If I do eat a big (normal?) meal at some point in a day to stay social, I seriously can't eat anything more that day and only eat breakfast the next because I feel that's an important meal NOT to skip. That's the difference. It's weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Being low in Vitamin B will reduce appetite, and I've a vague idea that recovering from radiation chews through a lot of Vit B? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 If you are not actively trying to lose weight, I would mention it to your doctor and ask for it to be investigated. Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite is associated with some serious medical problems. Google doesn't answer everything, so turning to the Hive's thoughts. One of the terrific benefits of my radiation last year has been the absolute loss of ever feeling hungry. I have no idea how it happened (what cells in the head got fried), but I consider it a pro to the whole deal. I can probably go for days without eating and feel nothing, but I do tend to eat something at regular times as I think going without food is probably not a good idea. :lol: Up until a few weeks ago I could still eat decent amounts. The taste/smell/situational eating have been all the same as they were before. I just don't get hunger pains telling me I'm hungry. My family often cues me in to when they are hungry and we need to be getting meals. More recently, I haven't wanted to eat nearly as much and I get uncomfortably full if I do eat a lot (a lot still being considerably less than hubby and/or my boys). There are days I skip meals at this point (usually supper as I can't bring myself to eat AGAIN in the day). I have considered this a plus too as it will undoubtedly help with the weight loss I want given a few more weeks. But someone today mentioned the nasty idea that this could indicate a problem rather than something good. Would it? Or is it just due to my body getting used to eating less and adjusting accordingly (my thoughts)? Or is it such new territory based upon the radiation, etc, that no one has an idea? I don't see the radiation dr again until June. Last Dec he found it interesting that I seem to have permanently lost the hunger bit and said that wasn't normal, but radiation deals can vary a bit, so didn't seem concerned. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 You really need to have it checked out sooner rather than later. Loss of appetite is one thing. But feeling physically full long after a meal is something else. You need to make sure your stomach is emptying properly, that there aren't any masses or anything in the stomach, etc. I hate to say that, but it's the truth. Please, get checked out. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Ok. Y'all can't expect me to actually like your posts, but your thoughts are noted. (sigh) I don't really think it's a digestive problem as all plumbing still works as it should (a phrase we use in polite company when talking about ponies and what's going on). Whether it's something else or a figment of my imagination... I guess I don't know. I'll see about mentioning it at my next regular doctor's appt and see if he feels it's an issue or not. (That's not too far away.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 If you're not losing significant poundage, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. But I would mention it at your next appointment. How old are you? I'm 52 and in the past couple of years my appetite has taken a nose dive. No way can I eat as much as I could when I was younger. Unfortunately, it seems Mother Nature has just arranged that to correlate with my drooping metabolism, 'cause the reduced appetite sure isn't helping with any weight loss. Note that my advice would be totally different if you're losing significant weight, or having other worrisome symptoms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Do you still have an oncologist? I would call him/her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think a consult with a nutritionist may be helpful. Eating for hunger is not always the best idea- whether it is too much or too little. A nutritionist could give you an idea about if what you are eating is adequate and set up a plan that is related to health and not hunger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I experienced the same symptoms after eating a strict vegan diet for an extended period of time. I have altered my diet but still cannot eat the quantities I used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Ok. Y'all can't expect me to actually like your posts, but your thoughts are noted. (sigh) I don't really think it's a digestive problem as all plumbing still works as it should (a phrase we use in polite company when talking about ponies and what's going on). Whether it's something else or a figment of my imagination... I guess I don't know. I'll see about mentioning it at my next regular doctor's appt and see if he feels it's an issue or not. (That's not too far away.) Delayed gastric emtpyting wouldn't cause a change in bowel movements or anything like that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 H'mmm - this gives me food for thought (pun! ha!), something to chew on (I did it again!) re: my now 23-year-old son, who is lucky to hit 110 pounds..and he is 5'8". He says the same thing - he just isn't hungry. When he does eat, it is not much, and takes forever. I think I will see if a G.I. will see him this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Interesting thoughts to consider. Watching actual nutrition more is probably a good idea. Weight loss (for a while anyway) is welcome. I'm definitely not on a vegan (or any other) diet, but we do tend to try for healthy meals a good portion of the time. And I'll see about mentioning it. There are other things we're supposed to talk about and we get, what, 15 minutes tops? But if this were to happen to be related, I guess it would be good to mention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 My response is very "out there" and probably isn't the case, but I'll mention it anyway. Is there a chance that the part of your brain that recognizes hunger has been damaged, either through the radiation or bt? I know a lovely woman who had a portion of her brain removed due to unrelenting seizures. They were careful about not removing anything major, but it turns out that they removed the part of her brain that recognizes physical fatigue. She has now become an amazing, world-reknown marathon runner, and she is in her mid-50's! She runs up mountains and pulls heavy loads in races, and never gets tired. She has learned to set a timer or plan a specific distance because otherwise she would just run forever. She has a really fascinating story! But also, I wanted to mention that I hit menopause a couple years ago, and since then my appetite has diminished by about half. I can eat 2 pieces of pizza now and feel so stuffed that I can't imagine eating again. (But of course I always do.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Interesting thoughts to consider. Watching actual nutrition more is probably a good idea. Weight loss (for a while anyway) is welcome. I'm definitely not on a vegan (or any other) diet, but we do tend to try for healthy meals a good portion of the time. And I'll see about mentioning it. There are other things we're supposed to talk about and we get, what, 15 minutes tops? But if this were to happen to be related, I guess it would be good to mention. I think you need to do more than just think about mentioning it. You need to address it with a doctor. I didn't want to directly say this, but the onset of theses symptoms correlate with stomach cancer. I'm sure that isn't what is happening, but given your history, you know that addressing things sooner rather than later is vital. Again, it's probably just something silly, that you can ignore. But if it isn't, you need to know. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Creekland, any change from your normal habits is a warning bell that needs to be answered especially on the heels of cancer. Has your doctor mentioned any appetite stimulants such as megace? While the weight loss might be a bit of a bonus at this time, it can complicate a recovery process basically because of being nutritionally deficient. Definitely make this a point to bring up with your doctor. It isn't something to just mention in passing. It is important. :grouphug: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 You really need to have it checked out sooner rather than later. Loss of appetite is one thing. But feeling physically full long after a meal is something else. You need to make sure your stomach is emptying properly, that there aren't any masses or anything in the stomach, etc. I hate to say that, but it's the truth. Please, get checked out. :iagree: And I wouldn't wait for my next, regularly scheduled appointment. Says the person who rarely goes to the doctor (even though she should.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Being underweight is a problem. The women in my family all tend not to get hungry like other people. We love to eat but could go a whole day without feeling hungry. This especially starts in the 20s. All of us were normal teens and skinny women. I have no idea why. I can smell things very well. I just forget to eat at times. I think there's a wide range of normal for this, and you may have tipped to the slimmer edge of normal, and that could be okay. If you're eating less, you're going to lose weight. The problem I would see would be if you continued to reduce, so eat fewer and fewer calories per week, which would lead to endless weight loss. That is a problem because being underweight and malnutrition is a problem. But if you're stabilized around 1,400 calories per day, once you get to the weight that that sustains, you should be fine, provided you're getting the nutrients you need. I guess others are right that you want to see a doctor. But I also think that some people just don't have that hunger trigger as strong as others and I don't see a problem with that. On the contrary I'm sure there are lots of people who struggle with over-active hunger triggers who'd love to have that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 If she just wasn't hungry, I wouldn't be worried. It's that she feels physically full long after a normal sized meal that I find concerning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Please call for an appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 My response is very "out there" and probably isn't the case, but I'll mention it anyway. Is there a chance that the part of your brain that recognizes hunger has been damaged, either through the radiation or bt? This has always been my assumption as to what happened to hunger in general. The radiation doc didn't dispute it, but did say it wasn't normal - at least - normal to continue on past radiation (which ended a year ago this month). This other stuff is a bit newer. Talking with hubby a bit today and thinking back, it might have started a couple of months ago, but is definitely far stronger now. I hadn't really paid attention to it until yesterday when someone IRL mentioned it might not be a good thing. Creekland, any change from your normal habits is a warning bell that needs to be answered especially on the heels of cancer. Has your doctor mentioned any appetite stimulants such as megace? That was a benign tumor - this shouldn't be connected to that, unless it's an offshoot of the radiation. And my regular doctor probably doesn't know a thing about it as I don't recall bringing it up. There have been enough other things filling our visit time to mention the loss of appetite. As mentioned, it was only yesterday that the possibility of it being a problem came up. Being underweight is a problem. I am nowhere close to underweight - which is why I welcome the "easy" weight loss... That said, I am taking in what others are saying, so it's not in vain. There just may be other pressing matters that are more important to deal with first. I'll see how it goes. If she just wasn't hungry, I wouldn't be worried. It's that she feels physically full long after a normal sized meal that I find concerning. Gotcha... and what used to be normal sized meals definitely are way too much now... so I'm guessing something is wrong somewhere. I wasn't actively looking for an additional problem to deal with. (sigh) Please call for an appointment. My next appt is soon enough. Seriously. Last week there were three appts with different folks. This week there's a minimum of two, and that's as low as it is because I cancelled one already - kinda getting too into it for my stress level and some things can wait. It's been a fun time in my life. :glare: But thanks to all for the info. I suppose it's better to know than to overlook unintentionally. I will at least mention it and see if it shifts anything in whatever the plan is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think anybody with nursing experience will tell you to call a doctor because people with advanced cancer typically gradually lose their appetite, and eventually become repulsed by food. Anyone with hospice experience will have seen that pattern frequently enough that appetite loss would be a giant warning flag, even if it turns out to be solely caused by radiation and ultimately mean nothing. You should let a doctor determine that, not an assumption. ETA: if you're not underweight, it might just be that the radiation altered the hormonal response to food that's typically triggered when food hits the small intestine. It could be that it normalized your response to food and IS a huge blessing. But it should still be looked at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think anybody with nursing experience will tell you to call a doctor because people with advanced cancer typically gradually lose their appetite, and eventually become repulsed by food. Anyone with hospice experience will have seen that pattern frequently enough that appetite loss would be a giant warning flag, even if it turns out to be solely caused by radiation and ultimately mean nothing. You should let a doctor determine that, not an assumption. ETA: if you're not underweight, it might just be that the radiation altered the hormonal response to food that's typically triggered when food hits the small intestine. It could be that it normalized your response to food and IS a huge blessing. But it should still be looked at. Well, if there's any bright spot, a heck of a lot of blood numbers came back just fine this month, so I don't totally think I'm at death's door just yet. Perhaps it means nothing, but anything giving confidence is worth something I suppose. The only ones out of line were: - Mean Platelet Volume Low, but improved one tick from Jan (perhaps a meaningless tick, but nonetheless, an improvement) - Cholesterol, including LDL came back quite a bit higher than before. We're "in discussion" about that one - giving it another 6 months to see what the trend is (though admittedly probably not the doctor's first preference to wait) - CO2 level - right at the borderline of being too low, so not really out of line, but an interesting change Glucose was high, but with an ear infection/antibiotics at the time, I was told to expect that. A1c was 5.6, so ok for now, but being watched. Granted, the "heck of a lot" of blood tests aren't everything that could be tested for, but just coming back from counting... 30 others were perfectly fine (blood cell counts, Fe, protein, thyroid, etc, among them). A year ago I was warned that the radiation probably would destroy my thyroid and possibly my pituitary gland over time. The thyroid just tested fine. I don't know that any tests tested the pituitary, but if I were to get suspicious of a connection (not having any medical knowledge to know if a connection exists), it might be there. Or it could possibly be related to another issue being looked at. Time will tell I guess. Figuring out to say something prior to future appts is probably a good thing. Otherwise it really wouldn't have occurred to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have to say that I find the fact that you can routinely have 2 eggs for breakfast and maybe an apple for dinner and still not see any weight loss to be odd. I am NOT a big eater. I routinely eat less than 1,000 calories a day, but I am also a short person. If I ate less than 250 (2 eggs = 160 calories 1 average apple = 52 calories) a day I am pretty sure even I would lose a lot of weight quickly. I am glad you are having another appt soon. And maybe keep a food journal until you get in. I understand that you are telling the doctor that your appetite is reduced, but seeing a written journal with actual amounts of food might make more of an impression. Don't let them get away with 'hey, radiation is weird and does weird things'. The doctor can do better than that. That is like 'hey, pregnancy does weird things to women, so let's just wait and see if anything else happens' or 'menopause does weird things so lets wait and see if it gets worse.' There is always a reason to brush off or minimize concerns. That is a seriously low intake. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have to say that I find the fact that you can routinely have 2 eggs for breakfast and maybe an apple for dinner and still not see any weight loss to be odd. I am NOT a big eater. I routinely eat less than 1,000 calories a day, but I am also a short person. If I ate less than 250 (2 eggs = 160 calories 1 average apple = 52 calories) a day I am pretty sure even I would lose a lot of weight quickly. I am glad you are having another appt soon. And maybe keep a food journal until you get in. I understand that you are telling the doctor that your appetite is reduced, but seeing a written journal with actual amounts of food might make more of an impression. Don't let them get away with 'hey, radiation is weird and does weird things'. The doctor can do better than that. That is like 'hey, pregnancy does weird things to women, so let's just wait and see if anything else happens' or 'menopause does weird things so lets wait and see if it gets worse.' There is always a reason to brush off or minimize concerns. That is a seriously low intake. It's also quite recent - hence - not a whole lot of weight loss yet. While the hunger feelings have been gone for a year now (a little more), I could always eat without problems and did make sure I was eating enough. Food smelled good, tasted good, popcorn was fun with a movie, etc. I could have fasted for who knows how long, but I didn't. What's more recent is not being able to eat more... that's what my whole question stems from. Today we dropped youngest off at the airport to head back to college. Hubby and I went to Hardees to wait and be sure his plane took off and we had lunch there. I seriously could have been done with a handful of fries, but thought I'd eat the whole sandwich and fries just because I should (and it tasted good). I didn't get beyond half of it all before I felt a bit like I'd finished a buffet and was stuffed. Hubby finished the other half of mine after eating his - quite probably not good for his health, but he didn't want to toss it. I'd have tossed it. I did have a small vanilla milkshake with it and eating all of that was ok for whatever reason, but definitely not the burger and fries. He'll want supper soon enough (not fast food again though!). I'll skip it entirely. We have plenty of options here - healthy and otherwise, but the thought of eating any more so soon is rather repulsive - not nauseating, but pretty much akin to thinking of one more plate at the buffet after you've already gone past super stuffed. I don't actually weigh myself that often, but as far as our scale is concerned, I'm 5 - 6 pounds less than before we went to the Bahamas (Feb 1st). It's not likely all diet as we picked up the exercise via more walking and snorkeling while there, but I'd guess it's probably 2/3rds diet as it's not as if I'm super sedentary here or went super aerobic there. I didn't used to skip meals often unless I was alone. I skip roughly one per day now (usually supper) with another fairly light and none really at "normal" levels. None of that is on purpose really. It's just that "buffet full" feeling. That's what led to the question (after the IRL discussion and someone turning the lightbulb on to the fact that this isn't common). I assume the milkshake today provided enough calories to keep going for a while - perhaps not nutrition... but calories. ;) (Otherwise today's tally is two fried eggs for breakfast and half of a burger and fries - maybe a little less than half.) Ok, google is pretty nifty. Hardees has a calorie counter on its site. Figuring on half the meal and the whole shake I added 1300 calories there - then add whatever for the two eggs at breakfast (green tea & water don't add anything). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Definitely keep a food journal and show it to your doc. Feeling uncomfortably full or repulsed by food, plus little/slow weight loss, at that level of food intake is very concerning. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Ok, so that is a real change hence, something you bring up and make a point of discussing it. I always thought that a change like this, a change in appetite, swallowing, change in a mole, a change in bowl habits, etc was something to look out for. Now, it might be nothing, in fact, it prob is. It might be that with a diminished desire for food your intake has been slowly shrinking as well. That may have caused your stomach to shrink down to more 'normal' size. I am of the opinion that most of us overeat quite often and our stomachs are used to more food than we need. If your stomach has finally caught up to your appetite, then you might not be able to eat as much. If you have a smart phone, consider downloading a food journal app such as my fitness pal. It's free but you have to create an account. It's not a big deal. I got a couple emails and I unsubscribed from emails and that was the last I've heard of them. But I like the app, lol. But, keep a journal of what you eat and how many calories and nutrients you are taking in. That will let the doctor (and YOU) know if you are progressively eating less or more on some days and other. You can also weigh yourself and keep a record etc. Doctors like things all quantified like that. If you go in with a few weeks of records you will save a lot of time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Now, it might be nothing, in fact, it prob is. It might be that with a diminished desire for food your intake has been slowly shrinking as well. That may have caused your stomach to shrink down to more 'normal' size. I am of the opinion that most of us overeat quite often and our stomachs are used to more food than we need. If your stomach has finally caught up to your appetite, then you might not be able to eat as much. This has pretty much been my thought. Without the IRL conversation I wouldn't be giving it a second thought. I still have to process the new thoughts on here to see what I think now - and give it a little bit more time to see if it sticks around or goes away. Googling stomach cancer symptoms... I don't have most of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestHoustonMom Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I agree with the other posters, you do need to get this checked out. However, I'm very surprised that no one here has mentioned depression as a possible cause. I had almost the exact same thing happen to my appetite and ability to eat anything. It got to the point where I was drinking Ensure just to make sure I got some kind of nutrition. I had no idea what was going on, and I got checked out to make sure everything was ok because I was sure that it was cancer or something else horribly wrong with my body, but the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with me. Gradually I realized I was depressed again. I've battled with depression since my teens, but this was the only time that I'd lost massive amounts of weight instead of gaining. Get checked out for everything physical, then see about your mental state. You don't have to be sad all the time to be clinically depressed. Most people who've met me or known me at all wouldn't think that I am most of the time. All of your treatments and health stress would be enough for anyone to get depressed having to deal with it all. Also, once I figured it out and tried to get treatment, I enjoyed the lack of appetite and took advantage of it too. I ended up going to a size 6 from a size 16 in less than 6 months without even trying. Then I met DH and got happy and started eating more our dates and the weight started coming back. So, if your appetite issues aren't serious once you've been thoroughly checked out, take advantage of them. Just don't forget that your appetite may come back with a vengeance, and be ready if it does. I would give almost anything to have this happen to me again, and this time I would watch my eating so much better when the appetite comes back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 This has pretty much been my thought. Without the IRL conversation I wouldn't be giving it a second thought. I still have to process the new thoughts on here to see what I think now - and give it a little bit more time to see if it sticks around or goes away. Googling stomach cancer symptoms... I don't have most of those. Lack of appetite and feeling very full very easily can be associated with other cancers besides stomach. Hopefully it is not that, but given your somewhat unusual medical history, combined with the duration (this hasn't been just going on a few weeks and is getting worse), I would not wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I don't have anything substantial to add except I hope everything checks out OK. (((Creekland))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 I agree with the other posters, you do need to get this checked out. However, I'm very surprised that no one here has mentioned depression as a possible cause. ... So, if your appetite issues aren't serious once you've been thoroughly checked out, take advantage of them. Just don't forget that your appetite may come back with a vengeance, and be ready if it does. I would give almost anything to have this happen to me again, and this time I would watch my eating so much better when the appetite comes back. I really don't think depression is a factor here at all. Perhaps chemical issues caused by radiation, but not depression. I'm tending toward thinking it's not a problem - or at least - given another month of thinking about it will give me more time to see. And I do plan to take advantage of it to lose the weight I want to take off. One of my secret (minor) fears is having the appetite come back! It sounds like you have upped the amount of fat in your meals compared to what you were eating on the Island. That does increase satiety. A food log such as myfitnesspal will be helpful in unraveling this. You underestimate the power of my mom in deciding what, how much, and when we eat when we travel! :lol: With either my mom or at my in laws I almost always gain weight due to their never-ending eating and what gets chosen to eat. But, while in the Bahamas I was determined that it wouldn't happen (esp for a month!). I did eat less (by choice vs now), so it easily could have set a pattern or conditioned my body or whatever. Then here, my college boys have been home the past two weeks, so of course, life is filled with comfort foods both home cooked and eaten out. While I skipped some and ate less at essentially all, my body could, indeed, just be full of it! Eating less compared to college boys is hardly the same scale for measuring anything. Life is back to normal here now (more or less). I'll see how normal plays out between now and Easter I think. At this point my next appt with him is in mid April anyway. And I'll see how much I end up losing in that time period...or if any other symptoms of anything show up or whatever. ;) It's definitely given me something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I think a consult with a nutritionist may be helpful. Eating for hunger is not always the best idea- whether it is too much or too little. A nutritionist could give you an idea about if what you are eating is adequate and set up a plan that is related to health and not hunger. I agree that you should consult a nutritionist. After radiation therapy, my Dad wasn't ever hungry and was losing too much weight. The nutritionist gave him several helpful hints until his hunger cravings returned to normal. One hint was to leave a jar of open peanut butter in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. He was to eat a spoonful every time he entered one of those rooms. Sounds gross...but along with her other helpful hints it worked. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 I agree that you should consult a nutritionist. After radiation therapy, my Dad wasn't ever hungry and was losing too much weight. The nutritionist gave him several helpful hints until his hunger cravings returned to normal. One hint was to leave a jar of open peanut butter in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. He was to eat a spoonful every time he entered one of those rooms. Sounds gross...but along with her other helpful hints it worked. Good luck! Glad to hear something similar to this has happened to someone else. It makes me think I'm not out of line with some sense of what could happen. It I get down to where I've lost too much weight, I'll keep these suggestions in mind. There's at least 20 - 25 pounds I want to see gone first though. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I hope that in the meantime you are concentrating on lean protein and greens, and taking a daily multivitamin with minerals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 We're having salmon and some sort of veggie(s) for supper tonight. I skipped lunch to eat supper (hubby is out in the field working - engineering - not farm - and ate with colleagues). Youngest went back to college yesterday, so we're back to empty nesting. With or without this "stuff" going on we'd be switching back to a bit of healthy meals for a while. Gotta make up for all those comfort foods! Eggs are common for breakfast because we have our own chickens, they've started laying for the spring, and my extra mouths to feed are no longer here so it leaves us with a lot of eggs. Even the cats get a splurge every now and then. A daily multivitamin is already part of my life. That hasn't changed. ETA I keep up the exercise too - walking (a couple miles per day) and general farm stuff. Today I was pruning trees along our hedge and taking down a pear tree branch that mostly fell in a storm. Soon we'll be planting the cold weather veggies in our garden - broccoli, kale, lettuce, peas, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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