Cancer Survivors

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Seems unfair.......

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daltem
daltem Posts: 138 Member
in Social Groups
....that we go through a cancer diagnosis, surgeries, chemo, ( radiation, for some) and yet we still have to diet.

<sigh>

At the beginning of my chemo, while looking on the bright side, I thought losing weight would be at least one positive of getting
poison pumped through my body....

Didn't work.

I think I gained weight- seems like everyone thinks they need to feed you when you're " sick".

Okay...just my melancholy thought for the day.... back to the grass in my yard.

Replies

  • Putcake
    Putcake Posts: 93 Member
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    Haha - I had the exact same sentiment!

    I joke that the only weight I lost was from the hair on my head! I gained 10 lbs. during treatment. When I was diagnosed, I was 25 lbs. heavier than where I wanted to be. So after treatment, I was just fat and bald. Oh, and going through psuedo menopause because chemo played havoc with my hormones.

    Now I can laugh, looking back at where I was 7 months ago. I've lost 17 lbs. total (chemo weight plus some), my hair has grown back (and is super curly), and my hormones got back in check, so I'm not having hot flashes, etc.

    I think you have to look at the funny side of some of this stuff or else you will just lose it. We adopted a rescue puppy a few months ago. My hubby was a little hesitant about getting dog number 3, but then told me - "Well, I can't tell the cancer lady she can't get a a puppy." But my surgeon joked to me yesterday - "You don't even look like you had cancer. No more sympathy votes for you." Someone else might have taken that the wrong way - but I was thrilled!
  • BrendaBlis
    BrendaBlis Posts: 165 Member
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    Hi guys, I got down to 113, started out around 138 when diagnosed. A year and 2 months after treatment ended, I put 40 pounds back on, down 7 of that so far.

    Good luck to you :flowerforyou:
  • Veslus
    Veslus Posts: 72 Member
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    I went from 215 when I started treatment down to 155 by the end of it. I like to joke that cancer was the most effective diet I've ever been on.

    Sadly I gained almost all of that back, got back up to 195 before I got my eating habits under control. I went so long being unable to swallow anything, and then unable to keep anything down, that actually being able to eat again was AWESOME and I was going to finish EVERYTHING.

    I looked pretty good (aside from the whole bald and sickly part) at 155 though. ;)
  • lose3stone
    lose3stone Posts: 76 Member
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    Starting a kick start cleansing programme today and looking forward to losing ( and never finding again) a few pounds:)
  • caroluherek
    caroluherek Posts: 63 Member
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    Prior to my diagnosis I liked to think of myself as pretty healthy, exercised 5-6 times a week and had been gluten free by choice for about 7 months. When I started treatment I lost weight the first round because of nausea so my Doctor ended up prescribing 3 different anti nausea meds which made me want to eat pretty much everything in sight. "This isn't a diet plan" one of the nurses told me. Fatigue, treatments and the added bonus of a blood clot in my picc line lead me to live as a couch potato for basically 6 months, gained 25 pounds, grr. I'm trying to get back to exercising, it's been very humbling so far, I feel like an old lady full of aches and pains but I'm determined to keep at this. Glad to know there are others out there who experience similar challenges/feelings.
  • AuntieMC
    AuntieMC Posts: 346 Member
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    I have lost 188 pounds since being diagnosed with cancer two years ago. I lost it by totally and radically changing my lifestyle in an effort to help my body recover. Changing is hard, and I still have another 30 or so pounds to lose, but it has been worth the effort!
  • Geeky_Girl
    Geeky_Girl Posts: 239 Member
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    I lost weight and then gained weight as I recovered (anti-nausea meds helped and I was home for weeks just watching TV). Now I'm working on losing the weight I gained and then getting back on track to what I was trying to lose before the cancer hit.
  • Sashoi
    Sashoi Posts: 295 Member
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    I thought I was the only one to gain weight after treatments. When I got diagnosed I was 185, after first chemo treatment I caught swine flu and pneumonia. Ended up in a coma for 3 weeks with a collapsed lung. Was 164 when I woke up, after a month in ICU started chemo again and was gaining 30lbs with each of my 3 day treatments was fine cause I usually pee it out on 4th day. Then my oncologist decided to switch one of my chemo drugs and I stopped peeking. The weight just kept coming n coming... I didn't even want to try to lose the weight cause I was so tired of it all. Now I'm ready to work and it's not easy by any means but I won't give up.
  • mavis153
    mavis153 Posts: 36
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    IT does seem unfair.. I had high activity levels prior to diagnoses and had a great attitude about it when I first started chemo. Unfortunately once I started the nausea set in, the port was uncomfortable, and I was pretty much exhausted all the time. I tried my usual workouts- running, insanity, etc., but I got frustrated when things just weren't working. I wasn't drinking nearly enough water to get through insanity, running hurt my port and made my whole neck bruise, not to mention every other week I had chemo and could barely move. After all these discouraging experiences, I sort of gave up and decided "hey, I have cancer, I can eat whatever I want." Bad choice. I have lost so much muscle, but not lost any weight because I've been gaining so much fat. This is depressing, and just made me feel worse. Finally after my 4th treatment (2 weeks ago) I decided I needed to stop feeling like a victim, and take control of this madness! Last Tuesday I started counting calories again, and getting small 20 minute workouts in every morning before work. I also just signed up for some yoga classes. I realize now I can't continue like I did prior to diagnosis, but that there are other things out there that I'm capable of doing, I just also need to listen to my body and eat healthier.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    IT does seem unfair.. I had high activity levels prior to diagnoses and had a great attitude about it when I first started chemo. Unfortunately once I started the nausea set in, the port was uncomfortable, and I was pretty much exhausted all the time. I tried my usual workouts- running, insanity, etc., but I got frustrated when things just weren't working. I wasn't drinking nearly enough water to get through insanity, running hurt my port and made my whole neck bruise, not to mention every other week I had chemo and could barely move. After all these discouraging experiences, I sort of gave up and decided "hey, I have cancer, I can eat whatever I want." Bad choice. I have lost so much muscle, but not lost any weight because I've been gaining so much fat. This is depressing, and just made me feel worse. Finally after my 4th treatment (2 weeks ago) I decided I needed to stop feeling like a victim, and take control of this madness! Last Tuesday I started counting calories again, and getting small 20 minute workouts in every morning before work. I also just signed up for some yoga classes. I realize now I can't continue like I did prior to diagnosis, but that there are other things out there that I'm capable of doing, I just also need to listen to my body and eat healthier.

    Thumbs ^!!!
  • Chelsarrr
    Chelsarrr Posts: 65 Member
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    It's important to maintain weight during treatment, period. The weight loss is muscle mass mostly, or comes from psychological issues. It's better to deal with cancer first...then rebuild!!! :)
  • diagofussa
    diagofussa Posts: 13
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    I must say I am grateful to hear so many of you with such similar situations. I only ever hear that you loose weight with Chemo.... Not me!! I lost 20 kg yes, but that was due to the condition and the following operations and the complications associated with the first few rounds of chemo but once they get the drugs right, man! You could not stop me eating!! I put on all that I lost when first diagnosed then some!!

    I too was very active prior to diagnosis so it was very hard to just feel like you had to give up! When you have little energy from treatment, its so hard to force yourself to do the exercise you used to do.

    I am now 7 weeks since my last chemo treatment and have made the decision that this year is a year of happiness and healthiness! Calorie counting and just basic exercise to ease into it again.

    Its amazing how people take for granted the actual ability to be fit. When it is Taken from you you realise just how pathetic your excuses were when you were healthy. Now I am on track to be fit and healthy again, there will be NO excuses!
  • caroluherek
    caroluherek Posts: 63 Member
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    I hope 2014 brings everyone a better sense of self, that we each find something that works for us in our daily lives to give us back some of the control we feel we lost when we were diagnosed. I have found using mfp and walking has been really helpful over the last few months of 2013. Here's to 2014, good health, happiness and living life to the fullest - cheers
  • hittingitonemoretime
    hittingitonemoretime Posts: 7,615 Member
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    I think I am a bit different. I had leukemia when I was 11 (i am 34 now). The doctors told me to go home take it easy and rest. But I didnt. I played soccer every chance I got. Even if I was too tired to go to school, I played soccer. They moved the garbage cans closer to the field so I could get sick and not have to be subbed out. I was always active. It wasnt until I tore my ACL (7 years ago) that I gained weight. I was on all the steriods and went through chemo, but I never knew what was happening because I chose not to know. The doctors told my mom everything and we had a deal, if she thought it was important for me to know, she would tell me. I might have been active, but I was angry. Thank goodness I had something to curb my anger.

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