Some normality

[Sallydog1]

Just a question which is probably unanswerable but how long after being diagnosed and starting following a regime diet etc. Did anyone get a bit of normality back in their lives. Eg not being exhausted all the time having to have ascites drained every 2-3 weeks and having no appetite I realise that my life has changed but it’s as much for my wife as anything else we don’t at the moment have any “life” as such

[jazzjam]

Hi, I gosh yes it does take over you life doesn’t it. I think yes it’s difficult to put a timescale. After reading hundreds of posts here there are so many stages, not the set ones the doctors look at but just also how each person feels, is built, other health issues etc..For me, once I started eating lots of protein, fruit, veg and drinking water I started to feel better in myself quite quickly, the fatigue was still there but not life limiting, even now 18mths eating well and ascites gone I could have an afternoon kip for a couple of hours but I can also get past it now and not have one. In regards to your no appetite, the best advise I was given was little and often, when I say little I mean, a couple of mouthfuls of porridge for breakfast, couple of nuts mid morning. 2/3 bites of chicken and a bit of veg for lunch, a quarter/half of an egg sandwich for tea. Always as much protein as possible. That was how I started and I still felt full with that to start with, I gradually built it up and maybe a couple of months I could eat normal, possibly it was sooner, but that is just based on my experience, I was very thin with no muscles. It would be really worth getting the doc to refer you to a dietician if they haven’t already done so.

I hope it improves for you really soon. 🌻, There are loads of positive and informative posts on here about the transformation people have had with a good diet.

[Sally1dog in reply to jazzjam]

Thanks so much for your post it give me a bit of hope my appetite is terrible at the moment I seem to have no taste at all which makes eating very difficult

[jazzjam in reply to Sally1dog]

Mm, I felt the same, I may as well have been eating cardboard. It did come back for me and I tried having things like, fresh natural orange juice (only from an orange not carton) , water with a squeeze of lemon, tonic water, you know like the strong tasting, tangy or tart things to try and wake my tastebuds up. I don’t know if that worked or just getting back to eating properly worked, either way it’s worth a try. Rowntrees fruit pastille ice lollies, (it was just initially what they had in the shop) I know it sounds odd but whether it was the ice or just the fact that they really are full of lots of flavours but I do think they helped my taste and although only small it is a bit of fluid when you are feeling full.