If I am posting what has already been posted I do apologise I tried to search the forum but couldn't come up with anything I hope the new year is good to all of you on this forum ...I dont often post but reading what is happening out there really helps it is so informative ... keeps me sane
Both myself and my husband have covid we've been bedridden for several days
Hubby has CLL he is on calquence now as his spleen at last measurement was 48 cm he was very ill ...
Bedsheets soaked ..uncontrollable shivers..vomiting..headache everything that covid brings hes 65 in March was diagnosed at 48 ..
Up to date with all vaccinations
Last time he lost 4 stone and cant afford to do this again hes so thin I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas what food I can get into him other than the usual bite of toast or bit of soup
The hospitals in our area of Yorkshire UK cannot take any more people in including my husband and I cant be apologised to any more when I ring ...its not going to change ..theyre full to bursting and we would have had to travel 30 miles to get the antiviral treatment .. neither of us could move so we missed out on that for him
Fluids are going in but so far no food
Just looking for the best ideas
His consultant has cancelled his app next week due to this and said shell ring him but not a lot else can be done as staff are off sick also
Appreciate any suggestions on what is best to try and help the appetite
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Supersurfer1
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I'm so sorry that you are both going through this with no support from the NHS, it's unforgivable given your husband's CLL.
I don't have any suggestions as I know when I was ill the last thing I wanted to do was eat, everything was tasteless and I couldn't manage anything except toast. Do you have anyone who can shop for you? I know ready meals are not ideal but can be quick and easy, something spicy perhaps?
Please let us have an update on how you both are, we will be thinking of you.
Thank you I will update ill keep on with toast ..we have some food in but on a massive snow alert also to add to it all and noone to help out unfortunately..praying we just get through this one .x
You'll want to bury protein and nutrition in as much as possible. If he's eating broths, make sure they are bone broths (different from regular broth - made from bones and have 9-11g protein per serving).
I would also try some white fish (like tilapia) or chicken...both very bland and unlikely to turn a stomach. Bananas and apple sauce (along with toast)...and maybe a plain scrambled egg.
Don't forget if he's liquids only and refuses solids, you can also try to push some veg and fruit nutrients through smoothies. In fact, I would buy meal-replacement Ensure (or the British equivalent) and give him one per day minimum until he can take in appropriate calories. Buy a few flavors, in case one is off-putting, and think more not less. If you don't use all of them now, they last awhile, and can come in handy in the future.
And buy some suckable ginger candies and gentle teas. If he's vomiting everything, this might soothe his stomach enough to let something eventually stay down.
And if he can't keep anything down (including water) for 24-48 hours, you HAVE to go to the hospital, even if to just get an IV, Dehydration can kill and kill rapidly, so don't let him miss this b/c it would be a pain for you both. It will be worse if you skip.
Thank you that's really informative a friend of mine is a great chef and I will ask her if she can make us some bone broth ..The hospitals unfortunately are turning everyone away ..people are in ambulances in the car parks both major hospitals near us have declared emergencies ..no beds ..and a lot of staff off sick also ..I will keep trying
If you have a chef friend making broth, see if she can also bury some blended softened veg into 1-2 of the broths, so you can get extra nutrients in if he'll take them.
Oh, and if this works, have some packets of microwave rice to add to the soups...if he'll eat that, it's just more calories, and calories are good...
(And for the record, I also had miso broth - soothing and good salt replacer - and a corn-cob based broth - a little sweetness - in my fridge. I didn't know what I'd like, so I had a bunch).
And for nausea, I suggest alternating a salty broth with a naturally sweet liquid and then a water...and repeat. It's important to keep fluids and electrolytes in balance, and this tends to work the best for someone not taking much in.
Gosh, so sorry to hear that. Can you do an online shopping? Sainsbury's, Tesco, they all do it. If I need it, I can usually get a slot for the next day. If he can't eat anything but toast, that's ok for a few days. I'd try to eat a little bit regularly, stay on top of hydration. You can also buy hydration tablets - I bought them previously online through Sainsbury's or Waitrose, you can also buy them on Amazon with next day delivery. You can also buy chicken soup/broth in sainsbury's, waitrose, M&S - through online shopping. They also do them in sachets and you add hot water - not as good as freshly made at home of course but hopefully only for a few days - you just want to make sure you both eat and drink. I would also suggest you and your husband sit up in bed as much as possible and get out of bed if possible a few times a day. If you are struggling with cough, look up breathing exercises for covid on YouTube and do those. It is a shame he was not offered Paxlovid, you can collect it in a pharmacy of your choice and it's usually a very quick delivery. I had a terrible experience with covid, horrible nausea and it took a couple of weeks to get better but I did. You will both get better too. Just take it easy. Wishing you all the best. Please let us know how you are both doing.Petra ❤️
Thank you for all this info ..yes its a massive shame ..I couldn't get through to anyone in the clinic due to the hospitals being on alert it was just answerphone so Paxlovid wasn't offered.. nobody has got back to my messages from Monday...we just received a text to say his app was cancelled Wednesday for the prescription for calquence and someone will ring him It doesn't help hes deaf and they know this but thats another issue...our GP tried but the nearest place was just over 30 miles away and we literally couldn't move to go collect it I will be ordering the hydration tabs tonight and the broth ..I have no idea how washed out he feels I'm supposedly healthy and its flattened me ...
Supersurfer.Iam so sorry to hear of yours and your husbands plight just now.With your husband so poorly your GP will prescribe high calorie drinks similar to a smoothy if you have someone to collect, the pharmacy's sell similar packets of the same to mix with water or milk 500cal in a cup . If you are in the uk it is called Complan if your name surfer suggest Australia they sell it there too, my sister used to buy it for her husband there.
keep hydration going the most important thing just now.
Thank you ..I rang the GP who fortunately is very good .he has prescribed something called ensure plus which I believe is similar to complan We are in the UK..the name is a joke really as we are both useless at surfing the Internet computers weren't even in the schools when we were at school so we muddle along sometimes it would be easier with smoke signals !
Had another night of uncontrollably sweating and coughing but he's managed to get up to shower which is a big improvement from the last week
We got a call yesterday to say hospital would see him at 9 am today but got a text at 8 am its been cancelled ..
Well keep going ..it does really remind you that even though the treatments are there and they are working ....his immune system is still unwell and it takes a long time to bounce back .. I hope we havent been too complacent under a false impression that he was so much better than he actually is ...we do try to be very careful but it got us this time ....
Again thank you for taking the time to read and reply x
So sorry to hear of your problems. It reminds me why we have shut ourselves away for nearly 5 years because of risk of covid. Are you on Facebook? Duriing the worst of the pandemic various local groups were set up to help, for instance with collecting medication. Also, I think NHS reponders are volunteering in some areas, and also the Red Cross, but it's probalby too late to get anti-virals. Your GP surgery might know but you say they are helpful so have probably checked things like that already. I like Marmite as a drink and lemon and ginger tea would help with nausea. We both like mashed banana and cottage cheese if we don't feel like eating much. I am odd in that I like crisps if I've had an upset stomach - I suppose it is a craving for salt. Wishing you all the best.
I've wanted salt through this also..No we arent on Facebook but this is a reminder of how isolated we really are we need to be able to be up to date with things and it means being more competent online
We dont own computers and our phones are older but this has shown me that we could both be lying here long gone and only the cat would know ! Once we get out of this mess we are in im going to learn a few basics .the hospitals and CLL have really taken over everything but it shows there's other things that are needed to do
Like you we are isolated and have no one to turn to; I went to neighbours recently about some hedge cutting and they said they had not seen us - they thought we were dead! We don't drive and our phones are landline or dumb mobiles. If you want to learn more about computers your local library may well run courses or one to one sessions. Once upon a time I even helped run such courses but technology has overtaken me. I have a Which? technology subscription and as well as a magazine they offer one to one help sessions and when I bought a laptop they were very helpful re setting it up, Certainly smartphones are a whole new world. Take care and get better soon.
Thank you..thought it was just us ...hubby is asleep again ..covid is wearing me out totally ...and like you noone knows whats happening in here apart from the help I have had from the forum ..ill be eternally grateful Shame your neighbours didn't knock to see if you were OK...but then again mine wouldn't either....good luck to you also ..
Just to add to he above advice I found drinking flat coke to get very helpful in keeping me hydrated when I had COVID last March. I know it's a very unhealthy drink but when my body required a quick form of energy this really helped.Hoping your husband recovers soon.xx
wow! Sorry to hear hospitals are overrun right now. Is CoVid pandemic rearing it’s ugly head in the UK overwhelmingly?
I’m in the USA w UKFamily and no one has mentioned it. Scary, as I’m headed to Oxford next month. Guess I mask up and sanitize as much as possible. I’m early W&W but did get CoVid last time I was there in 2022. (Before I knew I had CLL). I’m vaccinated so wasn’t that bad, but still….
I agree with others, try protein drinks and “Ensure” type smoothies. I use them when I feel run down, and stick with vanilla (chocolate seems to have an artificial taste), but blend in a banana, mandarin, or other soft fruit for more energy and potassium perhaps.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country but here where I am in Yorkshire the hospitals are declaring emergencies due to flu and covid There has been a massive ambulance wait time outside hospitals with them all stacking up with patients still in the ambulances unable to be handed over
Everyone seems to have this or have had it so its rampant where we are ..id say take plenty of precautions when you are travelling just to stay safe
Praying for you both🙏😇❤️, i was thinking beef bone broth, maybe Farina, cream of wheat. A smoothie maybe. Start with small portion half sandwich and increase if possible. A protein drink etc. God Bless 😇🙏❤️You and hubby through these challenging times.
As long as he keeps vomiting, bone broth. Let him drink as much as he can. Once he stops vomiting and can actually eat, drop a few eggs into the bone broth, mix and bring it to boil for 3 minutes. If digestion improves further, add a few pieces of meat into the broth. Toasts are useless.
My commiserations to you both Supersurfer1, you're having a rough time. Did you test positive for Covid? I ask because your symptoms seem very severe if your vaccinations are up to date, and both flu and RSV are rife at present. My wife and I were both really ill and were left with a chesty cough for 11 weeks and counting, after catching a nasty respiratory virus (which I named the Don Corleone variant) late October. It wasn't Covid. A few friends have reported a similar experience.
PS A non prescription remedy for nausea, which may help restore appetite: motion sickness patches. These were recommended to me by a GP whose hobby is sailing.
He needs protein - eggs are the best and easiest. Would he drink eggnog? (I know it is an American drink...) If yes, make it with pasteurized eggs. Remember fat has the most calories per gram, so choose full fat milk, add butter to everything, use ice cream, etc.
You may like to try 2 or 3 of the thick maris piper oven chips... I do this whenever anyone in my family has been ill and needs to build their strength.... the stodgy food seems to help .... hope this helps
last time I had covid, my appetite wasn’t affected. But the the fever and difficulty to get good sleep made me feel miserable. I got paxlovid and I was feeling much better in a couple of days. I tested negative on the 5th day. Since you had it for several days now, I don’t think paxlovid will do any difference right now. Try to get as much rest as you can and the bone broth sounds like a great idea
Sweating, fever, and shaking are all very common. I lost my sense of taste and I found food unappealing. Soaking the bed as you know is no joke and it is commonplace with both CLL and Covid. To be honest my taste buds and sense of smell never recovered.
With respect to my tips. Small plates of food that you fancy are the key. For me that was fried Maris Piper potatoes chips, well salted and dipped in brown sauce. Spicy and salty food went down particularly well as I suspected I needed the salt to replace what I had lost sweating. Spicy and salty warm drinks like Bovril, oxo, Marmite and strong Chinese ginger tea.
One final tip if you can get hold of it or get it delivered was a small Doner Kebab with hot chilli sauce. No I wouldn't normally recommend this but the spice and salt really hits the spot and it could not give me diarrhoea after all as I already had that with Covid!
Best of luck remain positive and eat whatever you fancy in small amounts.
Thank you for taking the time to reply It seems generally I need to help him replace salt and get small amounts of food in .. changed sheets again today..while trying to control my uncontrollable shakes
Hes had fluids again which is good will try start on the food tomorrow
I like 1/2 an avocado as a snack. I eat it straight from the skin with a grapefruit spoon, to more easily cut in to the flesh. A regular spoon is too slippery for me. With some salt or others spices, yummm!
I have lots of experience with GI issues and “dry” foods tended to stay down better than others. As mentioned, dry toast, crackers, graham crackers, etc. For me personally, small “mini” bagels were literally a life saver when I was having serious GI issues. When it started getting a little better, I would add a bit of peanut butter to the bagel. Provided a bit of protein. Also eating the “dry” foods helped me to drink more. My drink of choice for nausea is Ginger Ale. For me it worked better than dead coke.
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