My partner's had the pc tumour removed 3 weeks back and also various legions on the liver of a different type of primary cancer.

[mrs2dogs]

My partner had a 12 hour operation to remove the cancer from the pancreatic tumour and a neuroendercrine cancer from the liver and this was 3 weeks back. He is home now and very very weak and has no appetite so he is losing much weight. He will be on the drinks soon to build him up and we are still going through the rigmarole of getting everything processed from the various nurses, doctors and tieing up with the hospital which is not an easy task. If anyone else out there has had this similar type of operation, I just wondered if your taste buds do return because there is nothing he enjoys at present. Times could have changed as my late uncle who lived with it for 12 years after operating, was on nil by mouth for the first 6 weeks and then ate very very little for the rest of the years. My partner has been told to eat meat when he can to build him up and that was from the surgeon, not a nurse or dietician. Any other comparisons about food would be good to know about. My partner used to love every type of food and I know it's making him really fed up! Thanks, Gaynor 2 dogs.

[SheilaNN]

I can understand how your husband just doesn't want to eat after his operation. I was in the same situation where nothing appeals, afraid to eat,, totally not hungry. I thought it was the hospital food but then couldn't face the M&S goodies by husband brought in to me.

From my personal experience I found the only way is to start simple - the first things I ate we're Rice Krispies (very light), a country vegetable cuppa soup starting with a couple of sips by straw (I had the two nasal tubes after the op) and salads (no smells to make eating more difficult) . Once my system for processing the food through my body kicked in it all came together. This started to come together about 12 days after the operation but I had had an illius ie a blockage or paralysis of the gut which is very common after any surgery which handles the gut. Hospital food was fine then!

I was wondering if the hospital are monitoring your husband's weight - was he fed through a nasal tube while in hospital? In my case they would not have let me home until I had been eating, keeping it down and processed it out the other end.

with best wishes

Sheila

[mrs2dogs in reply to SheilaNN]

Hi Sheila,

No, my partner was never fed through a tube and was made to eat (if he could!) half a sandwich only some 7 days later. He eats little bits but doesn't fancy one thing at all - he eats because he knows he must do. I just wonder how much you eat now? he had a quarter of his stomach removed which I know is a little like having the gastric band operation. How long is it since your operation? thank you for your advice and replying.

Best regards,

Gaynor

[SheilaNN in reply to mrs2dogs]

Hi Gaynor

My Whipple operation was mid April and I don't think they took away any of my stomach. I do eat and although I don't really get hungry I do enjoy my food when I do eat. I take a large creon with every meal and sometimes two with my evening meal.

I would suggest that worrying about eating probably isn't helping as I said a big step is processing the food successfully and this might be making your husband nervous as well on top of everything he is coping with. The advice I was given is little and often so that is worth a try even a couple of mouthfulls is progress.

wishing you and your husband the very best

Sheila