Food: Friend or Foe?

Of all the things we began to worry about in the first few days of Andy’s diagnosis, we didn’t realize that food was going to be one of them. At first, we had no desire to eat because of stress. Then, as Andy started treatment (or after surgery), we realized that what he could and wanted to eat would greatly change. We stopped eating most dinners at the table as a family. I would eat with the kids, and he would eat when he could.

We were very fortunate to have wonderful friends and family who helped by bringing meals, offering meal gift certificates and making sure we were well stocked with food. This was incredibly important and immensely helpful.

Eventually it became clear that there were certain foods that Andy preferred. The grocery list looked sort of like this:

• Ginger cookies

• Cottage cheese

• Tuna

• Crackers

• Eggs

• Toast

• Rice

• Oatmeal

• Macaroni and Cheese

• Baked potato

And oddly, the occasional fast food hamburger was a must.

It was repetitive but we learned to stick with what he liked and knew. If we tried something else, it often went to waste.

He noticed his taste buds changed, so some food he greatly enjoyed wasn’t the same anymore. And in some cases, while trying to control the nausea, he didn’t want to eat his favourite foods for fear he’d never disassociate treatment with the food.

He lost weight, but little by little and not drastically. He ate what he could, when he could, at all hours of the night and day.

When treatment was over, and he finally could taste his favourite foods again, it was like a new awakening for him. He was enjoying food and able to eat what he wanted.

And we all started sitting at the table for dinner again.