The Colon Club

My 47 year old husband was diagnosed with Stage 2B Colo-rectal cancer about 2.5 months ago. It was in his recto-sigmoid part of his colon. They took out 19 inches of colon and 80% of his rectum. The surgery was done by a fabulous Dr at MD Anderson - and while we are thankful for being so close to MD Anderson here in Houston - and know their surgeons/Drs are some of the best - we've been left out in the dark when it comes to nutrition. (We haven't met with any dietitians there yet - but we will eventually!) In the meantime - my husband is miserable each day post surgery. He can't figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Any suggestions of what works and what absolutely does NOT work? Thanks!

After my resection I was told to eat a "low residue diet" for a certain amount of time. I think it was two weeks.

Same... my husband followed a diet similar to this one after his resection:

http://www.digestivehealthcare.net/diet ... _diet.html

It is not the most interesting diet, but it seemed to help.

What I would suggest is this:

First, look for the MD Anderson booklets on bowel control -- there are several of them. They have good advice for what to eat and what not to eat in various stages of colo-rectal cancer treatment. Try Google with keywords like, BOWEL MANAGEMENT MD ANDERSON, and then look for the MD Anderson booklets listed in the list of outputs.

Second, read the following article,which explains the different types of diets depending on the stage of treatment of the patient and the type of colo-rectal cancer involved. The recommended diets are different depending on whether it is colon cancer or rectal cancer, and whether or not any any surgery or radiation was done on or near the rectum or sphincter. There is no "one-size-fits-all" diet for colorectal cancer. You must customize your diet according to the type of treatment you have had as well as the location of your primary tumor.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/bowel-cancer/living/diet-after-bowel-cancer

Third, try to take advantage of the nutrition specialists available at MD Anderson. At least they should be able understand nutrition within the context of cancer. But when you schedule a meeting with a nutritionist, try to get one that is very familiar with colo-rectal cancer, as opposed to other types of cancer such as breast cancer or lung cancer. This is because eating of course involves the gastrointestinal tract, and whatever you eat can have good or bad effects on the recovery of your colo-rectal cancer surgery. You need a nutritionist who really understands that some things you eat while in surgery-recovery mode can have adverse effects on the overall healing process. They have to understand that all of the food that you eat will have to pass through the area that is under active treatment, and that certain kinds of foodstuffs, although very nutritious, may not be the best thing for a sensitive colon to process in the post-surgery context. They also have to understand that the main things to watch out for are chunky, high-fibre foods (e.g.,muesli, trail mix, Waldorf salads, popcorn), gas-producing foods, such as beans and carbonated beverages, as well as constipating foods. For a diet to be good it must not only be nutritious and varied, but it must also be balanced and must not disrupt the natural flow of food through the gastro-intestinal tract.

You're lucky that you have a contact with MD Anderson. They should be able to sort things out for you eventually.

High protein helps with healing, so Stouffers Mac and cheese was my staple. Tastes good. High in protein. Easy to digest.

Greek yogurt is another one. Cottage cheese (with some canned sliced peaches on top). I couldn't stand the taste of meat for some reason. Too dry. Same with bread. I tried to find as many moist, easy to digest and easy to prepare foods that were high in protein that I could. I could only eat a few bites at a time. I read about the stouffers Mac and cheese on this forum! A chocolate bar dipped in peanut butter was another snack. Carnation instant breakfast with whole milk and protein powder was another suggestion I read and worked well. It was just hard to eat, period, after surgery for me.

tvintn wrote:My 47 year old husband was diagnosed with Stage 2B Colo-rectal cancer about 2.5 months ago. It was in his recto-sigmoid part of his colon. They took out 19 inches of colon and 80% of his rectum. The surgery was done by a fabulous Dr at MD Anderson - and while we are thankful for being so close to MD Anderson here in Houston - and know their surgeons/Drs are some of the best - we've been left out in the dark when it comes to nutrition. (We haven't met with any dietitians there yet - but we will eventually!) In the meantime - my husband is miserable each day post surgery. He can't figure out what to eat and what not to eat. Any suggestions of what works and what absolutely does NOT work? Thanks!

Living around Houston for almost 38 years, we are quite used to eating spicy food. I lived on chocolate Ensure, shrimp and potato soup. Avoid fruit and vegetables, unless you take the peels off. Your husband will be spending a lot of time in the restroom. His anus will get raw, unless he has a temporary ostomy. Believe it or not, even ice cream can be of benefit. As I don't know the foods he likes, I've found that spicy food (although it does irritate the bowels) can sometimes help to get more food ingested. Is your husband on chemo? There were times, I ate James Coney Island, or good Vietnamese noodles, with BBQ pork.
Michael