appetite stimulants?

You might try adding benecalorie to her protein shakes. It's a 1.5oz odorless and tasteless liquid that packs 300 calories per portion. If she consumed 3 of those per day she would be taking in almost an additional 1000 calories. And the other great thing about it is that it does not add bulk. I think you can get it online through Amazon. It's a product developed by Nestle.

Sue

Maybe decrease the amount of shake you give her to 4oz and add the benecalorie? So, if she can easily consume 4oz of shake, add the additional calories. I think it also important that you get her outside for short walks. Exercise will stimulate hunger. I know it's probably hard, she complains of no energy, but she really needs to work at it.

Sue

what helped me gain weight after surgery was lots and lots of icecream!! that's what my surgeon told me to eat. also, for protein they told me i needed about 60g/day. i'm not sure what Rachel is able to eat, but i ate a can of tuna fish every day, i think one little can has 30g which is A LOT. i also ate hard cheeses, eggs, chicken - i had it calculated and it got to 60g/day. within 2 mons post colectomy i was back to my 112 lbs weight. hope everything works out for her soon.

my appetite after all the surgeries i had was suppressed, but not to that degree. but i also believe that the lower weight you get, the appetite suppression is naturally greater, cuz the stomach is smaller. i mean i got to 103 lbs after the colectomy, but 83 - that's a big difference. if i had gone down to that weight, my appetite would surely be more suppressed. i believe her appetite will slowly come back, only it will probably just take a little longer for her. but if it doesn't improve in like the next 2 mons or so, or if her weight gets even lower, i think a consultation with her dr is needed. maybe TPN for a while is required. just to give her the needed first boost.

oh i totally understand why you'd want to avoid TPN. the sepsis must have been aweful. was the UC flare due to the TPN? sorry, i don't know much about UC, i had the colectomy for a total different reason. i'm also 5'4 and i can't imagine being only 83 pounds.. or even 93.

hope things improve soon for her. how bout milk shakes? little by little, step by step and i do believe she'll get there :))

I am so sorry to hear she is having incision trouble. Mine opened two weeks after surgery too and then again later. It was first thought to be caused by prednisone, but later discovered to be caused by a poor suture reaction. Regardless, they tested me for nutritional deficiencies around that time also and found that I had a very low Albumin level which can really slow healing. Has Rachel received that test? My surgeon wanted me to eat a lot of protein and recommended protein shakes as the best option, but it sounds like you are already doing that. Ensure Plus is one that has a lot of calories, and I used that to put a bunch of weight back on in the month between my severe flare and surgery.

There was a period after my surgery where I had a horrible loss of appetite. It wasn't immediately after surgery... more like a month later. I had tests at the hospital and was treated for some other stuff, but my surgeon could never find a direct cause for the appetite suppression. I thought maybe it was due to tapering Prednisone. I was on 5 mg going down to none at that time. One morning, it took me two hours to eat one scrambled egg. I got nauseated just looking at it. My husband was so worried! After a couple of weeks though, my appetite slowly came back. During this time, I just tried to at least drink some protein shakes, though even that was hard.

I couldn't walk very well with my incision woes either. I know not walking made me feel more depressed because usually I exercise to make myself feel better during hard times. Without the ability to walk around much, I got pretty down. Still, I just couldn't make myself do it... the incision hurt too much. I was lucky if I could make it around a couple of blocks during the first four months because of that. I also had trouble standing up straight because that would really stretch my incision. Ouch! Once it healed though, I gained strength again quickly. Hang in there Rachel! You will feel strong again soon too.

Blueheron - thank you for sharing that. It sounds so familiar and gives me hope. I know we've pulled her out of worse and I keep telling her that this is going to be the last time we have to build her up. She got down to 74 pounds when she had sepsis and couldn't even climb up one step on our front porch without help - and she was just 17 years old at the time. So very unfair. She's definitely had her share of struggles. I so look forward to this being a memory and for her to be able to get on with her life. I will ask about the test for albumin.

And thanks for keeping her in your prayers Hodaya. We'll take every positive thought that is sent our way. I'm so thankful for this forum.

Took Rachel to her primary care physician yesterday and he put her on an appetite stimulant. She was down another 3 pounds since that last weigh in. He wants us to get at least 1600 to 1800 calories in a day which is hard for her to think about right now but which needs to happen. I think little bits at a time. We did go out to a restaurant she loves last night and got her favorite pizza which was appealing to her and she managed to get in a piece. We brought half of it home. I will continue to use the Beneprotein until the Benecalorie gets here. Thanks all for your support and suggestions - it means so very much to us! Can't wait to get this turned around.

she'll make it, mom, i'm sure she will!

Thanks all. Worried Mom - glad she's doing so well. I just read another post you made and it is wonderful - not even on Imodium!

I'm happy to report that the appetite stimulant has worked! Rachel is now eating and starting to gain weight and getting her strength back. She even went out with friends last night for sushi! I wish we'd gotten her on it long ago. Her PCP said that major surgery can really mess with the enzymes that the pancreas makes which affects appetite - she needed a little jump start. The appetite stimulant that they put her on is actually a first tier antihistimine which is often prescribed for children with appetite problems such as those with cystic fibrosis or cyclical vomiting. It began working right away. Fingers are crossed that we are over the hurdle now. Today marks six weeks since the second surgery (formation of the j-pouch) - from here on out she is going to be eating and healing and walking.

Awesome news! I hope the worst is behind you and that she continues to improve.

We are now walking a mile and a half a day!! If you'd told me that a week and a half ago I wouldn't have believed it. Amazing what a little nutrition can do! From here on out it's HEALING for ElddireMsihT!