After all those months of rapid weight loss late last year, it seemed to have resolved itself. The weight loss had basically stopped, and the pain during eating, and the pain while eliminating ebbed away. Thought the problem was over with. Even discussed this with my oncologist recently, and we both thought I was going to be ok.
During the time that my wife was out with her spine injury ( 2 1/2 months), I was having to prepare her 3-4 meals per day. Obviously, I tended to eat more often during that period. Then during the Thanksgiving through Christmas period, I started binging on junk food and lots of sugar (my one big weakness). However, I didn't really gain any weight, it held steady.
From January 1 through January 10, I have already lost 7 lbs, with no attempt at cutting back eating, espcially the high calorie junk food. I knew something was going on, because I had to cut another hole in my belt, the 4th hole I've had to cut during all these months.
And to make matters worse, I am losing ground fast at oncology rehab. They access me monthly, and over the past 3 tests, I am losing more and more range of motion in strength, duration, etc. From the middle of last year to know, they estimate up to 40%.
My wife is now shocked looking at my legs, they are probably 1/3rd to 1/2th the diameter they use to be, it doesn't look healthy, as in toning then up. Also, my upper arm mass is shrinking away quickly.
I am contacting my doctor in the morning to bring him up to date. It has all the makings of being cancer cachexia, or wasting disease as I have feared. You don't have to be late term cancer ridden for it to happen. Truama can cause it, just having cancer can cause it, even read that it can begin years in advance with no visible signs, even before a diagnosis. Kind of scary, because not much can be done about it. Inputting more calories rarely helps once it gets rolling, exercise has little effect. Not sure what can be done if this is the case.
If you only saw how much I had eaten during the first 10 days of this month, to lose 7 lbs makes zero sense. If I had been cutting back during this same time period, no telling how much more weight would have been lost.
I am studying all I can on the subject, trying to understand my options. Sure my doctor will want to see me long before my scheduled April meeting.
Cachexia also increase cancer related fatigue, so its that vicious circle thing again. You get more tired, so you want to do or exercise less, so your appitite decreases, then you lose more weight, then that makes you more tired, etc. Just goes around and around.
This is also assuming that my bladder is not cancerous at this time, still arranging to see the bladder/PC specialist in Charleston, looking like first week of February right now. Something major is going wrong here, got to get some answers before it gets out of hand.
david