White rice, cheese, pasta.
I'll bet she can have well cooked fruits and vegetables.....things like apple sauce and carrots....but ask.
The issue with chemo patients is lack of immune system....so no raw or slightly raw stuff....and additionally with colon cancer, they want low residue foods.
Think eggs ( well cooked of course,) Flan, quiche..(omit the broccoli).....and chicken soup....chicken bits and pieces long cooked with aromatic veggies.....cooked a looooong time, strained and re cooked with some basamati rice.
Fix her food she can eat......and maybe fix something else for the family....or offer to stay with her while they go out for pizza.
Linda C

There was a Post on this subject but it dropped off the bottom.
I clicked on #3 ,it is in there now.

" Soups for a friend undergoing Chemotheraphy " by Gellchom

Maybe you can pick up on something there?
LOU

Along the lines Linda has suggested, how about macaroni and cheese or tuna/noodle casserole? Comfort foods.

Sue

I just knew this forum would be able to help me out ~ excellent suggestions ~ I will start tomorrow ~ going to page #3 now & I'm sure I will find more good ideas there.

Thank you so very much ~ my heart is heavy ~

I need help again ~ my friend is losing weight so I'm trying to make high-calorie food ~ but stay within the cancer guidelines.

I don't even remember the last time I baked cookies, however, I found a recipe with butter/sugar/rice krispies (all recommended)& she definitely likes cookies.

Bottom line, I have everything set to go ~ and now see that both the baking soda & baking powder are out-dated ~

I was going to take this along with beef stew for their dinner tonight ~ should I just scratch the idea ?? ~ could I use a little more?? ~ what happens to b.p. & b.s. when it's outdated??

Thanks ~~~~~

It depends on how outdated they are. Baking soda has very little change and baking powder can and does get less powerful. With that said unless they're quite outdated I'd just go ahead and use the regular amounts, maybe a slight bit more baking powder. Should be fine. Glad you're taking care of your friend.

lefleur, look at what your friend is experiencing and go schedule yourself for a colonoscopy if you are close to your friend's age. I've had 4 of them and it isn't painful at all.

Think cream....cheesecake, creamed soups with extra powdered dry milk added.
If you are making cookies, add some extra dry milk powder. Cheddar soup would be good.....and where it calls for milk....use cream.
And cream of chicken soup....with real cream....can she have certain well cooked veggies?
Keep cooking!!

When my mom was ill (kidney cancer), the only thing we could consistently get her to eat was bread pudding. If you omit the raisins, I would think it would fall within your friend's dietary restrictions.

Your friend is on a neutropenic, low-fiber, low-residue diet. It is neutropenic because her immune system is compromised, so any bacteria that might otherwise be rendered harmless in a person with a normal functioning immune system is quite dangerous to her.

The low-fiber, low-residue part of the diet is to minimize the activity of her large intestine. The hospital where she is being treated likely has a clinical registered dietitian at the medical oncology clinic, and making an appointment with them would be a wise first step. The dietitian can give her an idea of exactly how many grams of fiber she should be eating a day.

That said, look for foods with less than 0.5g of fiber per serving, such as very processed foods. White bread, white rice, waffles, etc. Canned veggies and fruits should be ok as long as there are no skins or seeds (EXCEPT NO PINEAPPLE). Dairy is usually limited to a cup or two a day, so skip the creamed soups if that's the case with her, as well as tough cuts of meat and any beans or peas that might be in stew. Broth based soups are great, with white noodles and very well cooked veggies. Ripe melon is ok, but make sure you wash the outside of the fruit as well as the knife so that no bacteria is transferred. Plain sherbet and fruit ices are good and refreshing. Please be sure to follow food safety best practices and keep foods at proper temperatures and don't let them sit out too long.

Her taste may change as a result of her treatment. If things taste metallic, using plastic utensils can help. Sometimes very cold foods are easier to tolerate as well. Also, since her favorite foods might taste different than expected, it's a good idea to avoid favorites and try some new things, so that there are no taste expectations. Pleasant company really helps, so sit with her if you can so that eating feels less like a chore. Her doctor and dietitian can also recommend if a multivitamin or any supplements are a good idea. Carnation Instant Breakfast, Ensure, Magic Cup etc...are all really useful for adding calories and protein.

Best of luck to your friend.
AM

I am so overwhelmed by the responses ~~ although I'm not *deranged* like Blanche DuBoise, I couldn't help thinking of her famous line: "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers"

You are all strangers to me and, oh, so kind.

Yes, I DID have a colonoscopy because of her ~ she at 49 had her first one ~ stage 4 ~ metastatic small tumor in liver also ~ they haven't even told their daughter, a college freshman. I don't know how they'll manage to fool her over Thanksgiving break. but they want her to get through her first semester exams without freaking out ~ heart-breaking ~

Yes, the dietician said she needs well-cooked and smooth vegetables and well-cooked meat ~ my stew tonight should have covered both bases. I think actually it was the best stew I ever made cuz I took such care to do everything right! The cookies turned out pretty good too.

I've never made bread pudding, but I'm definitely going to try that too.

wow, arabellamiller, I certainly learned a lot from your post. I am presuming you must be in the medical profession; or have dealt with this issue on a personal level. You added so much information to my limited knowledge.

Yes, she is in the 5th week of radiation & chemo & is not leaving the house (except the daily hospital visit) because of the dangerous immune situation. I wouldn't go near her if I had so much as a headache. Surgery is scheduled for December & then back for another round of chemo (no radiation) She started vicodin (sp.?) this week for pain.

Thank you ~ Thank you ~ Thank you ~

Oh dear, lefleur, I'm so sorry to ehar about your friend, I'll certainly send lots of healing thoughts and wishes to her. You're a very good friend to help take care of her like this too.

Bread pudding is yummy, definitely try it. Homemade pasta is easy, good and probably would fit the requirements of her diet too, and is bland enough to be cooked several ways, depending on what she likes and what sounds good.

Annie

This isn't in the cooking realm, but I just read in my aarp magazine today this tip about chemo: "Ginger. Ginger can help reduce nausea and relieve motion sickness.

Some studies have shown that taking one gram of ginger an hour before surgery can reduce nausea and vomiting during the first 24 hours after surgery.

In addition, a large National Cancer Institute-funded study found that people undergoing chemotherapy who take as little as one-quarter of a teaspoon of ginger daily for three days before chemo cut their nausea by 40 percent."

Maybe it can help your friend.