My doctor thinks if I get a temporary feeding tube it would help me with weight gain. I've lost over 25 lbs due to chemo and radiation. I am in remission now for 4 years, but having trouble putting weight on and I'm too frail. I think it may help, however my grown children are all against it. I would appreciate any suggestions and thoughts on this from the cancer community.
Second: OMG! Please do everything else before getting a feeding tube - any feeding tube! My father first had a G-tube inserted before beginning advanced cancer treatment for jaw cancer. A few days after the this tube surgery, the tube literally fell out and hit the floor while my father was recovering in the hospital from this surgery - because it wasn't held securely in place from the idiot doctor doing this surgery, so a different doctor then inserted a J-tube - but didn't tell us that he was inserting this type of tube. This feeding tube was a nightmare for my father and for me managing it. Doctors never advised us beforehand the complications of managing and living with a feeding tube. Whenever there was a problem with this tube, I had to take my father to the ER - and every ER doctor just made the issue worse. Please remember: If the doctor is recommending a J-Tube - this can be cumbersome because you need to travel with a pump. Listen to your family - don't do this unless it's the very, very last option for food intake.
Have you tried Assure or Boost with your meal. Way back decades ago, I had lost a lot of weight and one doctor had suggested Carnation Instant Breakfast, where you add milk, as a drink while eating. Now it all depends if you can have sugar and lactose. It took awhile, but I was able to get the weight back.
If you are feeling too frail, have your primary doctor check your B12 level. If you are low on B12, it can zone you out. Usually the doctor will start you on B12 shots weekly for a month or so, then you can graduate to taking B12 pills. That also worked for me :)