Is a Special diet after breast cancer surgery necessary?
If you have both breasts removed, is it necessary to eat (or not eat) anything after chemotherapy and surgery? My cousin is coming to stay with me in cuba for a month for her recovery and I need to know what kind of groceries to buy…
She may have some pain to contend with, may be prescribed painkillers. If they’re narcotics, that could have a constipating effect, so she’ll want to get adequate fiber and fluids to help keep things moving along, and not be afraid to get some help from Senekot or Colace (both are recommended for chemo patients, so they’re pretty gentle).
Otherwise, I wasn’t given any dietary restrictions post-lumpectomy/axillary dissection. I just tried to eat well: plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, plenty of protein to help the healing, whole grains for cellular repair, etc.
No but she should make sure she’s had a bowel movement before she tackles anything tough like steak! I’m sure by the time you see her she’ll be able to eat pretty much anything but as the first answer says, make sure it’s nutritious and high in fibre. She may also find chemo dries out her mouth so ice-blocks(not ice cream) are great to sooth a sore mouth.
Don’t worry about it, having both breasts removed sounds a lot worse than it is. Your cousin should be able to eat anything she did before the surgery and a couple weeks post surgery she should be back to normal, except for heavy lifting. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for everyone.
Normally, she will just need to eat healthily. Depending on what chemo she has had, there may be foods that she can’t tolerate (and these can be a weird !) She might not be able to eat chillies and other spices, so ask her if she wants bland food, and just cook chicken, fish, meat etc. by grilling a portion for her.
Also she may not eat a lot, or only eat small portions. Some drugs destroy the appetite, especially if she is now on hormonal drugs.
She will appreciate that you are looking after her – just put normal food on the table, and let her help herself. Make sure there is a fruit bowl for her to snack from, and she can drink plenty of water. If she likes them, bananas are often a good source of healthy eating and easy for her to eat.
She will be tired – and make sure she has a rest after a meal as eating can be tiring!
Verite R
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a healthy balanced diet, that’s what we all should eat,but she will know what she wants and likes, i had the same surgery 4 years ago and just ate my normal foods, the docs will have given her a list of do`s and don’t`s