Cachexia: The hidden illness driving loved ones apart

We are all going to die. We all know it. Yet we persist in doing our level best to forget the fact. It could be argued that there are good reasons for this deliberate disattention. Fixating on dying, death and decomposition doesn’t do much for the enjoyment of the here and now. If it’s an inevitability, what is the point of worrying or even thinking about it? There is indeed little point in worrying, but as for not thinking about it, that’s another matter.
It may seem blindingly obvious that the process of dying brings with it profound changes to the way our bodies work as they wind down. But how much do we know about what those changes are? And more importantly, how much do we know about how best to deal with them if or when they occur to us or someone we love?
One such change relates to the appetite of terminally ill patients. When we think of people who are dying of cancer, for example, we tend to think that it is the cancer itself that causes all the problems. But a little-known condition called cachexia that affects patients with cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening conditions can cause avoidable misery and strife, for both the dying person and their loved ones.

A hidden illness

If you haven’t heard of cachexia you would not be alone, yet this hidden illness affects up to four in five people with advanced cancer. It involves the inability to properly metabolise food, which leads to a wasting away, especially of muscle tissue. It is largely caused by the cancer inflaming the body’s cells, leading them to produce excessive amounts of proteins called cytokines, which disrupt metabolic processes. As yet, a treatment to effectively reverse this cycle has not been developed. There may be early signs of cachexia in the cancer journey that do not necessarily develop further but in its later “refractory” stages, while there are treatments to slow it down, there is nothing that can be done to stop it.

It sounds awful, but in terms of physical discomfort it is not so bad. True, it often means that the person feels very tired, but it is unlikely to directly cause them pain, and they do not feel hunger pangs. Ironically, it is the absence of hunger and the feeling of nausea that trying to eat can bring on, combined with the ignorance of the well-meaning souls who have not received appropriate advice, which can lead to grief.
The preparation and presentation of food is of great cultural importance. Nor is it simply a matter of general social solidarity. From the moment a mother offers her breast to nourish her child, it entails the profoundest expression of love. Combine these powerful emotions with the almost ubiquitous (and for the most part very sensible) belief that good health requires adequate nourishment, and you have a powerful imperative to make sure that the loved one whose life you fear for eats well, because it is through eating well that they will get better.
But when people have advanced cachexia, they won’t get better, and what is more, they may well find the food that is being pushed on them to be so inedible that they will do almost anything to avoid it. Family get-togethers around the table are events to hide away from; generous meals of their favourite dish are to be pushed aside or picked at. Meanwhile, the person who has put their love into preparing the food feels rejected when their efforts are spurned. And remember, all this is going on during numbered days when there is little time for strains to be eased or rows resolved, but when there is a plenty of time for the regrets of those who survive.

This is not the way to end a relationship, and it doesn’t have to be like that. If we understood that part of the process of dying for some people includes withdrawal of the need to eat, we could find plenty of other ways to show them we love them besides preparing food. Yet as long as we persist in hiding away death and dying, we won’t know that.

A key part of palliative care

You may think that we don’t need to know about such things until they actually touch our lives, at which point we can rely on healthcare professionals to instruct us on how to cope with them. But that assumes that they will know what to tell us, an assumption that may not always be warranted. If we look at nursing and medical curricula, or at the distribution of research grants, inattention to palliative compared to curative care quickly becomes obvious. One of the consequences of this state of affairs is that clinicians are often not adequately prepared to recognise or deal with conditions such as cachexia.
So maybe the first step that needs to be taken on the road to a healthier response to dying is to start ensuring that all our health professionals have a sound understanding of the processes involved, and what to do to best alleviate their effects.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/cachexia-the-hidden-illness-driving-loved-ones-apart/

Why?
Just why would you post this?

Because I think its important.

I'm glad he did. I have cancer.

nicko wrote:I'm glad he did.   I have cancer.

Hi Nicko

I know it is a difficult topic for some people and I have no means to hurt anyones feelings here, just to me it is important to know the affects and where such illnesses can lead to is important to understand.

A lot of people with cancer wonder why they are losing weight when they eat as normal.My Doc told me about this.

Nicko, please go out and buy a nutribullet. It liquidises raw fruit and vegetables and seeds and roots into a drinkable "shake"

It is a fact that if you "drink" these vitamins - they go straight into your bloodstream and your body absorbs them immediately - there is no waste - and every single drop of the juice is absorbed into your body's cells.

Please get one! They're about £100
If you cannot afford one I swear I will buy it for you x

Edit: OMG I realsie how that sounded!! I'm not trying to imply that you're too poor to buy one - jeez sorry nicko just meant with your pensions etc xxxx

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/healing-properties-juicing

IT's ok eddie I know what you mean. I have a juicer, I think that's what you call it, my wife puts fruit and veg in it.

I think this is very interesting

@Eddie
Dr OZ is an advertiser do not trust his medical advice
Juicing will not go straight into you blood/cells any more than eating anything will (that is simply not the way digestion works there is a chemical process that has to occur with the enzymes in your stomach to convert them into chemicals you body can use.). But It will make it easier to digest and consume larger quantities of high nutrient food so it probably is helpful for anyone struggling to get enough nutrients.

From the article you posted which basically negates the rest of the claims it makes.

There’s not much research out there that proves that juicing is healthier than eating the whole fruits and vegetables; however, juicing does makes them easier to consume on a regular basis.

Some advocates for juicing may claim that your body absorbs more nutrients from juices than the whole fruit because the fruit’s fiber gets in the way. However, there isn’t much research out there that supports that claim. Your digestive system is designed to handle fiber and extract nutrients from a variety of foods.

I also drink a lot of Tropicana pure Orange juice, does that do any good?

An orange would do you better, the firbre helps your body digest and absorb it and orange juice, because your drink more than the juice of one orange, gives you a larger amount of sugar in one hit.

nicko wrote:I also drink a lot of Tropicana pure Orange juice,  does that do any good?

get the one with "the juicy bits" ....

veya_victaous wrote:I think this is very interesting

@Eddie
Dr OZ is an advertiser do not trust his medical advice
Juicing will not go straight into you blood/cells any more than eating anything will (that is simply not the way digestion works there is a chemical process that has to occur with the enzymes in your stomach to convert them into chemicals you body can use.). But It will make it easier to digest and consume larger quantities of high nutrient food so it probably is helpful for anyone struggling to get enough nutrients.

From the article you posted which basically negates the rest of the claims it makes.

There’s not much research out there that proves that juicing is healthier than eating the whole fruits and vegetables; however, juicing does makes them easier to consume on a regular basis.

Some advocates for juicing may claim that your body absorbs more nutrients from juices than the whole fruit because the fruit’s fiber gets in the way. However, there isn’t much research out there that supports that claim. Your digestive system is designed to handle fiber and extract nutrients from a variety of foods.

Veya that's what I was trying to say. Our bodies can absorb it quicker than we can puke it out.
That's what I meant.

And I can tell you, it's easier to "drink" the juices of fruit and veg than eat that many in a day.

nicko wrote:I also drink a lot of Tropicana pure Orange juice,  does that do any good?

No. It's full of sugar and preservatives

And oranges contain too much acid.

Get a nutribullet - it's as I said: it will get nutrients into you quickly and theres no fuss.

Put it this way, I have half a banana, handful of kale cabbage (amazing health benefits) spinach, piece of cucumber, snip of ginger, small carrot, handful of berries
Add water
Blitz for 30 seconds

Drink it

My skin is amazing, my energy after I've consumed one is tenfold.

Now would you,rather sit and eat that in a plate or drink it in one go?

Can you get real fresh juice in the UK? the type that goes off in a couple of days because is lacks preservatives?

We can but it expensive and only really in the hipster foodie shops, the ones at the super market are all containing preservatives.

nutribullet is over rated /over priced
Nicko might like to do as a bit of fun is buy a cheapo blitzer and just replace with a higher torque motor. the one in the nutirbullet is the same as a Remote controlled Car.

veya_victaous wrote:Can you get real fresh juice in the UK? the type that goes off in a couple of days because is lacks preservatives?

We can but it expensive and only really in the hipster foodie shops, the ones at the super market are all containing  preservatives.

nutribullet is over rated /over priced
Nicko might like to do as a bit of fun is buy a cheapo blitzer and just replace with a higher torque motor. the one in the nutirbullet is the same as a Remote controlled Car.

Veya trust me I've been making shakes for ages and the nutribullet is efficient and mega easy to clean

Whatever, drink your raw fruit and veg as a shake and trust me, you will notice the difference in about four weeks or less.
Don't know why you'd even query it??

use a blender or food processor if you don't have/ cant get a nutribullet. mine broke before Xmas and I need to get another one. I use it daily.

Cass wrote:use a blender or food processor if you don't have/ cant get a nutribullet. mine broke before Xmas and I need to get another one. I use it daily.

Yep
Only mentioned the nutribullet as its so very very easy to clean - one part and a cup!

eddie wrote:

Cass wrote:use a blender or food processor if you don't have/ cant get a nutribullet. mine broke before Xmas and I need to get another one. I use it daily.

Yep
Only mentioned the nutribullet as its so very very easy to clean - one part and a cup!

true.

eddie wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:Can you get real fresh juice in the UK? the type that goes off in a couple of days because is lacks preservatives?

We can but it expensive and only really in the hipster foodie shops, the ones at the super market are all containing  preservatives.

nutribullet is over rated /over priced
Nicko might like to do as a bit of fun is buy a cheapo blitzer and just replace with a higher torque motor. the one in the nutirbullet is the same as a Remote controlled Car.

Veya trust me I've been making shakes for ages and the nutribullet is efficient and mega easy to clean

Whatever, drink your raw fruit and veg as a shake and trust me, you will notice the difference in about four weeks or less.
Don't know why you'd even query it??

Cause I made A Nutribullet on Steroids out of a $20 Chinese knock off and a 1000 watt electric motor ($50) from a remote control car        
Raw fruit and veg   mine will do almonds and other nuts too (almonds and water make almond milk, with out water almond meal)
why spend hundreds on one that only has 600watts  (damn just saw the 2015 PRO model is upped to 900watt)

There are better more expensive ones too (2,238 Watts) no reason you can make them, nicko seems like he would have the skills and may even enjoy tinkering with a SuperBlitzer          
http://www.froothie.com.au/optimum-8200-vs-nutribullet-comparison-review?gclid=CJWi9fT4j8QCFcEIvAodyGYA9A

I also have one of those Big juicers than you feed the stuff into the top and it takes out the pulp and straight juice pours out the spout. I agree they are probably not as healthy as the Blitzers


See $15 for the same thing but only 270watt motor

I don't understand this thread. Why would someone who is dying be worried about offending someone who cooked something?

veya_victaous wrote:

eddie wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:Can you get real fresh juice in the UK? the type that goes off in a couple of days because is lacks preservatives?

We can but it expensive and only really in the hipster foodie shops, the ones at the super market are all containing  preservatives.

nutribullet is over rated /over priced
Nicko might like to do as a bit of fun is buy a cheapo blitzer and just replace with a higher torque motor. the one in the nutirbullet is the same as a Remote controlled Car.

Veya trust me I've been making shakes for ages and the nutribullet is efficient and mega easy to clean

Whatever, drink your raw fruit and veg as a shake and trust me, you will notice the difference in about four weeks or less.
Don't know why you'd even query it??

Cause I made A Nutribullet on Steroids out of a $20 Chinese knock off and a 1000 watt electric motor ($50) from a remote control car        
Raw fruit and veg   mine will do almonds and other nuts too (almonds and water make almond milk, with out water almond meal)
why spend hundreds on one that only has 600watts  (damn just saw the 2015 PRO model is upped to 900watt)

There are better more expensive ones too (2,238 Watts) no reason you can make them, nicko seems like he would have the skills and may even enjoy tinkering with a SuperBlitzer          
http://www.froothie.com.au/optimum-8200-vs-nutribullet-comparison-review?gclid=CJWi9fT4j8QCFcEIvAodyGYA9A

I also have one of those Big juicers than you feed the stuff into the top and it takes out the pulp and straight juice pours out the spout. I agree they are probably not as healthy as the Blitzers


See $15 for the same thing but only 270watt motor

Mine was £99 and yes it does nuts and seeds etc too

And no, juicers are not as healthy - I had one of those too - I used to use the pulp for curries and stews etc

Is this a thread about juicing now?

Although I use one I suspect it's another "food" fad that will disappear in time.

nicko wrote:Although I use one I suspect it's another "food" fad that will disappear in time.

What, juicing?
That's why I have make the shakes Nicko, becasue the pulp that's left behind after juicing is very nutritional

Raggamuffin wrote:I don't understand this thread. Why would someone who is dying be worried about offending someone who cooked something?

there not and it upsets people that are trying to care for someone they love(deep psychological relationship between family and food preparation)
AND
a lot of cancer patients need to consume more nutrients even though they don't feel like eating.

veya_victaous wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:I don't understand this thread. Why would someone who is dying be worried about offending someone who cooked something?

there not and it upsets people that are trying to care for someone they love(deep psychological relationship between family and food preparation)
AND
a lot of cancer patients need to consume more nutrients even though they don't feel like eating.

If they have advanced cancer, it won't make much difference. What is the point of the article? To educate people as to why someone who is very ill doesn't want to eat or what?