My father can't eat much he is 78 years old and fills up on very

My father can't eat much he is 78 years old and fills up on very small portions of food.
He has lost about 30 lbs in the last year.
He also has aches in his bones he can't sleep well because whatever side he is
sleeping on he wakes him up in with pain abnout every 30 minutes and has to keep switching sides.
He is a very active man. His mind and body are very stable otherwise.
He thinks he has Myasthenia -gravis because a friend of his said he had
the same symptoms and they sent his blood work to the Mayo Clinic and
that was the results.
His doctor is at a loss.
Now they want to test him for prostate cancer.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

It's so difficult being on the parent side of a parent isn't it? Prostate cancer testing is a good idea-has he had an elevation in the PSA level? One reason that the doc is checking for that I am sure is because of the significant weight loss that he's had. The other reason that you need to be aware of is that prostate cancer often spreads to the bones. Certain types of cancer go routinely to other areas of the body, and this is the route that prostate cancer usually takes. They may do a bone scan as well to see if there are lesions in any of the bones.
But for now let's concentrate on what you can do to help your Dad get stronger. Weight loss is a significant problem in the older folks. It reduces the ability to fight infection and sometimes it's related to bone density loss and muscle atrophy. Have you tried giving him products like ensure? How about Carnation instant breakfast with milk? That's a bit cheaper that the prepared products. Is your Dad diabetic? They have low carb product lines as well. These products have a significant amount of carbohydrate and protein. Protein doesn't make you gain weight, but it will build muscle and strength. The other way to get more protein in is with a product like "promod." This is a powder that you can sprinkle on food like soup, potatoes, pudding. It has no flavor and the powder absorbs into the other foods. Before you try this make sure the doc says it's ok, because the kidneys have to process all the waste products from the protein metabolism and you don't want another problem! Try having your Dad eat several small meals each day instead of the usual 3. Put small portions on the plate to avoid the typical response "I can't eat all that!" Use extra spices, it seems that the taste buds need a bit more stimulation when you are older and not so anxious to eat. Take him out to dinner once in a while if you are able.

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My father can't eat much he is 78 years old and fills

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