People with cystic fibrosis use a lot of energy to breathe and go about their daily business. As a result of this they need about 150-200% of the energy requirements of a normal person. To help El meet her daily needs we add fat to most things she eats. For example J and Em might have porridge for breakfast with milk and honey. El will have hers with cream, milk (full fat), salt, and honey. For salds I coat hers in olive oil. I add coconut oil or butter to pasta with sauce. Custard and yoghurt we add cream to. When J and Em have juice she has chocolate milk with 9g of fat. We constantly try to get as many calories in each mouthful of food as possible.
With the extra additions to her food and choosing high fat options, El has been able to grow at a normal rate. Except for when she is sick. Remember how tired you feel when you are sick? That is because your body uses up extra energy to heal itself. When she is sick EL tends to lose weight and her appetite decreases, not a great combination! I made up my mind during her first admission that I would never force feed her or stress (outwardly) about how much she is or isn't eating. I do not want to make eating stressful for her.
I am becoming quite expert at judging how much fat is in various kinds of food, and working out how many enzymes (creon) she needs!
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