Nibor6000

You won't lose steam. Once you get your first syllabus, you'll be chomping at the bit!

Do you have access to a good dietitian? They can help. It will be important to try to maximize protein intake during treatment. The dietitian will have tips (Boost/Ensure, cottage cheese, milkshakes, protein bars/powders, pudding made with whole milk (extra kcals)), eggs, meat if tolerated, cheese, peanut butter, beans if tolerated). The Eating Hints for Cancer Patients booklet was an excellent suggestion. It has everything a patient and family needs to know about symptom management. And yes, you don't need to eat your vegetables unless you really want to. It's about getting as many kcals in as possible, especially during the rough times. Tell the patient to eat what they want, when they can. -Robin MS, RD

I had this problem when I went back to school for my masters in nutrition. I was different from a lot of my classmates because I had been out in the "real world" and knew why I was in the program and what I wanted to get out of it. Please don't let that seem as patronizing as it sounds, but I feel that many non-traditional students are extremely motivated and naturally curious. Adult learners want to know "why" and how what they're learning will further their careers; some, but not all, of your classmates will have reached this level of maturity. This may cause some friction between you and your classmates. Frankly, I didn't really care about the eye rolling, etc. Introduce yourself to motivated students - young and old. Once you develop a group of people you like and are encouraged by, you won't notice what anyone else is doing. Good luck!