Symptom 9. Loss of Appetite: The Silent Struggle within Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients
Food fuels us, but what if the mere thought of eating becomes unappealing? For Hodgkin Lymphoma patients, a diminished appetite can be more than just a passing phase. This isn’t your typical loss of appetite during a flu; it’s persistent and, at times, profound.
Delving deeper, the disease, through its chemical messengers, can disrupt the body’s hunger signals. The stomach might produce less of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, or the brain might not respond to it aptly. It’s like a miscommunication in the body’s intricate network.
Yet, there’s more to the story. With the body constantly battling the disease, energy gets diverted. The usual cravings for food diminish as the body prioritizes healing over feeding. The palate changes, and familiar foods might even seem off-putting.
In the vast tapestry of symptoms, this waning appetite offers a glimpse into the body’s internal dynamics, the shifts, and tugs that an ailment can introduce. (9)
