Update..more questions..

Kami –
You definitely have had the roller coaster going on. And glad that she got some time in for the family trip. Sometimes that is the most important thing.

One thing you can ask the docs to do is put a permanent drain in her abdomen to drain the ascites if if has not already been done. This allows you to do it without it being a hospital stay and can easily be done at home.

Getting protein in her will help pull some of the fluid back into her blood system. But as you already know getting her to eat is tough. If her appetite is poor there are things that can help with that….Megace is a hormone that often times increases appetite, also there is Remeron (Mirtazapine) which is in an anti-depressant given mostly at night which can stimulate the appetite or even Marinol which helps too.
If her taste is off (which it can be related to the chemo) often times stronger flavors work better – marinating in Italian dressing, squeezing a lemon over chicken or pasta, etc. You may also make sure that she does not have sores in her mouth or thrush (white build up on her tongue and cheeks) both are treated with medications. Also not using metal eating utensils may help with any metallic taste she has in her mouth – we switched to plastic right now.
Making every calorie count is important. Things like Ensure, Glucerna or even Carnation Instant Breakfast will help. We use a lot of protein shakes in our house – I blend frozen fruit, vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt and milk all together….I usually add a scoop of Whey Protein Powder too. You can make it any flavor and even use chocolate syrup or other flavorings like peanut butter. We get our protein powder at GNC where they have a lot of flavors like Cookies and Cream (works great in shakes) and plain which I sneak into other things like mashed potatoes or soups.

Hope this helps some.

KrisV