Anyone Hospitalized?

[drewsant]

I was just wondering if anyone has had to be hospitalized, not necessarily for celiac disease, but for anything, and how the diet went in the hospital. I ask because of my disability and kidney problems, I've ended up in the hospital many many times, and it's inevitable that it will happen again. I don't want to have to worry about whether I'm going to get glutened or not if I do ever have to have surgery or anything.

[lovegrov]

Some hospitals are really good but many hopsitals do a terrible job with the gluten-free diet. The hospital dietician might understand it, but that doesn't mean the kitchen workers do. My first gluten-free meal when I was in the hopsital included egg noodles, a mystery sauce that almost certainly had flour, and Boston cream pie. When I complained I was asked why I couldn't just take the chicken off the noodles and scrape the sauce off. My doctor raised heck, but the next morning breakfast included toast. And this was at a fairly well-regarded hospital.

You should schedule a time to talk to the head of the dietary department soon, and if you have family or close friends, have them ready to bring food.

richard

[higgins]

I don't know if the hospital dieticians and nutritionists can be relied upon either. Shortly after my diagnosis, my specialist sent me to the hospital dietician for direction and advice on gluten-free diets. As I knew nothing about gluten at that time, I was totally reliant on the hosptial staff. My experience with the staff was silly and a total waste of time; the dietician knew nothing about gluten-free diets! All she did was tell me to consult the internet. Ridiculous!

These forums are good, though.

Richard

[nettiebeads]

I was just wondering if anyone has had to be hospitalized, not necessarily for celiac disease, but for anything, and how the diet went in the hospital. I ask because of my disability and kidney problems, I've ended up in the hospital many many times, and it's inevitable that it will happen again. I don't want to have to worry about whether I'm going to get glutened or not if I do ever have to have surgery or anything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't remember much about my hospital stay after major surgery (yea morphine), but I do remember my first meal of easy foods had a package of saltines with it and something else I couldn't eat. It's like they think gluten is this foreign substance that they don't know anything about. If the ingredients don't say gluten, then it's okay. Right. All you can do is try, when they send up the foods list from the kitchen, to put down "nothing with wheat, wheat flour, barley, or rye. No pasta, gravies, crackers, toast..." Then pray. But because I watched my tray carefully I didn't get glutened. I think at one time I hardly touched it, so something else was brought up to me.