<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
In a message dated 95-11-30 00:07:25 EST,
Carol writes,
 
>I am alarmed because the hospital in which she is being treated seems to
>know very little about celiac and she is getting lots of things she can't
>eat.  Tonight she wanted to know if she could eat Kellogg's Rice
>Krispies, Corn Flakes, or Crispix.  I've always avoided those products
>and buy from a natural foods store.  So, I couldn't answer her question.
>These are the choices the dietician is offering her for breakfast
>tomorrow!  Can anyone give me some good advice fast?
 
Carol, our little boy Jeff has had to be in the hospital so much recently,
and we have gone through really bad experiences  with the food, the
dieticians, etc.  The dietician got them to send me a "Gluten-Free" menu to
choose from, and there were things on it that were made with **gravy**.  I
didn't find this out until AFTER he had eaten "baked chicken" that had this
yellowish looking liquid on it.   I got the dietician to check, and sure
enough, even though it was on a "gluten-free" menu, it was in a gravy made
with wheat flour.  But then something like "grits" wasn't on there, or
popsickels (sp?), ice cream, etc.  I checked "hamburger" patty one day, and
they brought it to us on a **bun**.  Well, that did it.  I called the
dietician in and said I would prefer to order off of the regular menu -- at
least there were more choices, and I knew what foods were totally safe, even
if made in a hospital.
 
For breakfast, it is safest to stick to eggs, bacon, fruits and fruit juices,
yogurt if she can handle dairy products.  Stay away from ALL of the cereals.
 We bring our own dry cereal from home that I get from the health food store.
 The only "regular" store cereal I give Jeff is Corn Pops and Rice Puffs.  I
also carry along a lot of rice cakes and have the hospital supply me with
jelly, cream cheese, etc.
 
For lunch and dinner it is best to stick with **plain** meats, meaning no
gravy or breading, etc..  Vegetables and fruits are best -- just plain ones.
 Meat is risky in the hospital, but you should be able to ask for a plain
grilled "steak" or plain roasted chicken.  At our hospital, you can write on
the menu alternative choices other than those listed, and this is what I do.
 Also, I would tell the dietician to get a textbook from the medical library
and look up "gluten."  I don't think all of them really understand what it
is.  One of the nurses one day asked me, "Now, what kind of meat is it he is
allergic to?"  Another one thought it was jello.
 
You really have a job on your hands.  The worst place for a celiac in my
opinion is the hospital.  Also, I might mention that Jeff's doctor finally
got angry about what we were going through with the cafeteria food and called
the dieticians and really got on them.  That worked wonders!!  The doctors
seem to pull a lot of weight.
 
Hope you can use some of this info.  Let us know how it goes.
 
Betty