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Harriett Langdon wrote:
 
> I was recently hospitalized for a week.  Dieticians came to visit me in my
> room at 4 different times, wrote all the specs on the menu sheet.  But
> guess what, not one of the dietary workers read the menu as every meal
> included bread, rolls, muffins, etc.  Finally I asked dietician if they had
> GF bread.  She personally went to health food store to buy the bread.  With
> education, all things are possible.
 
I just had to jump in on this one - I had been hospitalized with an
anaphalactic shock reaction from eating in a restaurant that had
previously proven safe for me.  Trying to get a safe meal in the
hospital was almost impossible.  I kept sending trays back and asking to
talk to the dieticians.  I was very concerned that I would inadvertently
eat something - and I did.  I was on mega doses of valium to try to
control the violent muscle spasms I was having and shortly after an
injection - breakfast was served.  In a stupor - I downed a bowl of
cream of *wheat* cereal that had been sent up instead of my cream of
rice (that was on my menu)  When I realized the mistake - I panicked and
called the nurse who gave me two teaspoons of benedryl and told me not
to worry. (!!!???) I was fortunate that a friend on mine had came in
early to see me and intervened.  He got me into the bathroom to vomit up
the cereal and found my neurologist- who was on the floor making rounds
- I had my stomach pumped (a lovely experience - which never made it
onto my medical records - there is
*no record* of the incident on paper) and was told I was fortunate my
friend was there.  The doses of steriods and benedryl and the stomach
pump saved my life.  A hospital is *not* a safe place to be if you are
not capable of watching out for yourself every minute.  I will never be
alone in the hospital again.  I will have someone there as my advocate.
(The hospital *never* admitted an error even though I have a 1/2 bowl of
cream of wheat in my freezer as well as the slip that came up with me.
 
Kind of reminds me of Hill Street Blues . . . "Be careful out there."
 
deni
Valparaiso, IN  USA