<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

                  Hospitals and the Celiac Patient
                  --------------------------------
                           by Kathy Davis

Recently I was an inpatient at a local hospital for a short stay.  My
stay was not due to celiac disease, but we all know that staying
gluten-free (GF) is essential!  So my doctor ordered GF meals for me
and I spoke with the hospital dietitian regarding the GF diet.

I was admitted through the emergency room.  During my long wait in
the emergency room, I saw food being offered to diabetic patients;
but I was never offered anything to eat.  I did have some GF muffins
with me, so I ate them throughout the day.  By the time I was
admitted, I was starving.

In my room that evening, I was served a scant meal from the low fat,
low sodium, low cholesterol diet plan.  I learned later this was
because the food offered from this diet was plain.  At snack time,
still starving, I requested some ice cream or sherbet.  This was
refused because they said this was not part of the low fat, low
sodium, low cholesterol diet I was supposed to be on.  I became very
frustrated trying to explain that my diet was gluten free and I never
did receive a snack.

The next morning, still starving, I received corn flakes and plain
toast.  I again called the hospital dietitian and demanded some GF
food.  I finally received the GF breakfast I ordered.  I also called
some fellow TCCSSG members and asked for some GF food to supplement
the meager hospital offerings.  They promptly brought me some food,
for which I am very grateful.

Because I was not receiving a proper diet, I was not able to tolerate
the medication I needed for the problem for which I was admitted.  My
roommate was a diabetic, also in the hospital for another problem.
It was very discouraging to see her getting better with regular
diabetic meals and snacks, while my dietary needs were being badly
mishandled.

So, what's the point of yet another hospital horror story?  First,
even if your doctor orders GF meals and you talk to the dietitian, DO
NOT expect to receive GF food.  Challenge every item on the tray, as
if you were eating out.  Make your family aware of this potential
problem with hospital food.  You won't get better if you are not
properly nourished.

What is the solution?  The bottom line is we must take care of
ourselves.  For any scheduled hospital stay, bring food with you to
the hospital and keep it in the floor refrigerator.  If you have an
unscheduled hospital stay, call some of your fellow TCCSSG members
and ask them to bring you some food.  (This is another way in which
we can help each other.)  Above all DO NOT eat the food without
knowing for sure that it is GF.  Just because it is served to you in
a hospital is no guarantee that it is GF.