I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Centers => Topic started by: John S. on August 22, 2006, 10:08:40 AM
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Just wondering how many people here can eat while they are dialyzing. This is a prickly issue with me. My clinic is strictly anti-eat, anti-hard candy, anti-gum. I'm not talking about eating a 3 course dinner. I'd just luv to be able to chew a little gum or suck on a root beer barrell.
Please give me some input here.
EDITED: Topic moved to proper section "Dialysis: Centers" - Epoman, Admin/Owner
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We either get food like cake and stuff some sandwhich meat I would love to eat it but it usually sits about 12 h in heat and it makes me kinda sick when I eat it. So I just bring something with like subway or kebab. Sometimes Mc Donald's.
I think it's not right through if a clinics forbids it. I bet they eat something themselves when working.
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i've been to 3 clinics while doing hemo (am now on PD) the first clinic had no problems with eating anything, people took in all kinds of foods, the second clinic was a little more strict, but did allow you to eat but of course had to tell you how we shouldn't be eating while on dialysis for sanitary reasons, but we were still able to eat a little something, the third was just totally against it. Of course everyone would moan and groan and complain (including me) but that was just their policy and one day, i seen why, the lady next to me was eating some fritos or something and she started choking, i never seen them nurses move so fast, she ended up vomiting and they had to put the needles back in her arm, it was a mess, another incident, i did not witness but was told about, a lady who was sucking on a hard candy fell asleep and her blood pressure dropped, well, the candy got lodged in her throat and they didnt realize she had it in her throat until they smelled it when she reached for her throat, i believe they did the heimlich on her (i am trying to remember how the nurse told me it happend) believe me, after that, i rarely ate anything again while at the clinic :-\
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Just wondering how many people here can eat while they are dialyzing. This is a prickly issue with me. My clinic is strictly anti-eat, anti-hard candy, anti-gum. I'm not talking about eating a 3 course dinner. I'd just luv to be able to chew a little gum or suck on a root beer barrell.
Please give me some input here.
The biggest thing they are worried about is you choking on your hard candy or your pressure dropping and you may vomit and they will have to clean the mess up. Also it is not recommended to eat a big meal while on dialysis as your body will have to work harder to digest it. But I have been on for many years and I have eaten full meals at dialysis and this was a Davita and 2 independent centers, never a problem. But you will get stares from the other patients. Some centers claim it's a health violation, some say for your safety, some say it's company policy. I say screw them and if you can change centers or sneak food in, what are they going to do "fine" you? I even bring in my medium size coke from Jack-in-the-Box and that really gets the stares. In fact at some centers they even give out holiday meals to patients for like Thanksgiving or Christmas. I personally HAVE to eat on dialysis, not because of medical issues but if I don't eat right before or during I get so hungry that the techs start looking like "sides of beef". I know you can sneak in some crackers, ritz, or some other bite size food. ::)
Oh and don't let me forget to add how the "sons of bitches"(techs, nurses, drug reps) used to always bring in catered food for the techs and nurses at least 4 or 5 times a month and cart it right by us patients, and that food smelled good! They could have brought it in the back way, but they didn't care. >:(
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Not only are we able to eat on our unit, but on holidays and birthdays, the staff brings in food for us! I like Christmas the most, they bring in homemade meat tamales and yes, refried beans and rice! For birthdays, the patient gets a standard normal cupcake. Not too bad.
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The Davita Clinic I go to does not allow food of any kind. The only exception is hard candy on a stick. They recently passed around this rule to the patients in writing. The rule threatens to ban patients who violate the no eating rule.
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My clinic allows food, and like Epoman says, I get so hungry during the session, I cant stand myself. I usually bring donuts for the staff, keeps everyone happy.
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you would know why eating SHOULD be banned during dialysis. The worst case I ever had was a man who coded while eating a peanut butter sandwich. MY GOD.. what a mess. It took forever to clear his airway. For those whose clinics ban eating, be grateful that they care enough about you to do that. Its the ones that allow eating that are wrong.
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Some food and fluid makes dialysis go easier in my opinion. My unit had a weak policy on food and they never really said anything when I had something. Patients and families would often bring something in for the whole unit and it was always shared with the patients. My shift was in the late afternoon - early evening so if I didn't have a meal there I wasn't going to get dinner. I wouldn't get home until 8:30 - 9:00PM and at that point it was almost bedtime and too late to eat. I have to admit eating all sorts of things while on treatment and can say I never had a problem. There were times that bathroom breaks couldn't wait so I would be disconnected and head for the patient RR with tubing taped to my arm but that is probably standard for most patients. In other parts of the world meals are prepared and served to the patients while on treatment. I can recall in one unit orders being taken and a nice little meal prepared for each patient.
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Under the advisement of a doctor our unit no longer allows anyone to eat while in the treatment area.
I say screw them and if you can change centers or sneak food in, what are they going to do "fine" you?
No they may not fine you but they can refuse service because of it.
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On our unit a breakfast trolley comes around about 8.30am with toast, cornflakes and so on, plus tea, milk or just ICE which is a must for a renal patient. Then at 11.30am lunch trolley with sandwiches, tea, milk and of course ICE. I personally have never had any problems with eating on dialysis. I know that some patients do. So the nurses soon find out which ones, and unfortunately they are not allowed to eat on dialysis. But at the end of dialysis they still get a sandwich. Plus usually a cup of ice.
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Hi everyone!
Where I dialyze it depends on what nurses are working. Some are so strict about no food while other actually order us a sandwich from the cafeteria if we're dialyzing for a longer time Sometimes I have to get TPA in my catheter because it's clogged or whatever. Usually I bring a ziploc bag of crackers, cookies, things to munch on that don't make a mess. I'm careful about crumbs and things like that also I don't want to make a mess. I also bring a juice box or small bottle of water. I don't bring anything that is "chokable" like hard candy or grapes or anything like that, I'd be afraid of falling asleep and choking or my BP going too low. Today I was there from 7:30 until 3 because of the TPA and assorted nonsense so the nurse ordered me a turkey sandwich at 11:30.
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I have dialyzed several different place and as long as I did not make a mess or create a scene I could eat in the unit. I am on the late shift in our unit. I eat lunch at 10:30 a.m. and by three o'clock I am HUNGRY! I bring in crackers and cereal, sometime slice up an apple. I used to do bigger meals but it got in the way and screwed up the weight gain. By the time I get home at 8p.m. I am ready for dinner.
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In both the hospital and the Self Care unit food is allowed but within limits. Food is not brought around as in meals .. unless you are an inpatient that has to go to the hospital dialysis unit. Then your tray is brought down. But while I was at the hospital unit there was a one armed guy named Ian who's mother was on dialysis and he would bring donuts on our shift for everyone every single Friday. I miss that now that I am at Self Care. The only one that every brought donuts there is when Jeff visits me. We only get cookies (2 for each of us who wants any .. there are a lot of diabetics) and a small 200ml tea or coffee or ice water or just ice. I am on the evening shift (4:30pm to 8:30pm).
Also I should mention the nurses always bring in food! They drink Pepsi in front of us and often bring in cakes for themselves.
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Although it is banned, I do on occasion bring in just some hard candy in my pocket. I should mention that i am pretty stable in my situation. Never passed out from low BP, my fluid gains are around 2.0-2.5 kilos. I don't like sneeking the stuff in because basically there are no nurses or techs that are rude that i can do it out of spite.
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At my old hemo clinic they didn't encourage food, but they said a snack every so often was OK. However, everyone ate full meals anyway.
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We are allowed to eat, but they prefer us not to. The supervisor told me the story of a man choking on candy when they put his chair to recline (not in our centre!) I used to bring something to eat, but one day when I had a real problem (vomitting, etc.) I decided to eat before I went to the centre. Now I just bring a drink with me.
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Before i was on home dialysis, i was at the dialysis training clinic and you could eat, drink and do whatever you wanted. It was a great place to train, learn and do my treatment.
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I know I saw a sign at the clinic the last time I was there that said that eating while dialyzing was no longer allowed. something to do with blood pressure, I think... I hardly ever go into the clinic,and only really go when the home care nurses can't come to me...
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Diabetics, who make up 40% of the dialysis population in the Western world, often have to be allowed to eat while undergoing dialysis, because they are suffering hypoglycemic episodes. Generally eating or driniking a large amount is a bad idea because it worsens hypotension.
My worst complaint about food at the center where I was dialyzed was that the nurses often had feeding frenzy parties with chocolate or pizza, right in front of the patients, even though the nurses should have realized that the patients were not allowed to enjoy these foods and might be disturbed by having to watch and smell others enjoying them.
But then again, what can you expect from nurses? When I asked dialysis nurses, as I always did, whether they had signed their organ donor card, in almost every case the answer was, "I never thought of it."
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My worst complaint about food at the center where I was dialyzed was that the nurses often had feeding frenzy parties with chocolate or pizza, right in front of the patients, even though the nurses should have realized that the patients were not allowed to enjoy these foods and might be disturbed by having to watch and smell others enjoying them.
You'd be surprised how many dialysis nurses are NOT aware of the renal diet.
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I have to have a little something. I bet they "wish" I would choke because I have a DNR! >:D
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We can all eat whatever we like at my renal unit. I can even have my dinner ordered from the kitchen at the hospital ready for me when I come in after work!!! And yes, you get the choice of 3 courses if you wish. All the patients usually bring in sweets or CANDY as you yanks call it!!!
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We get tea/coffee/cordial and biscuits for morning tea, then lunch is sandwhiches, yoghurt/custard, fruit/cheese, and a drink. You are more than welcome to bring your own food. However everyone knows its not a good idea to bring in a huge 3 course meal. My BP sometimes drops just after eating a sandwhich. Quite a bit you will smell one of the staffs lunch that they have heated up, last few times its smelt so good Ive been tempted to ask for the recipe. Last year I was in on my bday and they bought me a cake and sang happy bday lol was very nice of them. And what was even better was it was a chocolate mud cake, and I hadnt touched chocolate for so long, so it really was a treat.
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our units let patients bring in food and beverages if they want; i think our policy is that snacks are ok, but larger meals are discouraged.
we used to take a drink cart around every chair shift for patients, with coffee, tea, lemonade, cocoa, etc. but i guess some of the patients got very demanding with their drink orders and fought with staff a lot over the 2-drink limit (of what was handed out, not of what patients could have period!). so our administrator nixed the whole thing and said patients were welcome, as always, to bring in however much they wanted to drink or buy from our vending machines. but no more drink cart :-\.
i know whenever people on staff bring in food to share with each other here, we always keep it in the kitchen and try not to wave it around in front of patients' faces :)
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I thought it was hilarious when they put a soda drink machine in the waiting area of the dialysis unit. Why don't they just hand us a knife or gun while they are at it?
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Just a money making thing for the UNIT ;) Maybe thats why they ended the drinks trolleys. Never had a problem on the unit I am on. You get TOLD you are only allowed one drink off the trolley. I always have a cup of ice. But I take a small can of coke in with me 150mils.Some patients I have seem with those 500mils bottles of coke :-\
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One patient orders Chinese food to be delivered while he's on dialysis. :-\
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Some patients I have seem with those 500mils bottles of coke :-\
Oh yes I have noticed that too!! And first thing I think of "bet their Phosphate is high when it is labwork day!!" ;)
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::) It appears that our center has double standards. Depending on which nurse is working. Just last week I was reamed when eating my pineapple and cottage cheese..Directly after taking insulin. Not that her Outburst effected my eating..I just looked at her as if she has lost her mind. Mentioned to her that she might stroll around the room and notice the rest that were eating instead of standing over me like I was the only one in the room. I mentioned that I recall he buying crab cakes the day before form a patient they allow to come in and sell to patients and staff. And the boiled peanuts she was eating in front of us was uncouth. She accomplished nothing other than too raise my BP....Yes, appears rules are double standard, and thus meaning that the snack machine and the coke machine must be for money making and we are to buy as we leave..... I don't think so..As long as I take insulin, I will eat something thank you. Not into bottoming out on my blood sugar. So if you see a tent in my chair it's cause I am under cover eating...lol..note to self: take larger blanket. >:D...Sassy
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In Finland it is highly recommended to eat something during dialysis. In most hospitals (most of clinics are in hospitals) they bring us full meals (also dessert :)). But they do not recomment to drink more than 2 dl.
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it all depends on how i feel but 99.9% of the time I'm eating something,if it's not chic wings, it's cheez burgers, bag of chips,bottle of Gatorade,and some hard candy.the staff tells everyone that they can't eat, they tell me the same but like i told them I'm going to eat even if i have to hide it.and they haven't bothered me in 5yrs.
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Corn chips and protein drink. And then 3 PhosLo ;)
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My daughter's clinic has no restrictions to eating or drinking when on dialysis.
They usually just want to take the measurement of the beverage into account for weight.
My friend in France said they have menus and food at her unit, you can order when you
arrive and it will be served to you!
~Karol
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I tried not eating while on dialysis, and I got bad cramps.
I am on for 3.5 hrs starting at 11 am.
So i eat some cereal and toast in the morning.
Then I bring two bagels and a soda to nosh on while I am on.
If I don't eat while I am on, my sugar drops very low.
Take care,
Randy in Clearwater, FL
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My clinic doesn't really allow eating but some patients eat anyway. OMG, yesterday a female patient ate 2 Sonic foot long hot dogs and a Route 44 soda. I'm diabetic and my run time is 5 hours so I'm in the clinic a total of 6 hours which makes it tough. I always have Tic Tacs or mints or something in my pocket at the clinic. A few times my sugar dropped too low and they had to call my wife to bring me something to eat. They don't even have a snack machine to buy crackers.
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My clinic doesn't really allow eating but some patients eat anyway. OMG, yesterday a female patient ate 2 Sonic foot long hot dogs and a Route 44 soda. I'm diabetic and my run time is 5 hours so I'm in the clinic a total of 6 hours which makes it tough. I always have Tic Tacs or mints or something in my pocket at the clinic. A few times my sugar dropped too low and they had to call my wife to bring me something to eat. They don't even have a snack machine to buy crackers.
Thats pathetic! If I were you I would bring your own food, even if its just something light like a sandwhich or some crackers. If they say anything tell them to get stuffed!! Just use common sense, if your BP is low (say under 110), then obviously its probably not a good idea to eat, but if its fine, then by all means eat. You dont want to be going hypo, as Im sure the nurses would LOVE that!
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When I first started at my clinic we were able to eat. Back then it was a RCG clinic. Now we are Fresenius >:( and are not able to eat. I still see people eating all the time. I dont think the nurses care too much. I use to eat but everytime I did I would cramp real bad. So I don't eat anymore. Once in awhile one of the nurses...if I ask her will give me some animal crackers. Just a few. I get up a 4 am, usually get home close to 11 am then I finally get to eat. So I go all that time without eating usually. If I am really hungry after dialysis I will go to the Sonic up the street from my unit.
One time the head nurse was taking orders for McDonald's from the other nurses. I wanted something also, so she bought me a happy meal. I couldnt believe she did that. Shes awesome ! ! !
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4-11am isnt too bad. If you have breakfast before you leave. An in centre run for me is, leave home at 7am, get home at 5pm.
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4-11am isnt too bad. If you have breakfast before you leave. An in centre run for me is, leave home at 7am, get home at 5pm.
Holy cow, Amber. That's a long day. Is your clinic a far distance?
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By car it is about 15 minutes. I usually get the bus though, and it takes me an hour to get there. I like to get there early so I can do 6 hours as the unit closes at 3.30pm and they like you off by 2.30pm so there is time for cleaning and what not.
I wish I could do 6 hrs instead of 3 1/2 but at the same time I hate even sitting for 3 hrs :P
One time the head nurse was taking orders for McDonald's from the other nurses. I wanted something also, so she bought me a happy meal. I couldnt believe she did that. Shes awesome ! ! !
Wow that is cool! I would be eyeing them hoping they would ask me what I wanted too as I love McD's even though I am aware how bad it is. I love BigMac's but I heard that they don't have them everywhere.
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The bigmac is sold world wide and there are McDonald's resterants everywhere but I noticed in Canada that they have a double bigmac and I have never seem them here unless it was custom made to order.
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Oh that is right! It is the DOUBLE BigMac you guys don't have :P
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We do have the Monster Mac that they sell right around Halloween, but i havent seen it advertised lately, and yes, you can tell them you want a Double Mac pretty much anywhere i would imagine.
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We do have the Monster Mac that they sell right around Halloween, but i havent seen it advertised lately, and yes, you can tell them you want a Double Mac pretty much anywhere i would imagine.
That's true goofynina. You can walk in to just about any Mc D's and ask for a double big mac but here in the states, that is not normally on the menu like it is in Canada. ;)
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John just take a root beer barrel and pop it into your mouth!! :clap; :clap; What will they do?? come with twizzers and take it away from you??? I have never seen a candy or food cop at the clinic's. LOL
I am encoraged to bring a sandwich or snack during treatment, and to always have candy or gum handy, (ok you caught me Im a diabetic!!) just say your sugars low that will keep them quite & you happy! :cuddle;
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Well Johnny,
I understand and sympathize with your desire to eat a little something on the machine, however, there are valid reasons as to why one should not eat while "on" the machine. #1. Sanitary reasons/ transmission of infectious disease, although you may not see or smell bacteria..it is lurking in your unit, maybe on a chair, on your television control, IN THE AIR, #2. Blood pressure control, your "gut" utilizes a great amount of blood supply to assist with digestion of food, the greater amount of blood supply that is in the gut during dialysis means there is less in circulation which can cause adverse effects such as interdialytic hypotension, nausea, vomiting, passing out. #3. Most patients dialyzing are in the reclined position, this position is not a normal postion for eating, one might experience an hypotensive episode, pass out and aspirate the contents in his/her mouth at anytime.(It can happen) hence the the no eating rule. Surely a nurse cannot physically remove a food item from your mouth..(unless it is an emergent situation :-\) just know that there is a method to the madness at your unit. Stay strong Johnny, maybe if you share a piece of candy with the staff they'll be to busy stuffing their faces and no one will notice that you are eating too. Nurses love choc-co-latte you know. :2thumbsup;
EDITED: Fixed multiple HTML tag errors. - Epoman, Owner/Admin
EDITED: To member, please do not use the HTML tags if you do not know how to use them - Epoman, Owner/Admin
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IMHO I think it is left up to the dialysis patient in the end what he or she can handle when on dialysis. I like to bring small snacks to eat while I am on the machine. Been doing it all along for almost eight years now. I find a heavy meal is not very good. but light snacks such as cereal or crackers are okay. If you are going to eat in your dialysis unit do so quietly and unobtrusively. Do not say loudly :"Oh it is time to get the snacks out." The techs and nurses are usually pretty busy answering machine alarms, putting people on and off ,or taking care of patients; they could care less what you are doing. Just do not call attention to it-was what one nurse in a Hawaii unit on Oahu told me. I just truck it in and let the crumbs fall where they may. I have been to several different units and not one told me to stop eating anything. I even had lunch from Burger King in Santa Maria while I was on the machine. But I was tucked in the back of the unit in a private area. I wa son vacation and had not eaten anything for lunch yet and it was getting late and the grouchies were upon me.
Does anyone notice a difference if you a snack eat early or late in the run? I have tried both and it seems to really not matter. I have also discovered that a little protein in the snack goes along way to getting that ucky feeling afterwards to go away. I usually bring string cheese or ham to go with the crackers. Just a few ideas.
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Well Johnny,
I understand and sympathize with your desire to eat a little something on the machine, however, there are valid reasons as to why one should not eat while "on" the machine. #1. Sanitary reasons/ transmission of infectious disease, although you may not see or smell bacteria..it is lurking in your unit, maybe on a chair, on your television control, IN THE AIR, #2. Blood pressure control, your "gut" utilizes a great amount of blood supply to assist with digestion of food, the greater amount of blood supply that is in the gut during dialysis means there is less in circulation which can cause adverse effects such as interdialytic hypotension, nausea, vomiting, passing out. #3. Most patients dialyzing are in the reclined position, this position is not a normal postion for eating, one might experience an hypotensive episode, pass out and aspirate the contents in his/her mouth at anytime.(It can happen) hence the the no eating rule. Surely a nurse cannot physically remove a food item from your mouth..(unless it is an emergent situation :-\) just know that there is a method to the madness at your unit. Stay strong Johnny, maybe if you share a piece of candy with the staff they'll be to busy stuffing their faces and no one will notice that you are eating too. Nurses love choc-co-latte you know. :2thumbsup;
EDITED: Fixed multiple HTML tag errors. - Epoman, Owner/Admin
EDITED: To member, please do not use the HTML tags if you do not know how to use them - Epoman, Owner/Admin
Wow #1nephnurse...you really sound like you know the protocol for the no eating rule. You also sound just like the mini-Hitlers at my clinic. For that reason, I will continue to sneak a couple pieces of candy to get me by. In my 12 years of dialysis (i am considered the SENIOR patient at my clinic) I have NEVER had a problem with any of the above problems you mentioned from eating. It may happen tomorrow, but I doubt it.
As for the chocolate for the staff...well i do love dark chocolate, so maybe i'll bring em' some to soothe the savage beasts. Anywhoooo.........thanks for breaking that news on the reasons for not eating, but i'll stick to my controlled insanity.
john
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Well Johnny,
I understand and sympathize with your desire to eat a little something on the machine, however, there are valid reasons as to why one should not eat while "on" the machine. #1. Sanitary reasons/ transmission of infectious disease, although you may not see or smell bacteria..it is lurking in your unit, maybe on a chair, on your television control, IN THE AIR,
Come on......Burger King has more germs than that clinic. They wipe down everything with bleach and I know they don't get it all, but I'm clean and I wash my hands before going on. I think because it is a germy environment we take extra percaution where at KFC or McDonalds we just go in and sit down after someone with scabies!!
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Well Johnny,
I understand and sympathize with your desire to eat a little something on the machine, however, there are valid reasons as to why one should not eat while "on" the machine. #1. Sanitary reasons/ transmission of infectious disease, although you may not see or smell bacteria..it is lurking in your unit, maybe on a chair, on your television control, IN THE AIR,
Come on......Burger King has more germs than that clinic. They wipe down everything with bleach and I know they don't get it all, but I'm clean and I wash my hands before going on. I think because it is a germy environment we take extra percaution where at KFC or McDonalds we just go in and sit down after someone with scabies!!
Umm...Rerun...Ewwwwwwww!
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what do diabetics do in units where there is a no food rule??
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what do diabetics do in units where there is a no food rule??
My clinic has a no food rule. I'm diabetic and my run-time is 5 hours so I'm at the clinic for about 6 hours. It can be rough at times so I try to bring crackers or hard candy. Nobody says anything other than did you bring me some.
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Well Johnny,
I understand and sympathize with your desire to eat a little something on the machine, however, there are valid reasons as to why one should not eat while "on" the machine. #1. Sanitary reasons/ transmission of infectious disease, although you may not see or smell bacteria..it is lurking in your unit, maybe on a chair, on your television control, IN THE AIR,
Come on......Burger King has more germs than that clinic. They wipe down everything with bleach and I know they don't get it all, but I'm clean and I wash my hands before going on. I think because it is a germy environment we take extra percaution where at KFC or McDonalds we just go in and sit down after someone with scabies!!
Hate to tell you Rerun, but there aren't to many people in KFC, BK or Micky D's on a Fresenius 2008K machine...kinda like comparing apples to oranges. Believe me, I am a germaphob and I know bacteria is everywhere...but I'd much rather eat at the nearest BK than the nearest dialysis unit.
Fixed quote - Rerun - Moderator
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I heard a news story that your "cell phone" is probably dirtier that your toilet.
I'd rather eat on a dialysis machine and risk the germs than be sick from no nourishment and having all my blood sucked out and cleaned. You can't even begin to know that feeling.
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I heard a news story that your "cell phone" is probably dirtier that your toilet.
I'd rather eat on a dialysis machine and risk the germs than be sick from no nourishment and having all my blood sucked out and cleaned. You can't even begin to know that feeling.
Yeah I think i heard that new story also, hate to tell ya..my phone is much cleaner than any toilet. Anywhooo, I may never truly know the feeling of "having all my blood sucked out and cleaned" and I honestly hope I will never have to experience such a thing, just giving my evidenced based professional opinion. No need to get offended this is an open forum is it not. Seems to me that the healthcare personnel are treated like the antichrist or something. Just so you know, Rerun, I've been in the field for 11 years , as a tech and a nurse, I have friends who are current patients, I do extensive research to further improve my practice, I am an active participant in improving the quality of life for my patients, this is not just a job for me it is a passion. You have to have passion to work in such and intense field. Its not easy for the healthcare providers ether.
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I'm very glad that you like your job. It would be hard to work as a dialysis nurse or tech.
Please go to the introduction section and let us know a little bit about yourself. No address or telephone number ;D, but just your experience and what part of the world you are from.
:welcomesign; Welcome to our forum. Everyone is welcome to give opinions but you should have thick skin to take opinions back.
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I had a patient choke and die while on dialysis once....several more have choked and needed Heimlich-type maneuvers to save them.
I advise against it, but then most people don't listen to much of my diet advice anyway!
The dialysis centers generally have a no eating policy, and sometimes make you sign a waiver if you want to eat. They have to protect themselves as much as possible from lawsuits. However, the rule is generally not enforced. The ESRD networks generally argue in favor of letting people have snacks.
The diabetes question comes up a lot, but it really is not a problem. The dialysate (what your blood is being dialyzed against) has a blood sugar of about 180 or so....so no one is really going to drop their blood sugars during dialysis unless they took a huge dose of insulin.
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Now that I do dialysis at home I eat as I like....I know I have to keep the environment as clean as possible and I do....no blood pressure problems whatsoever....
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My friend in Paris told me the dialysis center there is really nice :
Benefits of the American Hospital of Paris Dialysis Center
• Equipment and infrastructure ensuring the highest level of security and quality
• Doctors present on site during the entire session
• A modern, comfortable environment
• Dialysis stations reserved for travelers: no waiting list!
• International services (bilingual English/French staff; Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic interpreters)
• Flexible opening hours
• A selection of light meals à la carte, prepared by dieticians.
The food is served to you while in your chair!
https://www.american-hospital.org/Dialysis-Center.1154+M57d0acf4f16.0.html
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What, no prices?
8)
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I get too HUNGRY while on dialysis not to eat. I usually eat a snack throughout dialysis, and have lunch near the end of my dialysis. It always messes with my weight, but I compensate for that by writing down what I eat and how much on my flow chart.
-Jaybird
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my start time is 5:30 am. i can't face food at 4:15. if i didn't eat during dialysis i would be very sick. i usually take 2 hardboiled eggs, some dry cereal or rice cakes and some sort of fruit. some mornings i take coffee with me. occasionally they have apples for us. not everyone eats. i really don't care about policy, i'm not letting anyone make me sick. luckily i don't have to worry about it
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I don't know what the policy is at my center and I really could care less. NOBODY is going to tell me I can't eat something, that is my decision to make. Plain and simple.
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Paris here I come!
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heh yeah Paris looks good... and those French women... ooh la la! oops better watch out my BP will rise :)
Our unit is good about food. They have breakfast for the morning shift (but I am not on that so don't know what it is) and lunch for the afternoon shift. Lunch well.. I wouldn't call it lunch but it's something - 6 small triangle sandwiches, a cup of tea/coffee/water/cordial (your choice - I have a hot cup of tea!) and some fruit - usually peaches or pears.
The nurses just add .5 litre to the UF to take into account the meal/drink. i don't have to fruit so I get away with .35 or .4.
They're also good about giving you another drink if you need it.
I also have some candy (like jelly beans, musk sticks etc) in a container I take with me. The staff seem to eat more from there than I do (but I don't mind - they are all lovely) and I keep it to have in the last hour or two to up my BP a bit to starve off cramp. Been doing it a couple of months and voila.. no cramp!!! :)
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Our clinic does not allow eating on tx. I will occasionally see someone sneaking though. lol Many years ago, I saw a fairly new patient drop his pressure, aspirate and die while eating cheese crackers on dialysis. It was terrible experience for patients and staff.
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My friend in Paris told me the dialysis center there is really nice :
Benefits of the American Hospital of Paris Dialysis Center
• Equipment and infrastructure ensuring the highest level of security and quality
• Doctors present on site during the entire session
• A modern, comfortable environment
• Dialysis stations reserved for travelers: no waiting list!
• International services (bilingual English/French staff; Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic interpreters)
• Flexible opening hours
• A selection of light meals à la carte, prepared by dieticians.
The food is served to you while in your chair!
https://www.american-hospital.org/Dialysis-Center.1154+M57d0acf4f16.0.html
Ohhhhh! I wonder how long the transplant list is? Je parle français!
My unit allows food. I usually bring a low sodium turkey sandwich and some grapes. My BP doesn't drop when I eat though, it rises.
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I was told to eat a little food before dialysis. But I get up at 4 am to be at the center at 5:15 and I just have no appetite. I may have a sip of juice. At the center, there's no food allowed, but you can get a small cup of ice chips .
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We have a no eating policy, although patients can have hard candy and beverages. (The choking stories are very scary and I may suggest to our nurse manager to only have hard candy on a stick from now on). As a dietitian, I am very torn about this topic. I know if I was a patient, I would definitely want to eat something, because no matter what shift you are on, you will miss a meal (AND I DON'T MISS MEALS :-\ ) All too often my patients are malnourished. Missing 3 meals per week definitely does add up. Having said that, I also understand what the nurse is saying. We have patients who want to eat on treatment, and I pretty much tell them to do it on the sly. Most people don't want to get sick on treatment, so if they get sick from eating, they probably won't want to eat again. It's easy for me to say that though, because if someone vomits on treatment, I can leave the room. I have tried to change the policy in my unit for these reasons, but I haven't been successful. One concern I do have is how someone's eating will affect the patients around them. What if someone brings in a big, very aromatic, fast food meal and the smell makes their neighbor nauseous. I would want to give some rules about what can be brought, but then I come would come off as a Hitler! Oh bother! It is a dilemma and there is no easy answer.
Diane
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Or WHAT? Are they going to ban you from dialysis? Remember (and you may remind them) who the customer is and who is paying their wages!
The reason people choke is because they are trying to "sneak" it. I have my Nepro drink, 1 blueberry poptart, and two cups of ice every session. Don't even get between me and my Pop Tart!
>:(
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Alright Rerun! I will sit right beside you with my strawberry poptart and my baggie of captain crunch cereal. Cheers!
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you can choke on hard candy so in my book choking isn't a valid reason.
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I eat at my center. They have a policy in place too that says it's unsanitary but I carry antibacterial gel with me to solve that problem. My friend and I found an Italian restaurant nearby that delivers. We have ordered from there before while on dialysis! Some of the other centers don't even have ice machines so it really depends on which center you go to around here. I always take a Sprite with me!
My center is moving soon though. So, I don't know what will happen then. I do know that no one will be able to tell me I can't eat during my treatment. I dialyze from noon to 3 pm. I don't eat breakfast so I have to eat something during my treatment!
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We got BIRTHDAY CAKE yesterday!!!!
It was one of the patients birthdays and the STAFF (!) organised a lovely sponge cake with fresh cream (oh boy don't tell the dieticians! :) ) and we all got a piece.... wow! I was in heaven (well for 5 minutes :) )
Did I say I love my unit??? I hate dialysis but if I have to be stuck on it my unit is the place to be :)
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Richard, if I ever have to go back on hemo, I'm coming to your unit! You make it sound fabulous.
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We can eat at our clinic but I don't know about ordering food in, no one has ever done that when I'm there, only the staff ordering dinner.
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in my center, we are given sandwich,biscuits and a drink, you can bring your own food as extra if you like.
i reckon its rather inhumane not allowed food on dialysis,sit in the bloody chair for 4 hours and see how we feel most days. :yahoo;
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I took in chocolate mud cake last week... mmmmmmmmm yum!!
we all enjoyed some. it was excellent.. though I could feel my potassium rising as I ate. Luckily we ate when I started dialysis so much of it hopefully was leached out he he.
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I don't eat during dialysis or just before, I've found for myself that if I eat just before dialysis guaranteed cramps and bad ones at that. I haven't dared try eating while on dialysis I however am always quite hungry immediately afterwards, everyones different so that's just me. Although it is extra difficult to not eat at my unit as our neighbor in the building is a caterer.
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when i started dialysis again a couple years ago, i started at a different unit. i always ate jolly ranchers and any other kind of hard candy i could get hold of. the charge nurse found out and literlly hollered at me for eating. so then i used to sneak it, then she found out again and went absolutley ape sh@#. another nurse told me that the charge nurse had a patient that choked to death on candy. what happened was she hollered at the guy and threatened to take him off the machine so he jammed about 1/2 pound of candy in his mouth and choked to death. ever since then she didn't allow eating in the unit. the guy was about 90 years old and fell asleep with the candy in his mouth. i used to argue over this subject all the time. she got fired right after i got my transplant. after that they allowed eating candy and something to drink while on the machine. man, i wish i was there when she got fired. i would have let her know how i really felt without any backlashing.
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In NJ State law prohibits food in the dialysis treatment area. Both centers that I have used have allowed and provided drinks on request or you can bring them in.
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At Dad's clinic (UK) they can eat whatever they want in the first hour - they call it Happy Hour :) Dad is still careful but he says some eat bananas, chocolate etc and seem to suffer no ill effects ???
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At the in-center clinic where Marvin went for 12 1/2 years, there was a STRICT no eating, no drinking policy. There is no ice! The patients can't have a slip of water while they are on the machine (but, Marvin would occasionally ask for two Tylenol for some made-up reason just so he could get that little, tiny cup of water).
We traveled some, and Marvin visited different clinics. Most of them had the no-food policy, but the nurses turned their heads and didn't look if you brought something in with you. There was this one clinic in the mountains of NC -- It was a small clinic (maybe 16 chairs) and, when everybody on first shift was on and running, the head nurse announced it was time for a "biscuit run." She took orders and a patient's wife went to McDonald's for everybody. They had an ice machine, and Marvin really loved having a cup of ice to munch on. They let the patients' caregivers come back on the "floor" any time (you didn't even have to ask permission and then wait for them to push the door release! heck, they didn't even have the door between the lobby and the "floor" closed), and most caregivers sat right there by the patients the whole time (the nurses got chairs for all the caregivers). That was a really, really nice clinic with wonderful nurses and techs (if you're ever in Cherokee, NC, use the DaVita clinic there!).
Now that Marvin's on home hemo, he eats a snack when he wants and has a drink (we figure the drink into the fluid we take off). However, we have heard that eating a lot while on the machine can make you sick (that thing about blood rushing to digest the food).
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The first unit where I started gave me a list of things to bring to treatment. It said bring a small snack (like crackers) and water if desired. I was only there for 2 weeks before I switched to a unit closer to my house.
The unit I am at now doesn't allow eating. They have an ice machine. I am there from 6:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. and there are several people who ignore the no-eating policy. The techs and nurses don't say anything - there are no food police in my unit. ;D It doesn't bother me when other people eat unless they eat raw fish. :o One little old lady brings raw fish in once in awhile and although it doesn't make me gag, the odor stings my nose. :(
I don't eat for a few hours before dialysis but man am I ever hungry when I'm done!!
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i find that i have to eat and rink something during the first two hours of my treatment, otherwise my bp starts to drop and the machine alarm goes off. I did get yelled at once for showing up with a can of coke and a bag of chocolate covered peanuts >:D
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I don't eat during dialysis or just before, I've found for myself that if I eat just before dialysis guaranteed cramps and bad ones at that. I haven't dared try eating while on dialysis I however am always quite hungry immediately afterwards, everyones different so that's just me. Although it is extra difficult to not eat at my unit as our neighbor in the building is a caterer.
I would imagine that if you ate just before dialysis that would send your body weight up by the weight of whatever you ate - thus the calculation for what to take off fluid wise would be skewed by however many grams what you ate was... that would mean they could end up taking off too much fluid and thus causing the cramp.
On the other hand as someone else suggested here with "happy hour" my unit nurses also say it's ok to eat chocolate or whatever in the first hour as the machine will leach out all the potassium. They even encouraged me to bring in Chocolate Mud Cake for everyone one time. IT WAS DIVINE - and NO GUILT! :D
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this morning I ate a turkey sandwhich, a Georgia peach and some little fish crackers
our director would like to stop the eating rule
but so far, we can eat
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I always eat a main meal (not huge but not tiny either) and drink a tea + another drink (I allocate 600ml for fluid). I also eat a few cookies with my tea. I've always done this so I just know that my dry weight will be over by about .4 kg. My meal kills the first half hour very nicely. ;D
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I thought they might put a stop to our eating when Davita took over but it hasn't yet. I pass right by Burger King on the way in so lunch is usually a Whopper Jr., Dutch Apple Pie and a Sprite.
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I dont' like to eat while dialysing (during the day, i am doing nocturnal now.)
I didn't like the people bringing in Fries (chips for you Anglo diasporans) or Chinsese food. it was just rude. Also reading this thread I saw epoman complainign about staff being fed in front of patients. Yeah, that ticks me off too. I talked to some of the friendlier nurses about it, and they changed it before I left.
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Wallyz, I'm curious about what bothers you when others eat? Does the smell make you feel sick? I'd hate to ever offend anyone in my unit and I hope that if there was anything I was doing that bothered them, they'd say something and we could reach a compromise.
We all talk about food at my self-care clinic and the nurses even bring little goodies in from time to time. One guy is a caterer and he brought an incredible lunch for all the staff one day. I bring in stuff occasionally for the staff and the other day one of the techs brought me some cassava cake she'd made. I enjoy the smell of food from the kitchen even though it's stuff I can't have.
Tell me why it bothers you. Now I worry I'm being offensive.
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I'm in center from about 11-3 and I don't like to miss lunch. My opinion is that I would rather watch someone eat as to watch them bleed.
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Wallyz, I'm curious about what bothers you when others eat? Does the smell make you feel sick? I'd hate to ever offend anyone in my unit and I hope that if there was anything I was doing that bothered them, they'd say something and we could reach a compromise.
We all talk about food at my self-care clinic and the nurses even bring little goodies in from time to time. One guy is a caterer and he brought an incredible lunch for all the staff one day. I bring in stuff occasionally for the staff and the other day one of the techs brought me some cassava cake she'd made. I enjoy the smell of food from the kitchen even though it's stuff I can't have.
Tell me why it bothers you. Now I worry I'm being offensive.
The issue is the greasy food smell, causing nausea, and the fact that this is food that most people are told that they shouldn't eat on dialysis. So, like the staff eating food in front of us, eating the greasy, salty, potassium filled food in front of people who are working hard to restrict their diets is thoughtless. Now, I have said something to staff, but I wouldn't say anything to another patient. They aren't working there, they have to be there. I understand wanting to extend a middle finger to patronizing dietitians.
People who bring their dinner, and its a good renal meal that doesnt push a lot of smell all through the room, I have no problem with. I just can't do it.
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Well, I would definitely say something to another patient or to a nurse /intermediary if something they were doing made me nauseous and I really hope they would do the same, should I be causing them nausea. A compromise would be reached.
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That's a no-no in our center. Staff has their own break room and they each get an hour for lunch. Eating or drinking in the patient area is strickly forbidden.
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i get up at 4am and get to the center at 5:15. i don't leave till 10am, if i don't eat breakfast i get sick, i mean really sick, my blood pressure drops, i cough, gag and throw up. we are allowed to eat at my center but i wouldn't care, i'm eating breakfast!!!!!
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That's a no-no in our center. Staff has their own break room and they each get an hour for lunch. Eating or drinking in the patient area is strickly forbidden.
The staff at my clinic also have their own staff room and they don't eat in the patient area, but when they cook or reheat things we can smell the food and we often talk about food. They are very understanding and sympathetic about our restrictions however.
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My Davita Center lets us eat, (I don't), use cell phones and have visitors.
I get up at 3:30am so I can have coffee, my fruit/protein smoothie and then take care of personal business before I leave at 6:15 am.
I use my D time to get the remaining hours of sleep (and to kill time).
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I use my D time to get the remaining hours of sleep (and to kill time).
I sooooo wish I could sleep!!!! I use to be able to sleep when I was taking Xanax but I no longer take them (which is a GOOD thing) but now I can't sleep during dialysis.
EDITED:Fixed quote tag error-kitkatz,Moderator
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I try NOT to sleep during D because I'd be up all night if I did. I'm still awake quite a bit at nights.
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I can now eat while dialyzing! Queen Ruth lets me do whatever I want in her palace. (I do home CCPD.)
Queen Ruth sends all of you her royal love. :waving;
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I was told by the nocturnal nurse that of course we let you eat here. It is dinner time for most of these people. So my cup and ice and snack still are tagging along to dialysis.
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My daughter's unit allowed food and drinks. I even brought her Long John's Silvers and Burger King meals sometimes for a special treat. I was always told whatever you eat at dialysis will be clean out. I brought the food early in the treatment. The nurses never said anything and I would assume they would if they had a concern. Sarah usually just chewed on ice and didn't have a drink. She was always good about her fluid intake.
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Our unit has a staff tea room so they do their eating away from us mostly.. though often they drink at the nurses station, that's ok - they're human and work 8 or 12 hour shifts! I have no problem with them grabbing a coffee or drinking from a water bottle.
Sometimes people will bring in cake for a birthday or something and they OK chocolate or whatever - specially in the first hours of a run given the machine will leach out the extra potassium, so that's sweet.
I can't think the last time anyone had greasy food or something extra smelly in. Sometimes an in patient will have their hot dinner delivered and it smells good (well it is hospital food so the smell is probably the only good thing about it!! :rofl;) but sometimes gets me going.
Of course while waiting for lunch I often play a video of Iron Chef and the nurses come watch, so I guess I'm kind of guilty too!!! :rofl;
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Patients can eat anything or anytime. Staff cannot eat except in their break room. Crazy Roy's mom brings donuts. She passes them out to patients nearby and takes the rest to the nurses lounge. It the only way she stops people from exterminating Roy. Oh yea, the ambulance people dropped him beside his chair when they were trying to lift him. That's awful.
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My last center (RAI) let people eat just about anything. I just switched to a DaVita center today. I saw someone eating a protein bar and drinking a Nepro. I had my little bottle of water and pack of chewing gum sitting next to me and nobody said anything.
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My clinic told us we are the only ones in Pennsylvania that allows the patients to eat while on the machine. Medicare is trying to make all dialysis units in Pennsylvania non eating ones but our Dr.s thank Goodness is letting us till Medicare makes them stop us. A lot of us are Diabetics and have to eat.. I know I am diabetic and have problems with my sugar going to low like 30. So I for one am gonna have a problem. Now I bring my diet a & w rootbeer and usually a sandwich and some crackers. I guess it will go non eating soon enough though. :popcorn;
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At my center, there are more people eating and drinking than aren't. I always have a water or mountain dew + lunch with me.
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I am back to in center hemodialysis. This means no eating on the treatment floor. This is a rule from the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, not my center. The rule applies everywhere in the state. I make sure to eat before I do my run.
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when I taught school I had to be at dialysis 30 minutes after I left school and I was in treatment until after 9 pm -- we could eat then --- I don't think it is fair for patients who work all day and stay there so late --- the time on dialysis crawls by and being hungry makes the time longer
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I'll say it again ---- The reason people choke is because they are trying to hide and sneek food. I see nothing wrong with a snack.
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They are in the process of changing a bunch of rules in my center. Food hasn't been mentioned so far. I just wish people wouldn't bring food with strong odors. Fried chicken from Popeyes can smell good at times but the grease smell doesn't go too well with my blood.
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My husband dialysis's ( is that spelt right)first thing in the morning,7.45am he is always offered toast and 2 cups of tea. :thumbup;
Just wondering how many people here can eat while they are dialyzing. This is a prickly issue with me. My clinic is strictly anti-eat, anti-hard candy, anti-gum. I'm not talking about eating a 3 course dinner. I'd just luv to be able to chew a little gum or suck on a root beer barrell.
Please give me some input here.
EDITED: Topic moved to proper section "Dialysis: Centers" - Epoman, Admin/Owner
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I bring a snack, but have not been eating it lately. I usually have eaten before I arrive at D.
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I can eat anything I can find. Tomorrow I'm taking a can of "Mac and cheese and spam"
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DW--- EWWWWWWW!
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When i was on dialysis in centre i cant remember anybody taking food in. I think because we got good food there, nice sandwiches, sweet biscuts, tea, coffee, juice or flavoured milk. The sandwiches were great, i used to love the egg and lettuce. ;D
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I used to bring grapes with me. Our Clinic gives us tea or juice and social cookies (yuck) They will give us a sandwich if we have low BP after the run. However I was told not to eat on a run b/c it makes the blood rush to your belly and it'll cause you to be sick ( whether it's true beats me) They used to have ice delivered to the unit but they stopped that about a year ago. We have to bring our own ice. :urcrazy;
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jp, would the NB Kidney Foundation buy an ice machine for your unit? Just wondering?
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I wrote to them today, hopefully they will get back to me.
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anybody who has food or who has a bud who'll share his food...
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Hubby always had a snack when he was in center. Never had a problem with blood pressure. Actually he found that it would keep his B/P from dropping. Personally I think it is cruel to expect a person to sit for 3 or 4 hours and have nothing to eat or drink if they want it as long as it is something renal friendly.
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in my clinic they allow eating while in dialysis i kknow everyone on dialysis after 2 1/2 hrs we feel so hungry the biscuit is not enough so i ask the janitor to buy me a a sandwich from mcdonalds, and a cup of ice only thats all i feel okay, on my 2nd clinic befor i saw just like they are on picnic they bring there bag full of food most of the clinic here in philippines they allow food,
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Dude, I gotta eat during dialysis cuz I'm hypoglycemic. Even when I travel to other dialysis units I bring some kind of food. I got sh*t for it at a Davita unit, & I merely told them its this or you can call 911 and have me carted away to the ER 2/3rds of the way through... That shut them up, and you would have thought they read the med charts sent by my social worker beforehand. I tend to agree that units that allow food are not as clean as the ones that don't, but if you are generally discreet about it they will leave you alone. Half the time, if you know what you are about those RNs and techs will leave you alone. The other half you have to shout, and they will really leave you alone after that! LOL.
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jp, would the NB Kidney Foundation buy an ice machine for your unit? Just wondering?
No they contacted the unit and the unit said due to infectious control issues and space they could not keep ice for the patients. I bring my own now. The NB Kidney Foundation was very helpful.
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The center I go to is pretty laid back. I can bring my breakfast with me and if my Husband is off work and comes with me, they allow him to eat with me as well.
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We are aloud a snack, but I eat very lite as I get nauseated.
Troy
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after 5 years at this clinic I was told I could not eat---so I was going to leave --- I am a "hipper" -- meaning I have good insurance -- so the director gave me permission to eat --- I "sneak" eat --- other patients who used to eat healthy foods now sneak candy --- one day the unit made popcorn and we could smell it --- that was very rude ---- the staff said, "what? we can't eat in the break room?" that was not the point --- plus Divita game us bags for carrying food in for Christmas --- you know, the insulated bags???? I get hooked up before 6am and by 10 I am straving -- so I eat a snack ---
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We allow eating at my unit. However if you have an issue with low bp eating can lower it even more. I encourage hard candy and a light snack to make it through treatments. But remember the dietitian is always watching.
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I used to think Davita was so great, after all I only saw the web site till we moved. But the unit my hubby goes to, doesnt alow you anything but ice or icewater in little tiny dixie cups only 2 of them!. if you bring in food you are spoken to by the Facilities director and the dietician. its like catholic school, ssmack em on the nuckles with a ruler!
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What do diabetic do if they have a 5 hour run time? Is an exception made for them so they can eat if needed?
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What do diabetic do if they have a 5 hour run time? Is an exception made for them so they can eat if needed?
I don't know really, since here in Toronto Canada any units I've been in allow you to eat whatever you want. Of course if bloodwork is whacked out then they'll talk to you and if BP is an issue they'll advise against eating on the machine except maybe a light snack.
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We have one patient who eats his entire Yoshinoya dinner while hooked up. It smells good. However he farts all night long too. I will bring asnack, but usually do not even touch it nowadays. When I was four hour runs I needed a snack.
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My new center is DaVita, I do nocturnal which is 8 hours on the machine. We are allowed to bring in anything we want to eat or drink. I bring a bottle of water and a couple of snacks. Some patients bring little coolers with meals in them. The only rule is that they don't have anything to give you to eat or drink, you need to bring it in yourself.
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There is a girl at O's center who has MCdonalds EVERY session with the SUPER size pop, well she knocks them over alot and the other day she did it just as she was getting started and had the balls to not only let staff know they needed to mop up but also could they go get her another drink. WTF!!!!! I'm surprised they have not banned her from bringing stuff in since they have to clean up so much after her. The staff is soooooooo great when ever I go visit they are always caring for there pt's not just hanging out at the desk like I have seen before.
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There is a girl at O's center who has MCdonalds EVERY session with the SUPER size pop, well she knocks them over alot and the other day she did it just as she was getting started and had the balls to not only let staff know they needed to mop up but also could they go get her another drink. WTF!!!!! I'm surprised they have not banned her from bringing stuff in since they have to clean up so much after her. The staff is soooooooo great when ever I go visit they are always caring for there pt's not just hanging out at the desk like I have seen before.
what the...??? super size... how much is that? like 500ml??? that's insane....
guess she isn't on fluid restrictions?
and if it's coke, even tho you're on the machine, shouldn't there be an attempt to educate her about the dangers of fluid AND phosphates in soda???
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We get served a toasted cheese and ham sandwich while on the machine with tea or coffee.
Some people bring food from home as one sandwich is not a meal for some seeing that we are on from 5 till 9 in the evening.
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I have dialyzed in four hospitals/centers in my home state (Western Australia) and in all cases they provide food and drink. In fact, it is the highlight of the day.
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Just wondering how many people here can eat while they are dialyzing. This is a prickly issue with me. My clinic is strictly anti-eat, anti-hard candy, anti-gum. I'm not talking about eating a 3 course dinner. I'd just luv to be able to chew a little gum or suck on a root beer barrell.
Please give me some input here.
EDITED: Topic moved to proper section "Dialysis: Centers" - Epoman, Admin/Owner
Many centers do not like you to eat while on treatment due to nothing more than "dirty" people. I was at a center where they tried to disallow eating while on treatment because some of the people would treat the center like they treat thier homes and leave their garbage at the machine after their treatment leaving it up to the staff to cleanup after them. I have seen some really dirty people with their garbage everywhere. Mcdonalds bags, half eatin sandwhiches in the chair, crumbs everywhere, food on the floor etc.....
Another reason is that the crumbs, etc... can attract insects..
Even though the center had rules, this did not stop people from eating while on treatment including myself when I was in center. I used to dialyze on the evening shift after work, and this was the only time i could eat dinner as when i got home, it would be almost 10:00 at night.
Different centers have different rules...
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I forgot to add: There is one patient who orders delivery. Should see the look on the Pizza boy's face as he hands over the food to a patient hooked up to a machine. At Xmas time, we always have a glass of bubbly or two and we often bring in cakes to share for birthdays or transplants. I think that I am lucky to live in Australia.
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I forgot to add: There is one patient who orders delivery. Should see the look on the Pizza boy's face as he hands over the food to a patient hooked up to a machine. At Xmas time, we always have a glass of bubbly or two and we often bring in cakes to share for birthdays or transplants. I think that I am lucky to live in Australia.
It sounds great! :thumbup;
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Like Murf we also have bubbly on new year's eve (I bring in the french champers and share a glass with the staff when everyone's finished for the day) and on birthdays we're encouraged to bring in a cake - so I am naughty half the time and bring in chocolate !!! (luckily it's OK to have during the first hour they claim as the K will be leached out during the session). Sometimes a member of staff may bring in some food they made and share it. I had a nurse who would make me Sri Lankan food every so often and give me a fresh serve to take home for dinner (mmm her chicken curry was awesome). Truly spoiled.
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I am told there are no food or drink allowed passed the big doors leading into the treatment area, but I do see a few people pulling snacks out of their bags and some even have water bottles. I don't have the nerve to ask if I could have something, water would be nice but do to the fact that that is what they are trying to get rid of while I am here I am not going to subject myself to a ridiculous stare from a dialysis nurse right now. I think thats wild Richard, that you get cake and champagne its too bad i will not be here at my center for new years or Christmas since I am switching to PD.
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well let me clarify that I buy and bring the bubbly - I share it with a few of the nurses who are working. My way of celebrating the new year with them - as friends, not nurses (and like I said, we wait till everyone is off before having any bubbles so it's all above board). With the cake it's a bit of a tradition that if it's your birthday on the day you're having D then cake it is. Sometimes they even bring cake for us themselves. It's a pretty neat community in my unit it must be said.
On Saturday afternoons when it's a bit slower and more relaxed (ie: the managers are not around) we sometimes buy coffee for the staff and patients (as in someone will go down to the cafe and get real barista coffee, not instant). This last weekend one of the patients shouted the coffee run because he had a new granddaughter to celebrate.
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Ok here is the clinical reason why you are not suppose to eat on treatment. When you eat the blood rushes to your stomach to aid in digestion. When you are on treatment you already have blood missing from your body which drops your blood pressure. So eating drops it even more which could make you pass out and choke. Now I would always allow my patients to eat a small snack even a sandwhich and have a drink because most of the people on dialysis are diabetics and cant go that long with out eating. The way i saw it is you have to drive to the clinic and if you got transported then they drop you off and sometimes it is way early, then you have your treatment which is usually 4 hours, then you either have to drive home or wait on transportation to pick you up and then get home. So if you add that up it is usually between 5 - 6 and even some times even more that you would go without eating. I know as a health person I could not go that long with out eating so why would I expect you to go with out eating. I also kept nutrigrain bars in my locker just in case some one got hungry so that I could get them something in their belly
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It never occured to me that some clinics do not allow eating on dialysis. I was on dialysis for five years my first time around and went to a total of three clinics. All of them allowed food. Gosh, I don't think I could have made it without food and drink. Whenever I had a treatment, I would get this HORRIBLE taste in my mouth. I had to something to eat and drink to help me get rid of that taste. I was so dry that I needed something. I can't imagine not being allowed to have anything.
I start dialysis at another unit soon and I will be sure to ask about that. I won't want to go to a clinic that does not allow food.
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As I have said I always bring some sort of snack to dialysis. Now if often is not even eaten, but i know it is there if I feel peckish in the middle of the night. I usually take an apple and a small bag of ice animal cookies. It used to be a bag of Capt Crunch cereal or such. Plus a glass of ice.
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My center is pretty much okay with eating on dialysis, at least on the night shift. I usually bring a snack and a bottle of water, but whether or not I eat or drink just depends on how the night goes. I like to have some water handy in case I start to feel dehydrated, and the occasional snack keeps me from tearing out my needles and cannibalizing the techs. Sometimes I just don't have time to eat dinner before dialysis so I'll grab a Subway and eat it in the first hour or so.
The bad side of eating on dialysis: I used to sit next to a patient who would bring in a full bag from some off-brand Mexican fast food joint. He would scarf that garbage down in his first hour or two, then an hour or so later start cramping, and cutting these horrendous farts that smelled like something died. Roughly halfway through the shift he would have to be taken off to use the restroom. Sometimes he didn't make it.
Thankfully, they moved him to the other side of the unit with a few other "trouble" patients.
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My center allows me to eat when i dialyze. My wife prepares a full kit for me--sandwich, chips, juice and cookies or fruit. I can spend maybe 2 hours eating while dialyzing.
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Here in Brighton, UK, the hospital send round a trolley of free food (sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, etc) three or four times a day. Everyone eats and I was allowed to take food in for my husband, as he did not fancy the trolley food.
Don't really understand the ban - my hubby is insulin dependent diabetic and so had to eat.
It really does help to pass those long, long four hours!!
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My center does not like us to eat during treatment, but they do not stop us either. I have no choice in the matter with an Insulin Pump.. either let me eat, or I simply don't wake up at end of treatment. So my treatment food is a can of Pineapple every run. Plus.. I'm never hungry due to gastroparesis but when I get hooked up then I feel super hungry.. so it's always the best time for me to eat.
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My center doesn't like us to eat but they don't do anything to stop it, either! Now that I dialyze in the evenings I only suck on hard candy. They don't like that very much but I'm careful abt it. If I didn't suck on the candy I'd eat way too much ice. I've seen people order pizza's and other take out food. I can't eat anything big on dialysis now days because my blood pressure has been running low. It's weird. It drops when I lie down and goes up when I stand!
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you would know why eating SHOULD be banned during dialysis. The worst case I ever had was a man who coded while eating a peanut butter sandwich. MY GOD.. what a mess. It took forever to clear his airway. For those whose clinics ban eating, be grateful that they care enough about you to do that. Its the ones that allow eating that are wrong.
SEIG HEIL, DEUTSCHLAND UBER ALLES!!!!
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My dialysis unit, the Laird Dialysis unit allows full meals and in fact, recent evidence is that dialysis patients have better outcomes with protein during dialysis. That being said, the way American dialysis units perpetrate violent dialysis sessions against their patients for pure business oriented greed, there is indeed a danger if you are prone to hypotensive episodes caused by excessive ultrafiltration rates.
In a world of optimal dialysis, there is absolutely nothing wrong in eating while on dialysis for the average patient without underlying difficulties swallowing food. In the world of conventional, American style dialysis, there could be potential risks.
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My dialysis unit, the Laird Dialysis unit allows full meals and in fact, recent evidence is that dialysis patients have better outcomes with protein during dialysis. That being said, the way American dialysis units perpetrate violent dialysis sessions against their patients for pure business oriented greed, there is indeed a danger if you are prone to hypotensive episodes caused by excessive ultrafiltration rates.
In a world of optimal dialysis, there is absolutely nothing wrong in eating while on dialysis for the average patient without underlying difficulties swallowing food. In the world of conventional, American style dialysis, there could be potential risks.
I do a lot of office surgery and use local anesthetics. I find that if a patient has an empty stomach in the morning when I work on them they often end up with a vaso vagal type reaction and end up dizzy with their blood pressure dropping. Then I have to tip the table way back to get thier feet up higher than their heads to get them normalized. When people eat before and come in with food in their stomachs it almost never happens. I think food in the gut aloows the body to deal with stress better (including dialysis) and would tend to reduce hypotension issues.
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My mom's dialysis clinic allowed her to eat. Whenever I was in town, I'd bring her lunch. She liked Whataburger, so that's what I brought her. She'd regale me with stories of which patients liked which kinds of food.
But whenever my mom travelled and so had to dialyze in other clinics, the rules seemed so random. Some forbade eating during dialysis while others allowed it but only small, bite sized bits of food. I can't say for sure, but it seems to me that some clinics just don't want to have to deal with any mess that comes with patients eating during treatment. Seems to be a matter of convenience rather than medical contraindications. If a clinic doesn't want to be inconvenienced in any way, they'll make up some medical gobbledygook.
Sure, there may be a risk of choking for some patients, but I'd imagine those same patients may run the same risk at home or in any place they may consume food.
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No one eats at Frank's center. There are vending machines in the lounge. There is a junk food machine and there was a drink machine with soda and juices, but they took that out because they didnt want the patients drinking and the machine was apparently too much temptation. The problem is, at least 80% of the patients are insulin dependent and the nurses dont stock juice at thier station. I am going to have to bring in a glucogon kit and show the nurses how to use it for Frank in case he goes hypo. They only check blood sugars on request and then don't like to do it because it has to be sent to the lab and costs a fortune and blah blah blah. Makes no sense to me. He has his own meter there but they wont use it. ??????