Who can eat at your clinic while dialyzing?

[John S.]

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

[SpeedFleX]

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.

[goofynina]

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 

[Epoman]

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.  

[imacrash]

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.

[ahamner]

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.

[Joe Paul]

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.

[bioya]

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.

[livecam]

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.

[BigSky]

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.

[kevno]

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.

[meadowlandsnj]

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. 

[kitkatz]

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.

[angieskidney]

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.

[John S.]

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.

[MelissaJean]

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.

[Bajanne]

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.

[Amanda From OZ]

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.

[Riki]

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...

[stauffenberg]

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." 

[angieskidney]

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.

[Rerun]

I have to have a little something.  I bet they "wish" I would choke because I have a DNR!   

[MattyBoy100]

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!!!

[Panda_9]

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.

[allison]

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