A TASTY PARTY: dialysis patients 'forgot we're sick'

[okarol]

A TASTY PARTY
With the help of pastry and culinary arts students, Lebanon dialysis patients 'forgot we're sick'
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
BY BARBARA MILLER
Of Our Lebanon County Bureau

LEBANON - For the 80 people who come to Good Samaritan Hospital Dialysis Center three times a week for 3- to 4-hour treatments, sitting hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine is normally a time to relax, sleep or watch TV.

On Monday and Tuesday, it was time to play bingo and holiday games, eat Christmas goodies and take part in caroling, thanks to visiting pastry and culinary arts students from Lebanon County Career and Technology Center.

"We forgot we're sick," said Betty Berger of Lebanon, who's been undergoing dialysis for about two years at the 440 Oak St. center.
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"I had the meatballs and quiche -- they were both delicious," she said of the food prepared by the students.

"It made the time go so much faster," said Marie Gibson of Lebanon, who's been undergoing dialysis for three years.

"This was the best party they've had yet," said Arnetta Weaver of Lebanon, taking a plate of lemon pepper turkey meatballs with her into the van transporting her home.

The dialysis center normally has a party, but this was the largest and the first one with students involved.

The students were invited to cater by Ginger Sarabok, a dialysis center social worker, who learned about the school's talents through Derrick Stauffer, a neighbor's son. Stauffer had been a "best in class" culinary arts student several years ago.

Stauffer died at age 21 in a car accident, and Sarabok said she got to know his teachers, chef Robert Corle, culinary arts instructor, and chef Brian Peffley, pastry arts instructor.

"They were very interested and so enthusiastic," she said of the students, who researched diets with the help of Sally Grice, dialysis center dietitian, and Marianne Wenger, dialysis unit director.

"The students were able to come up with things that are really tasty and yet allow the patients to follow the dietary guidelines," Sarabok said.

The culinary and pastry arts students developed a menu including vegetables, fruits, hors d'oeuvres, desserts and punch, and served three shifts both days.

Kidney patients are careful about their intake of salt, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, protein and fluid. Since many have diabetes, they control carbohydrates like sugar.

"It was a good chance for the kids to work with special dietary requirements," Chef Corle said.

They had worked with nut and dairy allergies before, but kidney-friendly recipes were pretty much new territory, he said.

BARBARA MILLER: 832-2090 or barbmiller@patriot-news.com

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