candy

[Dry-Pack-Babe]

When I was a kid, I wasn't that crazy about candy. At least, I don't recall being that wild about it. But when I got sick with ESRD, candy became a treat. In the beginning, I was perpetually depressed about the disease. I felt put upon. I felt God didn't like me. For a while there, my faith in God had been shaken. It has since been restored. And candy elevated my spirits.

I eat more of it while on the machine than when I'm at home. I'm not diabetic, so I don't have to fret about my sugar intake. But sigh, sigh, sigh. I have to watch my intake of chocolate because it's loaded with the dreaded phosphrous.

And I live a stone's throw from Williamsburg, Va which has a Wythe candy store that makes yummy, delectable chocolates and taffy on premises. When I walk in there, in my head, I hear Sammy Davis Jr. singing, The Candy Man. LOL!

Sometimes I treat myself to a box of turtles--you know, those luscious lumps of chocolate and caramel with chopped pecans attached to the caramel. But sadly, those lovely, tasty treats are a double no-no. Chocolates and nuts are violating the two p's.

Still, I occasionally indulge and take extra binders.

But mostly, I eat Bit O Honey, Jolly Ranchers, the fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls. Starburst. I love the tropical ones. Chick-O-Stick. York Peppermint Patty is considered renal friendly. So, I chow down on those.

Next topic. I give some of the older ladies, who are diabetic sugar-free candy and cookies. I've heard of cookies sweetened with fruit juice, but I don't know any specific brands. I'd like to give them a whirl. Can anybody recommend a brand?

[RichardMEL]

Chocolate is actually higher in Potassium (K), but that's a minor quibble.

It's actually better to eat high-K foods, like chocolate, when on the machine because the dialysis process is good at leaching potassium out.

When in the unit and we would have birthdays of patients or whatever and someone would bring in a big naughty chocolate cake (ok, that might have been me once or twice!) the staff would always serve it up in the first hour, so all the nasties would be dialyised out by the end of treatment...

Also a nurse once suggested to me to keep some candy (I mostly had peppermints) handy should BP go low in the last hour or so of treatment. That worked really well.. however in the end it was more staff eating my peppermints than I was 

[Dry-Pack-Babe]

Thank you for that chocolate tidbit. Soon, I will began gobbling chocolate when I first get on the machine. I'm going to pass that tip around.

[Chris]

We have Murray brand of Sugar Free Cookies. Although some of the usual name brand companies are starting to offer some. The thing to watch out for is what is used for sweetner that increases carbohydrate and the sugar level reading count on the package. Fruit Juice may make someone need to adjust insulin or diet intake compared to Splenda or Aspartane (sp?). Then there is the sorbiol and manitol to worry about, that gives a laxitive effect, especially if one can not control themselves. Look in the cookie aisle for Sugar Free, they are usually better and cheaper than the ones offered in the pharmacy aisle for diabetes care. However Glucerna bars are not to bad, just expensive compared to cookies, but some stores offer single bars.