What do you eat while on the machine?

[roybear]

Yesterday I was eating a sandwich.  The tech mentioned that I may cramp because what I was
eating was a "heavy" food.  I have eaten stuff like that before and I sometimes cramp when I get
past my dry weight, but usually not.  What is acceptable to eat that will not be a problem?

Some of the techs may not realize it, but our options are limited.  For the most part, we can use
only one hand to eat.


ON ANOTHER SUBJECT:  How do I insert the smiley emoticons.  On the computer I am using,
I cannot get them to work. Is it me, or this computer?

[susie q]

I usually have a sandwich or a bagel ..  but I only eat half at a time... like a couple of hours in between... no cramping...  I think pretty much anything will do it if you consume too much at once... it is because of blood being diverted to the stomach.. cause it has work to do.. 
As for the smilies... just click on them... should work... do you see the eyes move on a couple??  Maybe it's your 'puter.. 

[Rerun]

Well, 20 years ago they would serve you "Lunch" while on the machine.  So, after 17 years of not being on dialysis (transplant), I was shocked when they would not let you eat.  It is none other than they don't want to clean up a mess.  Yeah, you may throw up.  If you do that a few times you will learn to not eat so "fast" or too much at a time. 

 I bring a snack.  Mostly because I'm bored.  I eat Graham cracker sticks or Teddy Grahams.  I bring rice cake snacks sometimes.  But, I always bring something.   

[Bajanne]

I usually have a tuna sandwich and a bottle of cranberry juice.  I have also had a hotdog (!!!) along with my drink.  You are allowed to eat whatever you want at my centre.  At the centre in Barbados they serve juice boxes and crackers.  During the session, an outside caterer comes with some nice sandwiches that you can buy.

[roybear]

Thank You Everyone for your responses.  I will also bring some snacks like dried cereal or "trail mix".
I will eat some of the sandwich, then eat the rest later.  I also eat because I get bored. Gives my
hands something to do. 


These are the emoticons I am getting...in order from left to right:

                                

I will try to get on a different computer tomorrow and "give it a go"!!!

[Rerun]

OH, yeah, they don't show up yellow and cute until you press "post."   

[Epoman]

Yesterday I was eating a sandwich.  The tech mentioned that I may cramp because what I was
eating was a "heavy" food.  I have eaten stuff like that before and I sometimes cramp when I get
past my dry weight, but usually not.  What is acceptable to eat that will not be a problem?

Some of the techs may not realize it, but our options are limited.  For the most part, we can use
only one hand to eat.


ON ANOTHER SUBJECT:  How do I insert the smiley emoticons.  On the computer I am using,
I cannot get them to work. Is it me, or this computer?

I eat what ever I want, I have eaten cheeseburgers with fries. I have never cramped because of food. I think the techs just don't want you eating while on dialysis. So in case you vomit they will have to clean it up.

Also please refer any technical questions (your smileys question) about how the board works in the proper section: http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?board=12.0  That is why that section is there in the first place. 

- Epoman

[Bear]

In the unit, they would give you a cup of tea/coffee & some biscuits around an hour after going on;
then you'd get a sandwich, ice cream&jelly or yoghourt and maybe an apple or pear with another cuppa
 around noon (8:30-13:30 session times).
'Course on Home Haemo, you're self-catering, so whatever you want! 

[fireguy]

Doing home hemo I eat whatever I want while on dialysis as long as my BP is good.Thanks to my wife, wonderfull little cook. Have supper on machine at least twicw a week. Never had an issue in three years.

[Wizard]

I used to go to a FMC unit where the staff would actually yell out breakfast orders to someone going to the McDonalds, but would not allow the patients to have a crumb or a sip of water while on dialysis.  I thought this was normal procedure in dialysis until I went to Europe and they were serving meals to patients on dialysis.  The nurse explained this was to access a patients nutritional status.

[meadowlandsnj]

You know what really jerks my chain?  They tell us we can't eat while on dialysis.  I eat anyway--I bring some cookies or crackers or fruit and a juice box.  I have to eat something while on the machine.  I eat breakfast at 7am, leave here at 9:30am and sometimes I don't get home until 4:00 with my transportation.  When lunchtime comes around they all order their food by phone.  A  soon as it comes they literally run out the door to eat!  So how can you expect us not to eat for hours?  Plus they bring in their huge coffees from Dunkin Donuts, their huge Arizona Ice Teas, Snapples ect.  And now they're all on diets where they have to drink these huge bottles of water.  I swear, some days I feel like tackling a nurse and grabbing her water bottle and drinking the whole thing in one shot. 

[Bajanne]

I swear, some days I feel like tackling a nurse and grabbing her water bottle and drinking the whole thing in one shot. 

That made my day.  I was laughing like crazy!!!  The mental picture was something else!

I can't understand why some centres restrict eating while on the machine.  It obviously has nothing to do with whether it is good or bad for you.  At my centre, all you have to do is tell them what you are going to have and they calculate that into the amount of fluid that they programme the machine to take off.  No restrictions whatever.

[Epoman]

You know what really jerks my chain?  They tell us we can't eat while on dialysis.  I eat anyway--I bring some cookies or crackers or fruit and a juice box.  I have to eat something while on the machine.  I eat breakfast at 7am, leave here at 9:30am and sometimes I don't get home until 4:00 with my transportation.  When lunchtime comes around they all order their food by phone.  A  soon as it comes they literally run out the door to eat!  So how can you expect us not to eat for hours?  Plus they bring in their huge coffees from Dunkin Donuts, their huge Arizona Ice Teas, Snapples ect.  And now they're all on diets where they have to drink these huge bottles of water.  I swear, some days I feel like tackling a nurse and grabbing her water bottle and drinking the whole thing in one shot. 

This folks is a perfect example of why I created this site. Good rant "meadowlandsnj" 

- Epoman

[Black]

...
I can't understand why some centres restrict eating while on the machine.  It obviously has nothing to do with whether it is good or bad for you.  At my centre, all you have to do is tell them what you are going to have and they calculate that into the amount of fluid that they programme the machine to take off.  No restrictions whatever.

I hate to be the one to post this but I remember reading about a fairly recently published study which indicated that routinely eating a heavy meal during dialysis (I think they referred to "in clinic" dialysis, but not sure) is definitely damaging -- something about drawing blood supply to the stomach and away from other internal organs and putting a strain on the entire body.  If I recall correctly, it said that an occasional meal may not be a problem and very light snacking is probably OK as well.  Sorry I can't be more specific but my memory is not what it used to be.  Wish I could remember where I read it but can't.  If I can find it I'll post on new thread.

[kitkatz]

I work as a special ed teacher. I eat breakfast, if I eat at 6a.m., then scheduled school lunch is at 10:30, school end at 1:45, dialysis starts at 3:00.  Ends at 7:30.  Tell me, when do I get something to eat between those hours???  It is nine hours between lunch and the end of dialysis for me.  If I do not snack during dialysis I turn mean and cranky and the blood sugar will run low.  I have never had a problem eating during dialysis.  I have heard about the research, but I will add on a personal note, smaller snacks eaten through out dialysis works better for me. I bring cinnamon toast crunch cereal and crackers with me.  Sometimes, once in awhile, I will sneak some M&MS. MMMM.

Katherine

[Bajanne]

Yesterday, I spoke to my nurses about the eating question.  I told them that some centres allow and some forbid.  The supervisor said that eating is something with which one has to be very careful.  In the centre where she trained in the US, a patient had a candy in his mouth.  His blood pressure dropped, and when they put his chair back, the candy lodged in his throat.  They were unable to save him.
I will always make sure that I am not eating if my blood pressure drops.

[Rerun]

Hmmmmmmmm  Hard Candy?     Not for me, but for the guy who keeps yelling OW for 3 hours!  (Just Kidding geez)   

[kitkatz]

How about feeding some Valium to the lady who screams "Get me offa hear?You hear!", for two and a half hours straight!   I hear you just fine. Now shut up for awhile.
Katherine

[grumpygramp]

  I have a liquid hi-protien drink(BOOST) about half-way through my treatment and it keeps me going until i get home when i have a small meal to last until supper. The drink was reccomended by the dietitian and works for me.Some of the people seem to be eating all the time they are on the machine.

[roybear]

I was just wondering what is considered to be a "heavy food".  Is it the bread in the sandwich?
I have eaten breakfast burritos(hardee's) and "low carb bowls"(hardee's and krystal). I sometimes
get a burger king crossanwich, or stop and get a "subway".  I'm not all that crazy about eating
alot of bread, but the choices are limited.  Has anyone ever gotten a take out meal from Waffle
House, or Huddle House?   I have been tempted to stop and get a onion,mushroom omelet.
Salads have alot of stuff that holds water, and some fruit does alot of nasty stuff also. 

Anyway, as mentioned earlier, what is a "heavy food"?  If it is bread, maybe I'll take the meat out
of the sandwich.

Thank you for all your responses.

[Naggy6]

My center lets us eat what ever we want. If it's some thing we are not supposed to have then some one usually just tells us we are not supposed to have it.

Not really much else they can do if you don't want to behave.

I have been at centers when on vacation that say no eating. So what are they going to do if they catch you eating and the foods already in your mouth, beat it out of you.   

[Rerun]

Yes, I would call a Subway sandwich a "heavy" food.  A light snack is popcorn, rice cakes, graham crackers, animal crackers.   

[kitkatz]

Dang computer. I had a great response all set to go and it would not spellcheck it. Internet explorer went poof!  Let's try again.

I usually take a light snack of cereal and crackers.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch is good if you are not diabetic and you like a sugar rush. Wheeeee! Otherwise Corn Chex, Kix or other similar cereal might work.  I sometimes throw an apple into the mix and chew on that at dialysis.
I think a heavy meal would be a Big Mac, Fries and a drink.   Full meals instead of snacks are heavy eating.

My two cents.
Katherine

[Panda_9]

I trained at the same place as bear, and occaisionally my BP would drop a bit after eating, so I would just so down a bit. The nurse that used to train me even went to the canteen to get me a toasted sandwhich if he was going there to get lunch