Food During/After Hospital Dialysis

[MonicaJade]

I was in the hospital about two weekends ago for bronchitis and staff, but I am all right. I just thought this would make an interesting thread.

I got sick on a Thursday night, and stayed sick all day Friday. A doctor happened to visit that day and saw how sick I was. I ended up with a 100 fever at the end of my treatment. The nurse took blood to test for an infection. I went to the ER that Saturday at 6AM because I woke up in severe pain when I breathed and it hurt to lay down. They found out I had bronchitis and staff, and it took 3 days for the pain to stop. It got worse in the hospital, and I couldn’t move or walk without pain. It was Monday before the pain went away.

I had a dialysis on the third shift on Monday, and they brought the machine into my room because the dialysis room was full. In the first hour, the dinner person brought dinner, and my mom opened it, and it was a really big hamburger. I just looked at it, and didn’t reach for it at all because I knew, and I didn’t want the tech to have to stop me.. I said, “I’don’t think I’m allowed to eat on dialysis.” The tech said “You’re not. But I’ll make absolutely sure they bring you another tray when dialysis is over!” I can’t remeber who it was, but someone suggested Mom could have that one so it didn’t go to waste. (If I didn’t suggest it, I agreed), and I remember her saying if I didn’t get another tray, she would get me a burger from Wendy’s which was fine with me. But I WAS given a new tray after dialysis! And by that time, I was starving. I wasn’t even that hungry when the first one came. So, thank you, tech!

Anyone else have any dialysis + food stories?

[Michael Murphy]

About 18 months ago I was hospitalized for a major heart attack, for the first 3 days no meals were delivered to my bed so I survived on turkey sandwiches from the nurses. By day 4 I was ravenous and not looking forward to more turkey sandwiches.  I ordered and paid for three pizzas to be delivered from grub hub.  The arrival of the pizzas brought the head dietician to my bed, she was particularly irate, when she calmed down I pointed out I had not had food except for turkey sandwiches for 3 days and out of desperation I ordered the pizza.  Turned out her staff was confused since my nephrologist ordered a renal diet and my cardiologist ordered a cardiac diet and they were not compatible.   She agreed that was not right and I got the normal menu from then on.  The pizzas went to the nurses and every one was happy.

[Cowdog]

Common practice in hospital here is that if your breakfast tray comes before or as they are taking you to dialysis they just set it on the bed, take it with you and you eat after you are hooked up and running.

[Riki]

The thing with that is, you are not supposed to eat more than a small snack while on the machine, because the process of digestion can lower blood pressure.  There are exceptions to that rule, of course.  There is one fellow in my unit who must eat while he's on the machine or his bp will drop.  Me, my bp drops anyway, so they don't bother limiting me, though I still stick to tea and cookies, unless someone brings me something, which does happen sometimes.

[iolaire]

Turned out her staff was confused since my nephrologist ordered a renal diet and my cardiologist ordered a cardiac diet and they were not compatible.

That sounds like negligence not confusion, incompatible orders means someone should have picked up the phone.

[Michael Murphy]

I believe the fact every one thought I was going to die factored into the equation.  Injection fraction dropped to 20% that’s right at the call the mortician level.

[Simon Dog]

Did you mean ejection fraction?   I never heard of an injection fraction.

[GA_DAWG]

I blacked out once after dialysis when I first went in the hospital, fell into the machine, hit my head and cut my arm. They had conniptions and I had to get CAT scans, heart monitors and everything else. I'm sure mostly for reasons of CYA as I told them I was fine. Anyway, after that the dr told me to always eat before going to dialysis, as they had taken me just before mealtime, so I missed it. Sure enough, the next day, they came just as breakfast was arriving.
None of them was any too pleased when I told them I would be right along, AFTER i finished breakfast.