Playing House in the Hospital

Day 13 in the hospital

Day 4 post-transplant

Roger has developed an aversion to hospital food.  Not to the food, per se, but to the plastic dishes and trays on which it is served.  Well, I must admit, it doesn’t matter what you order, it often tastes like an old thermos bottle.  Roger’s sense of smell seems to be heightened so he is especially offended by the “aroma.”  It is critically important that he keep eating, so I brought him a ceramic mug and bowl that I wash in antibacterial dish detergent and carefully dry after each use.  And I’ve been bringing in groceries and preparing food in the little break room down the hall.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are not allowed in the transplant unit because of the potential for molds and other contaminants.  Likewise with meat, cheese, dairy products and almost any food in it’s natural state.  They do allow us to bring in frozen and canned foods and anything that is stable at room temperature.  I try to bring in a variety so that Roger has choices.  Since he’s eating a la carte, I count and report his calories myself.  If his calorie intake drops below a certain level, they will infuse him with nutrients.  That is a last resort and we don’t want to go there for all the reasons you can imagine and more.

Our menu runs counter to everything we know about good nutrition.  We are trying to get as many calories as we can.  If Roger can only eat small amounts, then it had better be densely packed with calories. Canned soups, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, TV dinners and packaged cookies will get boring in a few days, and then we’ll move on to plan C, plan D, and plan E….  In the mean time, food doesn’t have to taste like an old thermos.  Although you can't get them for 89 cents anymore, Swanson’s still makes a mean Salisbury steak. Did you know a single Mallomar has 250 calories?