Hospitals

Type 2
1

Sheesh! Just got home from being in the hospital. Here is my question/topic:

The dietary service. Holy Cow. I am a no carb, lo carb, slo carb eater. I am very successful with it. I was taken off insulin, my A1Cs are running routinely at 6.1 and my blood pressure and cholesterol are stellar. I have been a diabetic for over ten years so lots of experience working with my diet.

So, I get admitted for a foot infection (my 36 year wedding anniversary gift was 2 months of tap dancing lessons – great fun but the shoes rubbed) and there I am on IV meds and some wound care. I know I need low sugars to heal. I know I need adequate protein to heal. The dietician comes around and I order plain chicken and a salad. Her response – you have to have 4 carbs. I said, no thank you. THEY TOOK ME OFF all my sugar meds (metformin and Jardiance) so no thanks. They INSISTED. I said really? I know what works for me and no thank you. Their solution was to send up on each tray 4 carbs. Now understand I would LOVE to eat carbs, but I don’t because I know that is the path to my stable sugars. I thought it was sort of cruel for 2 days to have to stare down cookies, carrot cake, toast with butter, noodles, and things I need to avoid. I rook the cover lid and covered the food I couldn’t eat and ignored the best I could. But, I could smell it. The good news is I kept my BS under 120 the entire time (and did not have to have any insulin - because they had ordered sliding scale insulin to cover the situation if I went high) and I did fine. But, how rude?

Why don’t they believe us when we explain these things?
Why are all diabetics treated the exact same – we are each unique. You will eat 4 carbs every meal – I’m not a machine.
Why do they not understand that I know myself and what works?
Why can’t we make adjustments (I ordered a salad and got a load of huge crutons after asking ‘hold the crutons’ = but those are your carbs)

I do have some carbs (lo carb! slo carb!) but they are planned and something I truly want.
Why don’t they consider choices? I mean really. I’m diabetic so I need angel food cake? That is great for some but frankly I don’t care for it. But that sure came up on my tray uninvited.

Oh well, I said something to the hospital manager on her walk around. She wanted to know if everything arrived hot and she got a little more information than she anticipated.

Also on a happy note, my foot (specifically the little piggy referred to as 'the one who stayed home" is doing much better and I am home.

Maybe next trip understanding and enlightenment will keep the apple juice off my cart (juice kills me every time – only used for lows)

Be healthy, Be safe! Remember who knows you best!

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Why Ms Skidmore, you are being non-compliant, you should eat your carbs. HA HA HA HA HA. Sorry I could not help myself.

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OMG – THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID!!! Made me crazy!!! Thank GOD I had a nurse who “checked my tray” and never ratted me out. There is hope!

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Besides sending you carbs you didn’t want, did you still get enough protein and fat to satisfy your needs?

I don’t know why dietitians and other health professionals will not listen to the experts on diabetes, the patients. We live with it 24/7/365. I’m sure they deal with lots of diabetic patients who don’t pay as close attention to their diabetes as you and they feel that we patients all need their professional guidance.

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Absolutely was careful about my proteins and fats. Gotta have the protein to heal!!! I saved the lo carb choices to Greek yogurt (protein and lo carb) and put appropriate butter on my veggies. I always write down everything so I looked at it when I got home to be sure the pain hadn’t warped my decisions :slight_smile: (I hurt, I could have that cookie) But I was spot on. That’s how I got out of there in 2 days.

thanks for understanding!

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Wow! I am so glad you advocated for your health. You do have rights as a patient.

When I had my gallbladder out, they insisted I eat a full meal post surgery. I asked for jello and broth as I was afraid to eat because that previously meant severe pain (this was before my TD2 and celiac disease diagnosis). The nurse yelled at me, the floor nurse yelled, and they called up the dietician. They all insisted that the doctor ordered this meal for me. I asked what my chart said and the dietitian read off, “Progress to a normal diet.” Obviously, they did not understand the meaning of progress. I got my Jello and broth. Later, I ate a sandwich happy to be pain free.

I worry now about maintaining a gluten free, LCHF diet, if I am hospitalized. My plan is to have family bring some food in for me as maintaining my gluten free diet is critical.

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Hi. When I was admitted to the hospital, my doctor wrote an order that I was to get gluten-free food. There was never a problem; the nurses even found me GF snacks. However, I was sorry that I asked for lactose-free food–they took me so seriously that they wouldn’t even serve me butter!

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It took me half my time in a skilled nursing facility recovering at first from a broken femur to “train” the kitchen. But they Got it. They Wanted to get it, in fact. At first, when I sent back all but the egg or whatever, they were actually upset. We worked on it together and they got it…It can be done if there is time. In this case, I had a month…

Oh–I eat 20-30 carbs/day with the occasional planned treat—for over a decade now…Judith in Portland

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That’s me – I don’t eat more than 2 carbs a day <50g occasionally. It is what works for me. Everyone is different! I realized I wouldn’t win the battle in just 3 days in a hospital. I just finally relized, get the nurse on my side and do my best. Good for you! Here’s to taking our healthcare in our own hands!

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