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hospital admission for op.

Serena51

Serena51

Well-Known Member
Messages
492
Location
Peacehaven, East Sussex
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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Hi, wonder if anyone can give me some help here. I am due for some surgery at the end of November and tomorrow am going for the pre-op assessment and wondered what I should ask about their care of me whilst I'm in their hands (bit scary that).

I am low carb and testing my bg several times a day at present. I am taking metformin at 2 x 500mg twic e daily.

I know that the last time I was in hospital it was only bread and cereal at breakfast, no butter only margarine and jams. At tea I was offered biscuits as well as jelly and ice cream at lunch - this with them knowing that I was a type 2 - although at the time I had not found this forum and so was not low carbing although I was definitely no sugar!

As I've said before, I am not good at confrontations and after the dietician debacle, I don't want to put their backs up but I don't want to worsen my bgs

Any suggestions would be most welcome - questions to ask, back up info etc

Thanks
Jane
 
I would ask them if you can keep control of your own diabetes.
As for your diet, they might let you have planned low carb meals, but hospitals tend to have a menu, from which you choose a day or two in advance. They are not allowed to force the carbs down your throat.
 
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Boil some eggs and nuke some bacon. Take them and some broccoli in an ice chest. Eat what you can from the hospital offerings, and supplement from your ice chest.

I'm sure you have other ideas of good food. Whatever, take your own.
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Thanks both.

I hadn't thought of a coolbox. I will do as you suggest and take cold eggs & bacon, veggies. I am in for 3 - 5 days depending on what is eventually done so maybe after a couple of days I will get somewhere with the food situation.

jane
 
First of all you need to cantact the Hospital direct and ask if they cater for special dietary needs. Most usually do and so should be able to tailor something to your liking. Turning up with a coolbox and a supply of foods is frowned on in most Hospital's. Do check their policy first. When I had a major Op some time ago the menu was changed for me to reflect MY choices.
 
Absolutely! Don't let them decide what to feed you whatever you do.
Spent a while in the 'ossie in 2003 and but for a steady supply of emergency food parcels from friends and family I seriously doubt whether I'd have lived to tell the tale.
Good luck with it Jane,

fergus
 
veggienft said:
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It's not a prison. You're the customer.
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Click to expand...


Are you sure about that ? I only spent a few days in one, it felt like a prison to me, dingy, noisy, smelly and staff who couln't care less about hygiene or patient care. Hopefully that particular Hospital has now changed ?
 
I go on Thursday for the pre-op session so will clarify then about the food policy there, The Princess Royal in Haywards Heath. I know that last time I was in there they thought me odd as I took my own bottled water!

It would be lovely if they cater to personal dietary requirements but what's the betting that they would cater to the NHS diabetes diet and not low carb. However, if not - I now have good ideas of what to take.

I shall also check tomorrow re my bg testing whilst in there.

Thanks everyone.
 
5 days won't kill you, I'm sure. And you're going to need extra everything, food-wise, due to the trauma of having surgery. BTW, how big a surgery is it? Can't be that awful if it's not emergency. If it comes down to it, just ask for an extra portion of whatever they give you, then don't go nuts on the carb parts.

You're in a hospital, what could go wrong? (and yes, I know the irony there - I'm quoting Hot Shots! ;-) )
 
Well I had the pre op assessment today, three hours long, and found out that it will be more major than I hoped but on the positive side, the nurse said that it would be okay to bring in my own monitoring kit and a coolbag of food extras too.

So I heaved a sigh of relief and then had to ring my son to ask him to get two weeks off work to come home and look after mum! I quoted Phillip Larkin with the addition of parents being such a drag.!

Thanks for all the positive help you've all given me, I was really dreading today but it was good - no confrontations.

Jane
 
hya jane,
hope everything goes well for you (((((((((hugs))))))))
 
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Good news for sure. Not just a problem solved, but a show of support from people who could hold your future in their hands. Now you can concentrate on getting better.

I hope all goes well.
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