Post by kickingfrog on Sept 4, 2016 11:15:52 GMT
I was unexpectedly admitted to Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, from their Haematology Day Unit (where I was
being treated as an out patient for leukaemia) with an infected gall bladder and gallstones on 25/08/16.
It was for one week, until the infection was dealt with by antibiotic drips etc.
For some time I was in a lot of pain, retching and too ill to want any food but at the breakfast time when I felt I could eat the caterering assistants did not seem to have a clue about GFD for a coeliac, never mind one who was also vegetarian.
For that first meal I had a cup of hot milk.
However, the chef/caterer did his best to find something suitable and he found out they had a gluten free menu of prepared frozen ready -made main meals (which just had to be heated in the oven).
Three of the meals were both GF & vegetarian.
One was vegetarian beany shepherds pie with vegetables and saute potatoes,
another cauliflower cheese with veg and chips and they had omelette with vegetables, too.
As well as these was a jacket potato with GF baked beans and grated cheese.
I had low white blood cells, too, at first, which meant I couldn't have a salad then -but later if I had the jacket as lunch a side salad made it a bit more interesting.
Puddings suitable for me included ice cream but this was defrosted when it reached me the second time I chose
it so I didn't have that afterwards.
Also available were 'tinned' fruit salad, pears etc, ambrosia rice pudding , muller fruit yogurt or fresh fruit-usually a banana but once a satsuma.
After the first 'breakfast' I was offered GF cornflakes ( was shown the packet to check it was safe for me) which were OK and I had hot milk with them as no lactofree was available (they did have soya milk on the breakfast trolley but I didn't fancy that).
Also, for breakfast, I was offered grey-looking defrosted (Genius) sliced bread which was brought round in the same plastic box mixed in with the ordinary gluten slices of brown and white sliced bread.
I was told this Genius bread could be toasted (in the same toaster as the ordinary bread).
I refused it of course and said why.
The catering staff were most surprised to find out the dangers of possible gluten cross- contamination for a coeliac when I explained about it.
At another time I was given a slice of the defrosted Genius bread unrefreshed straight from the bag (because it was said it could be eaten that way).
This was the most disgusting-tasting thing I have ever been offered to eat.
On two occasions I was given a gluten main meal meant for other patients (they had eaten my meals by the time this was found out)
One time the beany GF veggie pie meal served to me was topped with a generous dollop of gluten gravy.
It was very late into my stay before a notice was put on the wall behind my bed stating I required a gluten free vegetarian diet. It seems this should have been done as soon as I was admitted.
The catering/ serving staff did their best but it is obvious they have had no training or advice about CD/ DH and GFD.
being treated as an out patient for leukaemia) with an infected gall bladder and gallstones on 25/08/16.
It was for one week, until the infection was dealt with by antibiotic drips etc.
For some time I was in a lot of pain, retching and too ill to want any food but at the breakfast time when I felt I could eat the caterering assistants did not seem to have a clue about GFD for a coeliac, never mind one who was also vegetarian.
For that first meal I had a cup of hot milk.
However, the chef/caterer did his best to find something suitable and he found out they had a gluten free menu of prepared frozen ready -made main meals (which just had to be heated in the oven).
Three of the meals were both GF & vegetarian.
One was vegetarian beany shepherds pie with vegetables and saute potatoes,
another cauliflower cheese with veg and chips and they had omelette with vegetables, too.
As well as these was a jacket potato with GF baked beans and grated cheese.
I had low white blood cells, too, at first, which meant I couldn't have a salad then -but later if I had the jacket as lunch a side salad made it a bit more interesting.
Puddings suitable for me included ice cream but this was defrosted when it reached me the second time I chose
it so I didn't have that afterwards.
Also available were 'tinned' fruit salad, pears etc, ambrosia rice pudding , muller fruit yogurt or fresh fruit-usually a banana but once a satsuma.
After the first 'breakfast' I was offered GF cornflakes ( was shown the packet to check it was safe for me) which were OK and I had hot milk with them as no lactofree was available (they did have soya milk on the breakfast trolley but I didn't fancy that).
Also, for breakfast, I was offered grey-looking defrosted (Genius) sliced bread which was brought round in the same plastic box mixed in with the ordinary gluten slices of brown and white sliced bread.
I was told this Genius bread could be toasted (in the same toaster as the ordinary bread).
I refused it of course and said why.
The catering staff were most surprised to find out the dangers of possible gluten cross- contamination for a coeliac when I explained about it.
At another time I was given a slice of the defrosted Genius bread unrefreshed straight from the bag (because it was said it could be eaten that way).
This was the most disgusting-tasting thing I have ever been offered to eat.
On two occasions I was given a gluten main meal meant for other patients (they had eaten my meals by the time this was found out)
One time the beany GF veggie pie meal served to me was topped with a generous dollop of gluten gravy.
It was very late into my stay before a notice was put on the wall behind my bed stating I required a gluten free vegetarian diet. It seems this should have been done as soon as I was admitted.
The catering/ serving staff did their best but it is obvious they have had no training or advice about CD/ DH and GFD.