Just not right

[Grogg1]

As some of you may know my OH is in hospital and has been on same ward for last two weeks. The gents next to him are both diabetic. One has lost a leg and 3/4 of other leg, the other a toe off one foot and recently had surgery to other foot.

The one with the missing limbs is refusing hospital food, which is carb heavy, in favour of pasties and sandwiches his wife bring in supplemented with biscuits, crisp, sweets and diet fizzy drinks.

The other gent has a table and locker full of diet Fanta, flavoured water, plus bags of wine gums.

I'll be honest I would struggle with hospital food as too many carbs but why do they think it's okay to eat the sweets etc. Clearly not getting the correct message about a decent diet for diabetes.

 

[Northerner]

As some of you may know my OH is in hospital and has been on same ward for last two weeks. The gents next to him are both diabetic. One has lost a leg and 3/4 of other leg, the other a toe off one foot and recently had surgery to other foot.

The one with the missing limbs is refusing hospital food, which is carb heavy, in favour of pasties and sandwiches his wife bring in supplemented with biscuits, crisp, sweets and diet fizzy drinks.

The other gent has a table and locker full of diet Fanta, flavoured water, plus bags of wine gums.

I'll be honest I would struggle with hospital food as too many carbs but why do they think it's okay to eat the sweets etc. Clearly not getting the correct message about a decent diet for diabetes.

Sadly, it's the case that a very large number of people are completely unaware of how their meal choices can affect their blood sugar levels, and the problems this can build up for them down the line, even when the evidence is in front of them The statistics on complications are dreadful, particularly since it is believed that up to 80% can be avoidable with the right knowledge of how to manage things better. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have been told that increasing medication and complications are inevitable, and that even then they are fighting a losing battle This is truly scandalous and will only continue until proper education and resources are made available, both for healthcare professionals and the people they treat.

 

[Bubbsie]

I think if I had lost both of my legs to diabetes I would not be overly concerned by a lack of broccoli at dinner time.

Good point Benny well made...any judgement without knowing the full facts/history is premature.

 

[Grogg1]

Good point Benny well made...any judgement without knowing the full facts/history is premature.

Yes I am judgemental as I believe that where possible we should take responsibility for our own well being. We can't help getting diabetes but we can help ourselves with management of it, especially if T2.

Last night two of the nurses tackled missing limb man as he refused a meal again and was eating biscuits. They were telling him he would never leave hospital if he continued to just eat biscuits instead of proper meals. He still refused a meal.

 

[Kaylz]

The other gent has a table and locker full of diet Fanta, flavoured water, plus bags of wine gums.

The wine gums could be to treat hypo's, you don't know, plus stating their diet is bad isn't very fair, at home they could be completely different xx

 

[Northerner]

Yes I am judgemental as I believe that where possible we should take responsibility for our own well being. We can't help getting diabetes but we can help ourselves with management of it, especially if T2.

Last night two of the nurses tackled missing limb man as he refused a meal again and was eating biscuits. They were telling him he would never leave hospital if he continued to just eat biscuits instead of proper meals. He still refused a meal.

When I was diagnosed there was a man on the same ward who had problems with ulcers on his legs which wouldn't heal. He wasn't responding to oral antibiotics so they kept trying to give him intravenous ones, but they had huge problems finding a vein. He said he weighed 36 st and seemed proud of it (I weighed 8st at the time 😱). Every visiting time his daughter visited him and brought him what appeared to be everything off the Mcdonald's menu as he said he wasn't getting enough food from the hospital. The meals included full-sugar supersize Coke. He had already been in for two weeks and was still there when I left over a week later - there was no improvement in his problems Obviously at the time I knew nothing about diabetes, but it did strike me as a poor choice that a 36st man with chronic health problems was choosing to eat so much junk food He was on mixed insulin, using a syringe because of the amounts he was injecting.

 

[Bubbsie]

Yes I am judgemental as I believe that where possible we should take responsibility for our own well being. We can't help getting diabetes but we can help ourselves with management of it, especially if T2.

Last night two of the nurses tackled missing limb man as he refused a meal again and was eating biscuits. They were telling him he would never leave hospital if he continued to just eat biscuits instead of proper meals. He still refused a meal.

Those comments were not directed at you...they are for all the members to read.

 

[AJLang]

Is he carb counting? If so he will know the carbs in biscuits better than those in hospital meals where they rarely give you the carb amount. Diet drinks and flavoured fizzy water do not affect BG levels. As Kaylz said the wine gums could be to treat hypos. Do you know if he is on insulin or another treatment that could cause hypos. I had a colleague at work who commented quite loudly about the Lucozade on my desk at work - she wouldn't listen when I said that I only drank it to treat hypos.

 

[Bubbsie]

We should not be commenting on those we know so little or nothing about...this is a help forum not an expose on good & bad diabetic practices.

 

[Grogg1]

Those comments were not directed at you...they are for all the members to read.

It's okay I wasn't offended ! I'm very thick skinned

 

[Ralph-YK]

as he said he wasn't getting enough food from the hospital.

You don't get very much food when in hospital. I was hungry All the time when I was in, even if I ate everything at meal times. There were several patients who were unable to eat it all before it was cleared. And they didn't get any help.

any judgement without knowing the full facts/history is premature.

Well, yes. It is difficult sometimes when you see what some people are eating.

 

[Grogg1]

Is he carb counting? If so he will know the carbs in biscuits better than those in hospital meals where they rarely give you the carb amount. Diet drinks and flavoured fizzy water do not affect BG levels. As Kaylz said the wine gums could be to treat hypos. Do you know if he is on insulin or another treatment that could cause hypos. I had a colleague at work who commented quite loudly about the Lucozade on my desk at work - she wouldn't listen when I said that I only drank it to treat hypos.

I don't think he's even heard of carb counting. I heard him say he's now on insulin and his wife brings in daily rolls, pasties, crisps, biscuits, bottles of pop etc. He's quite immobile and honestly if you saw the amount of food on his table and locker you would be quite shocked.

I agree hospital food is not the best and it's all too carb heavy for me but my OH is eating it and quite enjoying. My OH is not diabetic though but he is totally immobile and he's losing weight even though he either has 2 Wheatbix for breakfast or a full cooked English, followed by lunch and pudding (could be cottage pie, casserole, curry, salad). Puddings often fruit crumble or sponge and custard, OH rarely opts for yoghurt. Then dinner is same sort of options. The portions are not huge which I think is why my OH is not putting on weight. His snacks are grapes or strawberries. We expect him to lose weight as he's losing muscle through inactivity.

Talking of Lucozade my OH was told off by doctor for drinking. He has a bottle of the sports drink each day. They have told him water is better for his body to recover but he is so thirsty and loathes water and they only bring tea/coffee 4 times a day!! He's now forcing himself to drink a bottle of water a day as he's desperate to recover.

 

[Bubbsie]

You don't get very much food when in hospital. I was hungry All the time when I was in, even if I ate everything at meal times. There were several patients who were unable to eat it all before it was cleared. And they didn't get any help.

Well, yes. It is difficult sometimes when you see what some people are eating.

Good points Ralph

 

[Grogg1]

You don't get very much food when in hospital. I was hungry All the time when I was in, even if I ate everything at meal times. There were several patients who were unable to eat it all before it was cleared. And they didn't get any help.
.

I agree portions small but not about lack of help. My OH is slow eating as he's flat on his back and has to eat in this position so it takes him a while. I've seen the staff offer to cut his food for him if they think it may be tricky and they never rush to clear his plate away. They jokingly offer him soup everyday. It would be a disaster as even in a hospital beaker it would go all over him!! They constantly check patients are eating too and offer to get them a sandwich if they didn't like the meal or just didn't eat it. I know my OH has a chart that they have to record if patient has eaten etc.

I have been very impressed by the staff on the ward my OH on. They are always busy but always have time for a chat with patients and as most of them are quite long term on the ward they know them. I've been on other wards where the staff are huddle at the nursing station chatting etc. but not this ward.

 

[Ralph-YK]

We don't know these peoples levels, nor how they eat at home. However, when you are ill I consider you need to be eating the best you can. And when we are ill is exactly the time it can go to pot if allowed.

I was offered apple pie and custard, cake and custard and treacle sponge & custard at every meal. Breakfast was ceriel and jam & toast. They definately knew I'm diabetic. They're the ones who told me.

 

[Ralph-YK]

I agree portions small but not about lack of help. My OH is slow eating as he's flat on his back and has to eat in this position so it takes him a while. I've seen the staff offer to cut his food for him if they think it may be tricky and they never rush to clear his plate away. They jokingly offer him soup everyday. It would be a disaster as even in a hospital beaker it would go all over him!! They constantly check patients are eating too and offer to get them a sandwich if they didn't like the meal or just didn't eat it. I know my OH has a chart that they have to record if patient has eaten etc.

I have been very impressed by the staff on the ward my OH on. They are always busy but always have time for a chat with patients and as most of them are quite long term on the ward they know them. I've been on other wards where the staff are huddle at the nursing station chatting etc. but not this ward.

This is good to hear 🙂
Unfortunately, when I was in it wasn't like that.

 

[Grogg1]

We don't know these peoples levels, nor how they eat at home. However, when you are ill I consider you need to be eating the best you can. And when we are ill is exactly the time it can go to pot if allowed.

I was offered apple pie and custard, cake and custard and treacle sponge & custard at every meal. Breakfast was ceriel and jam & toast. They definately knew I'm diabetic. They're the ones who told me.

The offering for diabetics is disgusting IMO. Also my DD is vegan and her daily choice would be a salad and piece of fruit!! There is no vegan option. If I was a patient I would be starving surviving on just their protein offerings. One meal of sausage and mash was just one sausage. I would be reliant on my family bringing me in food that I could eat.

 

[trophywench]

Have yo say - I didn't eat a lot when I was in last year because everything was , well - entirely unappealing and dry. Not any type of gravy or sauce on offer. A salad was entirely leafy, but always crispy crunchy things - OK I'm not keen on floppy leaves - but with no spud (couldn't have a scoop of mash with a salad) tomato or mayo (only one, teeny sachet of very sweet, cheap and absolutely vile thin salad cream not very much bigger than those little packets of salt or pepper, although there was NO salt available whatsoever when I asked - No - we don't have it!) However - the sliced boiled ham was lovely LOL

Never any fruit offered either - our next door neighbour is a star though - he brought me in two pots of Tesco's prepared fresh fruit - one fresh pineapple and the other pear and apple. The only roughage I had!

 

[trophywench]

Grogg - could you not make up a bottle - or if you have some smaller ones, several - of properly diluted fruit squash for your OH?

 

[Lyn68]

The thing is you can educate people all you like but you can’t force them to do what is good for them. I am newly diagnosed and fumbling my way through. My brother was also diabetic sadly he passed away last year totally unrelated to his diabetes, but his maintenance of his diabetes was woeful to say the least. He would run out of insulin and his other medication and eat the wrong food. As the old saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it.