I was just sitting around thinking about my recent stay in the hospital. I had my takedown 11 days ago.

The day that my surgeon put me on solid foods way a happy day for me. After 3 days without food I was really looking forward to a meal. So dinner rolls around and the hospital brings me my meal. I lift off the lid and behold, THREE BEAN CHILI!!?? I remember laughing so hard I almost tore my incision.

Brilliant choice for someone recovering from intestinal surgery. I definitely would not have been so amused by it had I not had the option of going down stairs and getting sushi from the cafeteria. Even my nurse couldn't believe it as the hospital does have my surgical information.

Yet another example that the universe does have a sense of humour (albeit a cruel one).

Any similar anecdotes out there?

Hospital food is ridiculous. When I finally got back on solid food after my colectomy (I was on TPN for a week and then clear fluids for 2 weeks), one of the first meals they brought me was a beef (which I don't like, but that's not the point) and a green salad with raw shredded carrots. But the icing on the cake? There was side of corn. *LOL* I read my menu card, and it said low residue. I'd love to talk to the genius who assembled my dinner. Of course, I got the nurse to send it back for something I could eat (she agreed it was ridiculous), which ended up being scrambled eggs. Ah, fun memories. *LOL*

At my hospital, I get to order my food, like room service. I got the mashed potatoes and meat alot. Yet no matter what I would tell them, my potatoes always had a different gravy than the meat. If I had beef with beef gravy, my mashed potatoes would have chicken gravy. If I had chicken with gravy, my potatoes would have beef gravy. Drove me absolutely crazy! And what really killed me is they put a printout with your food of what you ordered and the printout would say for the gravy to be the same-every time.

First meal in the hospital was macaroni with chopped onions, greasy hamburger meat, and chunks of tomato. I tossed my cookies after the first look! My first meal after 4 weeks of TPN was beef broth, and nothing ever tasted so good -- but the grease wasn't drained, so I tossed my cookies again.

I know it stinks to be in the hospital over Christmas, but the food gets MUCH better for that week!

Gin

I often wonder if hospitals spent at bit more of their budget on a proper food program with good nutrition that caters to people's individual recovery situation, would they end up saving money due to shorter stays in the hospital because people were getting the food they need to get well and strong again.

Over a year ago before I even started to consider surgery I went to hospital because I has lost so much weight due to UC. I went in weighing about 120lbs. (I am a 6'5" male). I literally looked like I just got out of a german consentration camp. I would have been in hospital for months if I ate what they gave me, but because I had friends and family bringing me piles of cooked rice, organic meats, fish, and steamed veggies, I got out in 2 weeks about 40 lbs. heavier.

I have always spent time researching nutrition as a hobby, but all these recent experiences with illness and surgery involving digestion has inspired me to go back to school to become a registered holistic nutritionist. I really hope those skills combined with my experience as a j-poucher allows me to give unique nutritional guidance to those with IBD, pouches, or external bags.

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Hospital Food Bingo

I agree.... Hospital food is balanced to tick all those food group boxes needed to help mend your body, especially after surgery or recovering from a serious accident. But I must confess its terribley bland, but I suppose its seasoned to the lowest common denominator to suit all pallets....
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I always loved hospital food...it was so much better than what I got at home ...mom was a nurse, not a cook!
Loved airplane food too....
I think that the mexican omlette with the onions and pepper was my favorite 1st post-op meal! After 4 weeks on fluids I clogged the tube from the get-go!
From then on I stuck to chicken breast and rice!
Sharon

And I thought I was the only one! When I lifted the lid on my first solid meal, a few days after my proctocolectomy, I found something called cheese perogie casserole, with a huge greasy sausage (complete with casing) on top. For dessert I was given a whole orange.

Later I heard the nursing staff say to my surgeon, "she's not eating". When he came in to see me he lifted the lid to my dinner. I immediately said, "Can I go home?" and he immediately said, "Yes".

I also was given some interesting choices on the soft/low residue diet that were questionable. Just as I was getting a chuckle out of it, a dietician (or their assistant) showed up in my room to tell me she knew the choices weren't all appropriate and if I wanted something that wasn't on the menu, I just needed to call and request it an hour or two before the meal. I could pretty much get what I wanted, when I wanted. NICE.

California Pacific Medical Center in San Fran. I don't have one negative thing to say about them.