My bags are packed...

It costs more to do IVs than bring up trays three times a day. Yes, you get charged for the IVs and equipment, but there is a higher level of personnel skill in administering and monitoring (from, MD to pharmacy, to nurse, ect.). So, not an unjust enrichment.

It is just frustrating.

Jan

I'm not paying anyway, I long ago met my out of pocket max for 2014.

But it is lame. I got the itemized bill from my first surgery, and there were charges (on the same day) for room/board, TPN & nursing administration of same & IV fluids & nursing administration of same. Many of those days had nothing taken by mouth on doctor orders, so....just a symptom of why our health care costs are out of control.

They bar code you when you check in and they swipe you every time they even think about you, let alone touch you. Medcations all have inventory bar codes even on every tylenol, etc. It helps with their inventory control too

This reminds me of nurse Jackie.......... (off topic I know.

I have memories of when they first did my kpouch...3 days of bowel prep (they did an NG with freezing bags of I.V. fluids running through me guts for 24hrs after a full litre of that magnisium junk that they made me drink) then 30 days NPO, nothing at all by mouth. Just I.V. until the last week when I got jello an chicken broth. One day they forgot themselves and put some rice in the broth...It felt like gourmet cooking. I munched those 6 grains of rice for 1/2hr or joy!
I loved hospital food! I loved every single tray that they sent up and every snack. Toronto General had a real kitchen and made real food with wonderful tastes and smells...When they brought up the trays I would nearly cry with joy once I was allowed to eat.
My favorite meal was once they allowed me to eat solids we ordered a Pizza-Pizza lasagna...oh, goodness...35yrs later I can still taste the joy of it all.
In 2007 it was a toasted bagel with tuna salad...ended up with a full blown ileus that night (my first ever) and threw it up for 25hrs...last bagel I have ever had.
You really appreciate solid food once you can eat again.
I hope that you are back to food soon. But take it slowly! No need to complicate things by overdoing it.
Sharon

Bring on the mother effing broth!

The tube is pulled!

You will start getting your money's worth on the food charges if they give you some broth. Usually, broth is not something a hospital kitchen can screw up. However I think the Cheeseburger is going to have to wait. Maybe in another week or two. After I had takedown my surgeon gave me a menu to follow and there was a slow progression from liquids to very soft solids, like baby food, to less soft solids on up to stuff I actually had to chew. Might want to get yourself some banana baby food, which is a prime soft solid food for you to eat once you get to that phase, and it also tastes good. Gerber makes a very good baby food. I ate lots of them after takedown in that soft solid phase.

I've had a diet plan in place with surgeon for some time. It guickly moves from clear to full liquids, then on to a low residue diet for a couple of weeks.

I have no desire for a blockage and his team's guidance saw me through end and loop illeo surgeries already. This is one area where I am happy to do what I'm told.

Having a diet plan in place is good. I was given one as well. However, the term "low residue diet" did not exist at that time. What they emphasized at that time were "soft solids", like apple sauce, mashed potatoes, mashed bananas (baby food) jello, etc. I am curious whether these things qualify on low residue diets. I would guess no on the apple sauce?

Yeah. Basically low fibre, easy to digest foods that tend to slow transit times.

Well cooked (read stewed or braised until falling to bits, meats, mild softish cheeses (processed string cheese), mashed or baked potatoes without skins, lightly sauced pasta, especially with tomato based sauces. I love caccio y Pepe for this.

Bananas, good yogurt, avocados (may not be for everyone, my body loves and craves them. Creamy nut butters, etc.

I recently reconnected with a childhood friend who was coincidentally having her J-Pouch done at about the same time. She's using the BRAT diet with good success.

In general, my surgical inflammation seems to subside quickly once I get my nutrition back in line, especially protein. Because I had UC for such a short period of time, I don't have steroid related healing issues which is nice.

Food, good real, no processed food, has been an integral part of my personal and professional life, and my ostomies performed quite admirably as I added things to both post op diets so far. I'm hopeful this will be the same.

I figure I'll keep updating this as I move forward. Someone might find it helpful some day.

I was up twice last night, but with full control and no real urgency. Was able to actually lay in bed for a while and think, "Do I need to get up? Yeah, probably should." Output is a runny gel like liquid, and the 2nd trip brought out what I've seen called on this site a "whoosh of gas" at the end. I don't think a fart has ever felt so good.

Been in twice more between 7 and 11 am, with similar results. They added full liquids into my diet this morning, so I had some Cream of Wheat. Who knew it was a liquid? No issues as of yet, and am sippng on some homemade stock at the moment.

Thus far, I've yet to be blessed by butt burn, but the salve awaits should it rear its head.

I confess to looking up at the sky, scanning for shoes, and am again amazed at how much difference a nurse can make in your care. 99 percent of the nursing staff here is wonderful, but the only words I can use to describe the nurse assigned to me this morning are "flaming idiot." I am lucky that I am not sick enough to need more assistance. Potassium is still a shade low, white count still a bit elevated, sleep a luxury at night.

It sonds like things are on the right path.

The zinc oxide (or other barrier) works best to *prevent* butt burn. It doesn't do a darn thing to treat it once the skin is irritated.

We'll call today the UC flashback day.

Last night was fantastic. Family brought in some beautiful puréed squash soup, and it seemed to agree beautifully with my pouch. Emptied about 11 and slept until 4 when I produced prototypical j-pouch applesauce and the same again at 7.

Upgraded to low residue diet, and my first non liquid foods have started the **** storm, propelled on by a not insubstantial bit of gas.

Stool is more loose, and I've felt the first tingles of a burning ring of fire.

All told, counting the 4 am trip, I've sat on the pooper 7 times today.

I've also been pulled off the pain pump, and am managing so far with one 5 mg. norco every 4 hours for both the mainline and stoma incisions. Vanco & Levaquin are still on board as well.