Well, in case you don't know, I have been at the Meijer Heart Center (more specifically, Butterworth Hospital which is attached to it) since last Tuesday. They knocked 22 pounds off me, mostly water, getting me ready for Open Heat Surgery Tomorrow. Yes, they will be cracking my chest open.
The Hospital Bed
They are state of the art here. you have hand controls,also same controls are on both sideboards of the bed. So it is all easily reachable.
I can raise or lower the foot end of the bed, do the same with my head end of the bed.
You have two controls for lights, one for reading and one for overall lighting.
I have a control to get to the TV or to get to movies, they have over 100 free movies to watch such as J.Edgar,etc. You have good choices.
HOSPITAL FOOD
Bottom line, the food is healthy, but bland. Here are some tricks I quickly learned to help get the most out of your food choices.
Initially,say for breakfast, when the nutritionist hasn't talked to you about choices, they are going to give you the pro forma menu.
In this case you would get coffee with a low fat milk, a juice,usually apple, a cold cereal with fruit like straw berries. You would get one piece of toast with margarine.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHOICES
You ask the nurse for the nutritionist number in the kitchen. You call her on the house phone.
You have to prod her about choices.
For example, instead of cold cereal I could order oatmeal or cream of wheat, order two packets of brown sugar to go with it. Then query about what fresh fruits are available. I could get strawberries,melon or red grapes.
Next, ask about bread choices. I found out that I could have a bagel or a English muffin as well as the usual rye, whole wheat choices. I could get a margarine and cream cheese.
Then I found out I could have eggs, scrambled only. First day I ordered them that way and they were bland. Then I got a good idea. I called and asked if I could get sliced tomatoes, they said yes. Could I get some onions diced? Yes. Now we were cooking with mazola baby.
So, I would order the eggs,bagel, cream cheese, tomatos and onions. Then I would fashion an egg sandwich with the ingredients, it was a vast improvement over just plain scrambled eggs.
HOW TO IMPROVE ON LUCH OPTIONS
The first lunch I got was plain dried white pice of chicken--nothing on it erred with steamed veggies, then two dinky oatmeal cookies and some apple juice. Yuck!
IMPROVEMENTS
Found out that soups were available, I ordered chicken w/rice, or chicken/noodles. Order extra packets of Mr. Dash (I was on a no salt diet) extra packets of pepper--dump all of them in your soup--yummm
Ask about entree choices and pick your best one. Instead of steamed veggies, get fresh veggies with a dip, much better. Order a juice or a milk. For dessert I ordered either vanilla or chocolate pudding. On top of that I got a fresh fruit--I like red grapes. I was full, good lunches.
DINNER OPTIONS
Again ask about the entree choices and get what you like. A lot of the time I would have a choice of swiss steak(with a passable gravy), a pork chop with a tropical fruit topping(not bad), a hamburger,pass, a turkey sandwich(dress it up with mayo, tomato,lettuce and a little onion w/mustard.)Other nights it was a big slice of white turkey or chicken, no embellishments. Most will come w/mashed potatoes and gravy (which I hate), instead I would get white rice w/gravy or a whole baked potato dressed with sour cream, margarine, pepper, and Mr. Dash. Yummm! Then order a roll or bread. Then get fresh fruit like nice pineapple chunks, strawberries or grapes. Then get a pudding or a sherbet, and ask for animal crackers. Order a juice or coffee.
Not a bad meal, all things considered.
Finally, dream about how that glass of a good red wine is going to taste ( Mine will come on Oct. 25 my birthday).
You gotta admit this is a very different Tequila Report.
Comments
Good luck..love the tips
Nels, I love how you can take any situation and make it work for you. God Speed.
I had a close friend who had a quadruple bi-pass when she was 62 (she just celebrated her 84th birthday) and she said the worst thing about the operation was having to cough into this machine to help clear her lungs after surgery. I hope you are back on your feet and as feisty as she still is pronto!
thanks folks
Great advice, Nels! Hoping I never have to use it, though. Will we get the same action on the post-op medications? Good luck with the surgery and the recovery, I look forward to reading your postings for years to come.
Hey, I hope you got Geoff and Jim to take photos of the surgery. Not that we could stand to look at them but they are part of your Tequila reports.
Rest up and get well soon. We hope to see you back here soon when you start to feel up to it.
Well I would never have thought to call the nutritionalist and make the food so much better - I like your ideas and agree with someone else... I'm craving hospital food (well, your version anyway!).
Yeah best of luck, August 4th will be my two year anniversary mitral valve repair I remember the first sense that came back after surgery was my hearing it can be a little disconcerting, and a heads up when I was in recovery that night I was so doped up I thought I could hear the nurses whispering about where they were going to hide my body! I did a painting based on my heart surgery when I was coming to I could hear voices calling my name slowly could see silhouettes and then I heard the some one say good and then they put me back out, when I came to again later I was hooked up to alot of machines with different colors of lights! I will try an upload the painting. Bottom line I am now healthier than I have been in years ! Good Luck my friend!
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