HOSPITAL FOOD...

 

absolutely sucked. There are supposedly two menus, one for diabetics and a general one. I somehow ended up with the general menu, but I’m sure the diabetic one couldn’t have been much better. About the only thing I found palatable was string cheese.

To begin with, I wasn’t allowed to eat anything on Friday. They finally brought me a sandwich just as I was to be transferred from Urgent Care to the hospital. It was turkey, lettuce and tomato on wheat bread. Unfortunately, the tomato slices had been placed next to the bread, so it was a soggy mess. Hungry as I was, I barely managed to eat half, if that.

On Saturday, I was again not allowed to eat in case they decided to put something down my throat. It was late afternoon when I was finally allowed to order food. Breakfast menu was no an option, which I would have preferred, so I ordered a salad and a toasted cheese sandwich. I did not order salad again because it tasted terrible and the toasted cheese was barely warm. I did order the toasted cheese once more to go with tomato bisque which wasn’t terrible, but did not in any way, shape or form equal what I make myself at home.

Breakfast wasn’t bad when I was allowed to have it. I usually had cheerios or hot oatmeal with milk or yogurt and peanut butter toast. That was palatable, but I dreaded lunch and dinner, because no matter what I ordered, it wasn’t very good. In most cases, I ate what they brought, but the thought of a juicy hamburger (the hospital one was extremely dry and flavorless), slice of pizza, or anything else from outside sounded delicious.

Since coming home, I’ve made my own tomato soup and toasted cheese, had a small round of softened brie with crackers and ordered Mexican food yesterday when I went out shopping. Today I’m going to make some spaghetti sauce and have that with a fresh salad for dinner.

So, another reason to avoid hospitalization, and perhaps another way the hospital encourages its patients to return home to their own cooking as soon as possible.