Hospital food

I've always believed that you are what you eat. The root of good health lies in nutrition (as well as a dab of genetics of course). So food for me and j would be a major player in recovery, up there with the skills of the medical staff, the power of positive thinking, the support of family and friends. And patience. Time. This is what you need.

You know I'm a bit of a goal setter, well the nurses on Plastics are Olympians in this field. "I think we'll get you in the shower and wash your hair today" What? What about the knots? "I'll get the frame and you can have a walk about" I have 3 less abdominal muscles how can I stand straight? "The catheter comes out today so you'll be up and down to the toilet every hour, I'll just take your frame away". Subtle but deadly effective! Progress was 30-50% everyday according to J. I needed that push.

My chief Mr Motivator has been my beloved J. Saturday morning he's in with a spring in his step, shorts on, whistle round his neck (nah, no whistle! Ha). A Pak n Save bag full of food. "You gotta eat, you gotta feed the flap, that's what it needs". It was like a scene from the Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. We had our own little pod, the flap, that we were feeding so it would grow strong connections with the blood vessels around it. But to eat I had to swallow and I needed to work out what I could swallow and what might get stuck - swallowing has always been an issue (steady now, don't get naughty thoughts) due to the narrowing caused by the radiation/surgery. I choked on a tiny thyroxine tablet a few years back so only crush n eat tablets with yoghurt. Annoying as I'm the last to finish dinner and I avoid certain foods like steak, unless it's velvety liver-like smooth and thinly cut, but still a little pink. "How do you like your steak, madam?" Pull up a chair and take some notes! 

On the menu for Saturday was chocolate milk, that's all I could cope with. My mouth felt like a hundred ants covered in sand had been running around in it. The choc milk wasn't quite like the Lewis Creamery ones, it was a complete meal in itself and was less smooth, lighter, ok for one day but I was over it by the end of Saturday. I craved tomato soup. The cheapo creamy one from the tin. And I craved roast chicken dinner with mashed potato, mashed carrots and gravy. And what was on the hospital menu, puréed lasagne. Lasagne, puréed. The dirty ..... (Catherine Tate, ya gotta love her). They went to the effort of making the lasagne, you know, that's 3 different pots, the mince, the creamy cheesy sauce, the baking dish. Then they put it in a blender and pulped it. I dunno, there's something sinful about that whole concept. What the f*** would Nigella think? I am only too grateful for the free food and I know the costs and effort that go into the prep but its like if you ever get upgraded to Business class you realize that good food can be prepared on a plane. I think there's a challenge here for Jamie Oliver, make hospital food appetizing, stimulate the taste buds, cos simple food cooked and presented well is a major uplifter when you're in hospital. You'll wanna eat more, you'll recover quicker and be out of hospital sooner, saving the DHB maybe a nights accommodation. What do ya reckon Jamie? You up for it? 

So after 10 hours by my side my lovely J goes home to cook a chicken dinner which he brings in the next day and I devour as he tells me how he had to catch a live bird that Woody had brought home the night before! I love that man.