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Hospital Food

liuzhou

By liuzhou
in Food Traditions & Culture

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Before I end up on the missing members' list, I should report that I am on the back-in-hospital list. While this is obviously not a good thing, it has some benefits.

 

This is my third stay in hospital in nine months but this time I had the choice of which establishment to grace with my broken body. I chose the city's largest non-TCM hospital rather than the TCM place I used before.

 

Within an hour of arriving at this hospital they had diagnosed what the TCM had missed and therefore left me suffering for nine months.

 

Now I'm being treated with good, healthy drugs and painkillers instead of witches' brews and tiger penis soup.

 

For the technically minded or just the purient, I am suffering from a previously undetected compression fracture probably caused by a fall in September last year and which erupted in excruciating pain yesterday.

 

I feel better already just from finally knowing what the problem is rather than having to make increasingly ridiculous and ever more terrifying guesses.

 

Two main problems remain now.

 

First  a near total lack of internet. This hospital doesn't have wi-fi so I'm reduced to my cell phone which sadly has no  VPN to get me past China's insane censorship.

 

In addition to a lack of internet, there is a lack of food. The choices for lunch and dinner is limited to two set meals at each. The 14元 meal or the 17元 meal. There is no indication what these may be until they turn up at your bedside. Breakfast is slightly better with a choice of buns, rice porridge (congee) or noodles.

 

Here is my 14元 meal tonight. 茄子肉末 🍆, eggplant with minced pork; 莴笋肉片, celtuce with sliced pork; stir fried cabbage and a ton of rice. It wasn't bad but could have been better seasoned - as ever

 

IMG_20230622_184635.thumb.jpg.7a92370f8bfa6451b1aefbfb031249de.jpg

 

Not only is my meal choice sparse, so may be my posts here for the immediate future but don't give up on me yet. 

 

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted

It's good to have answers, however unpalatable they may be (not to mention the food).

  • Like 1

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

"My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool; it gives me all the world and exiles me from it." Ursula K. Le Guin

Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted

Why is it that as we get older the good news always has to come with bad. I'm hoping that now that you have the diagnosis, it's something that they can fix and you can get back to your normal life. A little bad food would be worth it just to get your life back. I hope you're back on your feet soon with no more pain.

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Yvonne Shannon

San Joaquin, Costa Rica

A member since 2017 and still loving it!

Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted

You have been on my mind since your first admission to hospital. I am glad they are finally getting to the cause of your disability and pain. 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I feel better already just from finally knowing what the problem is rather than having to make increasingly ridiculous and ever more terrifying guesses.

 

I'm sorry you are back in the hospital but am so glad that you're feeling positive about the care you're receiving this time around.  Wishing you continued improvement even if it comes at the cost of some under seasoned food for a while.  It looks nutritious, at least. 

  • Like 1
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kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted

Sorry you're back in the hospital but glad you've gotten a definitive diagnosis and are hopefully en route to improvement.

 

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Before I end up on the missing members' list, I should report that I am on the back-in-hospital list. While this is obviously not a good thing, it has some benefits.

 

This is my third stay in hospital in nine months but this time I had the choice of which establishment to grace with my broken body. I chose the city's largest non-TCM hospital rather than the TCM place I used before.

 

Within an hour of arriving at this hospital they had diagnosed what the TCM had missed and therefore left me suffering for nine months.

 

Now I'm being treated with good, healthy drugs and painkillers instead of witches' brews and tiger penis soup.

 

For the technically minded or just the purient, I am suffering from a previously undetected compression fracture probably caused by a fall in September last year and which erupted in excruciating pain yesterday.

 

I feel better already just from finally knowing what the problem is rather than having to make increasingly ridiculous and ever more terrifying guesses.

 

Two main problems remain now.

 

First  a near total lack of internet. This hospital doesn't have wi-fi so I'm reduced to my cell phone which sadly has no  VPN to get me past China's insane censorship.

 

In addition to a lack of internet, there is a lack of food. The choices for lunch and dinner is limited to two set meals at each. The 14元 meal or the 17元 meal. There is no indication what these may be until they turn up at your bedside. Breakfast is slightly better with a choice of buns, rice porridge (congee) or noodles.

 

Here is my 14元 meal tonight. 茄子肉末 🍆, eggplant with minced pork; 莴笋肉片, celtuce with sliced pork; stir fried cabbage and a ton of rice. It wasn't bad but could have been better seasoned - as ever

 

IMG_20230622_184635.thumb.jpg.7a92370f8bfa6451b1aefbfb031249de.jpg

 

Not only is my meal choice sparse, so may be my posts here for the immediate future but don't give up on me yet. 

 

I am so happy to hear that you're finally in a place that has a possibility of a proper diagnosis and treatment.  Hopefully the stay will be short and the treatment will be long lasting so you can get back to your normal life soon!!!

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Shelby said:

I hate to hear this, but so glad you're finally diagnosed--and no more penis soup!

Ditto. May your stay be short.

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Another day. Another round of needles and probes. Another lunch. Another 14元.

 

IMG_20230623_120810.thumb.jpg.f734c7adf543e92d98376660496f3f46.jpg

 

Pork with carrots. Pork with some kind of squash. Bok Choy.

 

This duplication of pork dishes seems to be a feature. Minced with the carrots; sliced with the squash, today. Other features are the three vegetables and excessive (to me) mound of low quality rice.

 

Can't wait to see if the pattern is repeated at dinner. Probably.

 

  • Like 6

...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

... then I found out.

 

Pork ribs with lotus root and shiitake; pork slices with luffa; cabbage and rice. Same pattern. The lotus root was severely undercooked. 17元.

 

IMG_20230623_193904.thumb.jpg.422e445970284b38639db77d373d8da8.jpg

 

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

"No amount of evidence will ever persuade an idiot"
Mark Twain
 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

  • 1 month later...
Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:

I guess the price of free health care in Canada is no choices for hospital food. Never saw a menu and waiting each meal was kind of a "how bad can this be?' waiting game. I had not one memorable meal and quickly came to rely on protein bars, fruit and whatever family and visitors brought for me.

Well, I certainly appreciated the food, but I'd trade universal healthcare for a menu any day.  I know your system isn't perfect, but ours is shameful.  

  • Like 2
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Kim

Kim's Cookbook

What Fresh Hell is This?

FauxPas

FauxPas

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, MaryIsobel said:

I guess the price of free health care in Canada is no choices for hospital food. Never saw a menu and waiting each meal was kind of a "how bad can this be?' waiting game. I had not one memorable meal and quickly came to rely on protein bars, fruit and whatever family and visitors brought for me.

 

I'm pretty sure there is a lot of variation across the country. Here in BC, it does depend on region and size of hospital. Vancouver General (as of a couple of years ago) gives a menu each morning so patients can order the next day's meals. 

 

Many BC hospitals were contracting food services out but are switching back to in-house workers. That began here on the Island and I am pretty sure our local hospital and the one at Campbell River both have in-house staff for meals now. I have been told that increased quality and choice of meals, but haven't had to try it out myself.  🙂

 

Edited to add: 

 

This, from St. Paul's Hospital, also in Vancouver:

MEALS

Patient meals are served at these times:

  • Breakfast: 7.45 a.m. to 9.15 a.m.
  • Lunch: 12 noon to 1.15 p.m.
  • Dinner: 4.45 p.m. to 6.15 p.m.

Each day breakfast menus are provided for patients to select the following day’s meals. This menu is based on the diet prescribed by your doctor. If your doctor has prescribed a special diet for you, a dietitian will visit you as soon as possible. The dietitian will talk to you about the food you should be eating while in hospital and when you go home.

Family members are allowed to bring favourite foods from home for their relatives. There is a patient fridge on most wards. Before bringing food from home, please check with the dietitian about any dietary restrictions you may have. Each ward stocks apple and orange drinks that are available from your nurse.

 

 

Edited by FauxPas (log)
  • Like 1
ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted

Speaking from personal experience, the observation area in the ER has a fridge, so if you are admitted to it, you can always get a free bite to eat.  

MaryIsobel

MaryIsobel

Posted
Posted

According to a nurses that I spoke to, our local hospital that I was in, which is nowhere near the size of VGH, used to have menus before Covid. Apparently the food comes from Edmonton now! It wasn't inedible, just very bland and unappealing and no choices were given. That being said, the care that I received from everyone was top notch!

  • Like 2
MetsFan5

MetsFan5

Posted
Posted (edited)

I had the same experience Kim had during a hospital stay 4 years ago. The food was honestly really good. 
 

ETA— the food at my local hospital has always been good from what I know. My mom was given a bottle of champagne and offered surf and turf when I was born (1980). 
 

 I volunteered there for a long time and the cafeteria was great then. The options are great to have, and the food is cooked in house. 
 

 The hospital center has a lot of national recognition which my parents have flat out said that’s why they want to stay in their home (they live about 2 miles away). 
 

 This photo, of a husband whose wife was in Morristown Medical Center during Covid went viral, and still gives me chills:

 


 

 

IMG_3050.jpeg

Edited by MetsFan5 (log)
  • Like 8
gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Well, I certainly appreciated the food, but I'd trade universal healthcare for a menu any day.  I know your system isn't perfect, but ours is shameful.  

Be careful what you wish for.

 

  • Like 2
  • 6 months later...
Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

Posted
Posted

Wow, what a dubious honor to be able to post experience in this thread. Now I realize how incredibly spoiled and privileged I am. Just got home yesterday afternoon from four nights in the hospital after fracturing my hip. So weird knowing I now have titanium body parts. Only because I haven't spent time in a hospital for many years, the food seems worse than ever, way worse than airline food, frankly. By the last day I figured out that the "choose your own omelet" wasn't bad and you could opt for actual fresh spinach. The steamed broccoli and carrots were real vegetables and were plain and not tampered with. We brought our own butter and salt and that was a tolerable option. Thursday chef's special was roast turkey breast and mashed potatoes. The turkey was actually not bad, plain, even moist and redolent of thanksgiving. The mash potatoes were inedible. My guess is they were reconstituted with water. No bread was even tolerable. The concept of toast escapes them. The pancakes were like slabs of recycled cardboard. All salad dressings were disgusting. Because they use minimal salt they overcompensate with dry herbs and spices. I know I haven't used canned beans in many years, but the black beans were indescribably bad.  The English Muffins were third tier something, served sort of warm but not actually toasted and were powdery and very very strange.

 

The menu was extensive and not appealing. They gave you a choice of fresh fruit cup or canned! You could order a cup of one kind of fresh fruit, and the grapes were good. The hospital insists you order three meals a day and encourages large amounts in every order. I ate less than half of anything. In other words my husband had plenty to eat. The crackers and cheeses from home saved my life and a friend brought me some excellent cookies.

 

I learned why so many people in America love oxycodone. The staff was amazing in every way, from doctors to janitors. I got a ride home in a gurney transport from two hilarious guys. Whatever they had been smoking I wish they would have offered me some. Their GPS on board was, of all things, a MAN who gave them insane directions to the house, but that was the highlight of the four days. The three of us were in stitches, the good kind. 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted

I'm very sorry about your broken hip, @Katie Meadow and happy you are home, complete with titanium body parts and sense of humor intact! 

Couldn't pick a single "reaction" emoji to encapsulate that so I had to post! 

  • Like 4
Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sorry indeed about your mishap and confounded by your horrible food.    Next time, and I hope there isn't one, opt for CPMC Van Ness in SF.    Truly outstanding food.   Order yourself from an extensive menu.  Delivered individually within 20 minutes.     Great orthopaedic care.  

Edited by Margaret Pilgrim (log)
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