Hospital Food Really Sucks

Today, I’m going to talk about a bit of a lighter subject: hospital food. Man, that Jello can be incredibly firm, almost like a slab of aged ham. Then there is the unidentifiable beef, covered in strange gravy, that smells precisely like death. And let’s not forget the tiny, eerie salad, with stale iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes that look like they were picked when John Steinbeck was writing The Grapes of Wrath.

The food that's given in the hospital

Surely, this can’t be the food they are supplying those with a gastrointestinal disease? The food that is supposed to help you recuperate and gain back a vanquished strength? Of course, you can’t expect Michelin Five Star cuisine, at a public hospital, but sometimes, the dearth of edible food, can really make you question whether they are actually trying to kill you?

Why are hospital gowns so uncomfortable?

Adding insult to injury, the threads in the hospital are just abominable. Why must we wear two blue crusty gowns, back to back, that make us look like ghosts wandering aimlessly in a haunted house? Again, I’m not expecting Hugo Boss to come in and fit me for a new, designer suit, but surely, given the exorbitant fees hospitals charge, they can do better than crusty, tattered gowns that belong in the Smithsonian!

Hospitals aren't great. Tips to make it better:

What I’m trying to suggest is, hospitals, quite frankly, aren’t always the best places. Sure, many of the nurses and doctors mean well, but, all that being said, these aren’t exactly the temples of healing you might expect. As a patient with Crohn’s disease, it is important to be aware of this and plan accordingly.

If possible, have your friends or family pick up some food that is more palpable. Ask if you can wear some of your own clothes so you feel more comfortable. And, perhaps, most importantly, when you don’t get clear answers from nurses, or something seems awry, don’t forget to advocate for yourself.

Crohn's is a variable condition and treatment differs

When you break a leg, you merely need to listen to your doctor. There are clear steps that take you need to follow to get healthy. Not so with Crohn’s disease. It is a variable condition, a condition that, frankly, every doctor has slightly different ideas about. Hence, while you can’t change the food—or the attire completely—you can be proactive about taking care of yourself.

Advocate and take care of yourself

In a hospital setting, when you’re sick, and particularly vulnerable, such as after an operation, this is even more important. Frankly, it can mean the difference between a positive health outcome and a very negative one. Not everything your doctors tell you will be right, so, in addition to all the above, always consider getting a second opinion.

It is by following the above guidance that I have avoided unnecessary surgeries and made the hospital stays more pleasant. No, I did not entirely avoid the hardened Jello...that’s sort of impossible. Nor did I completely avoid the ugly blue tattered robes (although I didn’t have to wear them every day). But, all in all, I left, after a week in the hospital, with my dignity intact. God forbid you end up in the hospital, I wish the same for all of you!

Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to comment!