Children's Hospital - Boston

So recently we have had to go to Children's Hospital in Boston.  This is an awesome place, but it does give me some concerns.  The doctors and nurses are the best in the world, offering unparalleled care. The hospital itself has undergone some renovations to make its services up to date.

That is where the concerns come in.  The cafeteria has been turned into a food court.  Yes, a food court like at the mall.  There was nothing available for a person with food sensitivities.  At best there was a salad station, but it was not a salad bar, gross as they are, but a manned salad station.  The salad station was closed for the day at least since there seems to be limited services on weekends.  The Subway sandwiches or Pizzeria Regina offered nothing for gluten sensitives.  When I mentioned this situation to the cashier I was informed I could speak to the manager, he was aware and mentioned it but was just a cashier so nothing was done.

The room service for food likewise does not have many options.  There is a note to mention if there are any food allergies, however, that is required of every restaurant in this state.  There is a gluten free menu in this hospital.  I have seen it.  When in the infusion center the wonderful nurses there presented one.  So this place can do it.

The most disturbing event was speaking with the nutrition department.  When I expressed concerns about gluten in a diet and a sensitivity to dairy I was advised that a gluten sensitive diet can be introduced later.  At the moment ensuring more nutrition was absorbed was better.  There was no real validation of my concerns or attempts to accommodate them in a comprehensive diet.  The main focus seems to be on medication.  Since the overall picture involves digestion a more comprehensive approach seems more appropriate.

For the center of medicine and research for the care of children I would think this hospital would be much more aware of how nutrition affects children.  But because there were no blood markers for Celiac's there is no concern what so ever about diet.  It is all black and white, when we just don't live in that kind of world.  There is good food here, but in this case, while it is not making things worse it may not be contributing to a long term recovery.  And full remission needs to be for the whole person, not just what the medicine treats.

Thank you to Children's Hospital - Boston for all the amazing care they provide.  The attention and treatment heals so many ill children from around the globe.  The doctors, nurses, and staff do incredible work.  It is a shame it seems they are slipping in this one area.

At Children's Hospital

It is so easy to complain about life.  Things happen, others do not understand, can't find what I need and whatever else might happen.  And for those with food allergies/sensitivities there is a lot to complain about.  However, to encourage a greater general understanding its better to give credit where credit is due.  That's this post.

Had to go to #ChildrensHospital in Boston yesterday.  Got there mid-morning so it was time to get a little something to eat.  Children's Hospital Boston is still undergoing major renovations, just putting that out there first.  The renovations made their cafeteria move to a much smaller location in the building, still painted on the wall it clearly said Open, Breakfast 7 - 11.  Some of the staff working in the caf may not have read that.  We went up to the grill area to try and get some eggs and bacon.  There is NOTHING gluten free in the pop up cafe.  Even the ready made salads are marked with wheat as an allergen.  Eggs and bacon seemed a good option despite a cross contamination risk from a shared grill.  Well, that was the thought.  Behind the glass were trays of possibly yet-to-be-cooked ready made breakfast sandwiches stacked on top of each other and a person saying "No eggs, we are closed. I can give you sandwiches."  Pointing out the hours made no difference as they were closed for renovation.

Now, the hospital does have an Au Bon Pain there.  That restaurant is not very #glutenfree but is getting better.  The last time there was nothing to eat, now there are some salads, brownies, and the occasional soup.  What really was helpful was that I was able to order a bacon and egg bagel without the bagel.  The person was very helpful and I was charged not for a full sandwich but for extra sides of bacon and eggs.  My child was able to eat before our appointment.

The part that really deserves accolades was the hospital food services, not the caf.  The appointments would take several hours.  When we were at our final stop the very friendly nurses said we could order food.  And the place had a Gluten Free Menu!!!!

My child got to eat food good for him in the hospital.  That was a huge improvement from the last time we were there.  Children's should be commended for making this change.  Just to be thorough I will point out that the chicken nuggets were not a big hit, but tasting them there was a faint fish taste so they may have been cooked with other stuff.  I assume it was all gluten free.

Having gluten free menus is a great thing for hospitals, and recognizes that food people eat greatly affects their health and well being.  It's not all about pills and potions.  Thank you Children's Hospital Boston for making this needed change.