Day+2 Or Really..... You don't Wash the Lettuce!

Maybe I am guilty of not washing the lettuce all the time.  My dad, old Doctor Lanham, never thought we ate enough dirt, that being said. We are in the era of NO IMMUNE SYSTEM.

In this point in time she does not have a suppressed system, she has no system.  8 doses of radiation, 5 doses of chemo therapy and wala... dead bone marrow.  No cells in her body to fight infection.  No amount of infection will be tackled by weird small white cells that have the bane of my existence. 

So they gave us new rules.  Food  hot,  Food Cold,  Food scrubbed and washed.  No raw or undercooked meat, seafood or eggs.  No pickled stuff, no boxed lettuce from a store.  No sliced cheeses or meats.  No raw nuts. Nothing left out for more than 2 hours or if with mayo, 1 hour.  No food out of the fridge that is more than 48 hours old.  No raw honey, no unpasteurized milk or tofu.  No Miso.  No blue cheese. No catchup from bottles on the table. On and on. 

So I have been worried about the temperature of the food here for a long time.  I was told that a tray could sit 40 minutes before it was delivered to the patient. I had sort of solved that by ordering at odd times so it was hot.  Then I looked a the salad served to her and wondered.

So I asked the Bone Marrow Nutritionist if the kitchen was aware that our kids (Bone Marrow) kids had a different more strict diet that included things like washed lettuce.   

I told her why I was concerned and boy.... we had a meeting by 1:00 pm. yesterday and by 2:30, Chef Walter and his gang got the news that they were going to be washing all that lovely lettuce. 

It is not all bad and dangerous and scary. Cami continues to make great smoothies and Karen keeps raiding the catering kitchen for things that teenagers and young adults like to eat. Kettle corn appears and ginger snaps did until they began to hurt her mouth. Good things are happening and we so so love and appreciate it.

I love how much the dietary staff works to make sure that the kids get what they want.  The people that see how sick kids are and how little they eat and how much better they do when they are given food they like, it really makes a difference. 

I am dreaming of Panni Makers, and lettuce spinners and.......... and hot baked cookies and birthday cakes and whole wheat buns and home made soup and............