Hiya all.... I have been talking a lot with my hubby recently about the advice were given post transplant to only buy veg and fruit in pre packaging.... Well obviously with all that waste and the state of our planet 🌏 I am getting genuinely concerned about it now 😊
But I also couldn't buy loose now because other peoples hygiene standards make me sick and more so post... I think your eyes are opened more and I notice in public bathrooms and even in hospital and supermarkets how many people do not wash there hands 🤮🤮
It's something I going to bring up with the dietician when I go next to Leeds, but just wondering anyone else got a way around it??
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jojokarak
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I was never told that I should buy prepackaged fruit or vegetable. I have checked all the notes given and written down during my pre transplant educational and three is nothing mentioned? Thank you for raising this s d bringing it up. I'm actually quite p off with my transplant coordinators that this was never mentioned?
Oh wow I am very surprised it was drummed into me and only recently was asked was I still doing it.... But as I say I need to bring it up the only way around it at the moment I can think of is growing my own lol but it's not possible on everything
Where were you transplanted? It seems like hat different transplant coordinators and liver clinics have s number of different views on a large number of matters post transplant? It's a blooming minefield to navigate sometimes?
St James in Leeds... And it is a minefield sometimes... I do understand the packaging rule though I just tend to notice people's bad habits now and when I see people picking up every bloody item yuck... But the other thing is my husband works in the warehouse of a supermarket and well after the stuff he tells me there is not a bloody chance I would buy loose veg/fruit....
I read a story about a guy who worked in a tesco warehouse about six months ago and he ended up with liver failure because of rat piss on the cages they use to move the products about now that's just nasty
Well that's it only packaged for me from now on and I'll wash it again. So pleased you bought it up, thank you. Again, it shows what a valuable resource this forum is.
Maybe, and this is a total guess, if you live in a more rural area, the local produce is in satisfactory condition but the same quality is not available in urban areas?
Hi Boot, totally unrelated, but I got a notification of your reply to the medical records question. Unfortunately I could only read the first half, as when I hit "see post" button, it was not there, probably delivered to a parallel universe 😁😁😁
Hi Boots, It's happened quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. I have informed Trust1, and told Health Unlocked, the hosts about the problem. Here's hoping HU can get it sorted.
Hi i was told by dietitian at jimmys cudnt buy anything from deli counter or loose fruit and veg. I agree some people's hygiene is terrible I see may of them coming out of the toilets without washing hands and supermarkets with no gloves on while dealing with food. I suppose when u have ur transplant u are more careful. X
You certainly are more careful and observant x but like I say I would really like to reduce my waste production and with summer here I do eat a lot more fruit and veg
That's weird, I was never told anything like that. I buy loose fruit and veg where possible as not only is it better for the environment but I read somewhere plastic packaging is a breeding ground for bacteria. As long as you wash everything thoroughly, you should be ok. I'm still here 😉
Wasn't told that about vegetables. I was told don't have meat from the deli counter and get the prepacked stuff for that, but nothing about the veg. I usually get the fresh stuff and just wash it. But you'd probably do that anyway.
"Many studies have been conducted over the years to test the effectiveness of these cleaners. Researchers at the University of Maine tested three commercial washes and "found that distilled water was equally if not more effective in removing microbes such as bacteria and mold." The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meanwhile, also does not endorse these products, "because the safety of their residues has not been evaluated and their effectiveness has not been tested or standardized."
My husband's and father's alma mater did the study in 2017.
I'm not a liver patient but a dear one is, hence I am on this forum. However, I am a lung disease patient and I have been waiting for my transplant for twenty seven months😒. So as you can imagine I've had plenty of time to read and study food preparation post transplant. What I read often with post lung transplant patients and I assume this goes for all transplant peeps, is that deli foods including salads are a big no, no . Even the salad that is cut and packaged is off limits. In restaurants anything uncooked like fruit and salad too is not advisable. Salad cut and prepared at home is okay because we can make sure it is thoroughly cleaned. So if it were me, I would only buy a whole lettuce and not the cut version. Less plastic waste too! 😁 I hope you are otherwise doing well.
Your not allowed to buy the cut up version of lettuce anyway or bagged salad x but seems to be conflicting advice on everything from different hospitals.... To me now though it's more about being observant of others hygiene standards and they are no where near up to standard x
Do whatever you feel is best to protect yourself! And I suspect your transplant team knows you and your case better than "different hospitals" . So I would always stay in consultation with them. xx 😊👍
The bagged prepared salad that's definitely a big no no too much of a risk of a few bugs in that x
Best making your own up that's what I do and you can put what you want in it... I never ate the bagged salad before I was ill either it's too bloody sweaty x
Wow different hospital dieticians different rules I was told nothing regards fruit/veg prepackaged only cooked meat am now over a year post tx & have eaten an unbelievable amount of fruit from various supermarkets/market stalls and never had a problem,also was told first 6 months I was to be extra careful regards foods such as meats cooked rare(steak)and salad counters I know eat everything I did before transplant except the ones that effect medication🤔
Hi
The QEHB did not say anything about pre packed food only uncooked fish and meat also undercooked lamb, and of course the usual foods that effects the drugs.
I am eating lettuce from the garden and that is soaked in salt to kill any thing on it.
Goole seems to confirm this, and soaking in vinegar to kill most bacteria.
A good question that does not seem to have a definitive answer
I immediately thought of the huge fruit stall just outside the main doors of QEHB!!! Always looks so appealing!! Nowt ever mentioned to me!! Thanks for the heads up!!
Theres more bacteria on the door handle of a bathrooms exit you have to use AFTER you wash your hands than there is on a toilet seat!
The taps in a public toilet that you turn off AFTER using them are also highly infectious areas.
Air blowing hand driers put more bacteria on your hands than you washed off and are worse than any other type of hand drying.
I know that saying this is is contraversial but anyone with a compromised immunity is probably better off NOT washing their OWN bacteria off their hands when using a public toilet because using the taps, drier and door (with damp hands) adds far more new species than you washed off.
Tip
On way out use loo paper to open door then drop it.
Hi Jojo, Great Post 👍👍👍, you've certainly got us all thinking. I am not post tx, but you have got me thinking. I once bought a packet of mixed salad from Asda, and when opened, a huge, dazed Hornet crawled out, Good job I'm not a veggie 🤣🤣🤣. I checked the packet, and it was grown and packaged in Israel. I really freaked out. Mother nature pre-packages some of her produce, like banana's etc. I alway's peel everything I can, and hope cooking will kill any nasties on things I can't.
Only thing I can remember about packaging was NOT to buy/eat pre packed salads. The recent outbreak of listeria seems to bear this out. Was also told to buy fizzy not still water as it is slightly more acidic and will kill some bugs.
Having thought a bit more, was also told to peel fruit, avoid: raw meat and shellfish. Don't recall PT being told to use factor 50 sunscreen but after PTLD was told to use it. Maybe worth the various TP centres for all types of TP publishing common advice on the web.
I have hand sanitizer and factor 50 in bag always. I was never told about fruit and veg but defo no deli counter, shell fish or fresh, pasteurised milk for 3-6 months. I bet in the U.K. no one was told about milk!
I’ve found a partial solution as I’m growing some of my own veg. Well I’m not but I’ve given my veg patch to a friend in need from the food bank. I tell him what to plant, he does and we share the spoils. He’s picking his green beans and lettuce as we speak. Next week we’ll have tomatoes!
It’s apparent there’s so much confusion. Bagged veg makes little sense. Fruit and veg should be scrubbed with diluted white vinegar and dried with paper towel, including fruit, before you peel it. Veg which is cooked will be safe as heat kills bugs. Obvs no pre cut fruit.
Sealed packaged meats cannot be guaranteed to be bug free. The recent Listeria case would have done us all in.
Handwashing in public places, should be followed by drying with clean paper towels, which can then be used to open door and then discarded. Damp hands allow transmission of bugs. Wear gloves in winter and be worried about all handrails apart from old-fashioned brass rails, where copper has some antibacterial properties.
Hi there.the day that I wash fruit and veg in white vinegar is the day I’d just give in .just wash fruit and veg in water like people should be doing regardless of a transplant.we have enough does and don’ts as it is.careful hygiene is key.paul
I wasn’t being rude! I was just conveying sensible information that we should all follow wether we’ve had aTP or not .i wasn’t directing the post to any one individual in particular.It was to us all who are bombarded with do’s and dont’s about what we should be eating or wearing.paul
It’s always quite hard to read sentiments on any sort of text message. It’s because - as far as my limited knowledge goes - you can’t see facial expressions and you can’t hear voice intonations both of which can be/are such an aid to understanding what the other person is trying to say...
We were never told to buy pre packaged and to be honest if it is washed and cooked fully and correctly any bugs will be removed or killed, but i do fully agree with you that people are dirty and do not give a f*** about other people
In a quiz recently a question came up, what percentage men wash their hands after going to the toilet, 10% 20% or 40%? Answer was 10% and being a man I know this is true.
Wow this has really enlightened me, I wasn't told anything about lose fruit and veg or salads. I even heard someone say we couldn't eat the jacket on jacket potatoes. None of this information was given to me at QEHB, it's really freaking me out.
This thread only just reached me this morning which I found your threads quite interesting to read.
. I agree hygiene across the whole food sector is concerning! However how many of you have thought about hygiene within your own homes? The kitchen area for instant! It's a scary area! You'd be amazed what grows on your kitchen worktops, choppin boards, dish clothes are a prime culprit! tea towels another! When I was 11 years old i did an experiment in domestic science on a once used discloth . The cloth was used to wipe down a clean work surface then rinsed a put into a sterile bag then taken to the school lab for testing ! You would be totally disgusted at what grew on that cloth only after a few days ! Errrrr!
All I'm saying is, think about your homes as we all may wash our hands abd think our kitchens bathrooms are clean area, but most kitchens/home areas are a delightful for growing bacteria! too! Think about the utentiles and clothes you use ??? Everything around us is not sterile including my home ! I do however have a thing about disclothes!
Rug rats are wonderful at not washing there hands too and spreading un hygienic fingers around your home and onto your clothes 🤣🤣🤣🤣! So just think about that packaged salad being opened possibly onto an un sterile environment which is hilarious to think about !
I'm shutting up now as this subject is an open mine field to me !
Note! I'm NOT a clean freak and never will be 🤣🤣 ....
So hopefully I've given you all something to think about other than my Sky Dive 😂😂😂😂
Rock Chick signing off ! All have a pleasant day! 😘
jojokarak, I haven't heard that advice but even packaged food needs to be picked and packed by hands that have possibly had few chances to be washed all day, but had chance to be in all sorts of places you wouldn't want to touch food. I wash everything and lately squeeze lemon juice on any fruit and veg (other than lemons! ) that I will eat raw. It is really hard to eat clean and safe! I agree with you, people are not aware of the contamination risks they take, and make, for others. In hospitals, I have often seen staff refilling their own water bottles from the dispenser, touching the neck of their bottle against the tap. Ugh! Go for a coffee instead and see the barista rubbing the milk-froth pipe with a j-cloth ALL DAY! I never touch anything if i can avoid in washrooms! I keep my backpack on so it doesn't have to be hung up or put on floor or contact anything! When I've washed my hands, i never use air dryers, and stay well back from these bug hatchers, take my own paper napkins for hand drying, in case no paper towels. I use one to dry my hands, and a second to open the door with AND BIN IT ASAP without touching it where it held the door. I don't care in the least what anyone thinks about what may seem obsessive. I haven't had tx, but low immunity after chemorad.
It helps to have a plan, then you don't worry so much knowing that you are aware and looking to protect yourself as best you can.
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i should add that I'm pleased to operate the flush with my foot, and I hope to get strong enough again to squat, not sit!!!!!
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