1. < Transplants

Your best tips for raw food safety post transplant.

Posted by jolinda @jolinda, Aug 3, 2019

Does anyone have good guidelines for eating raw food post transplant. I am specifically interested if anyone remembers the things you were taught about raw fruits and veggies. As an example I was told it is ok to eat prewashed lettuce if you rewash it or that fruit with bumpy skin, like cantaloupe can't be washed well enough to avoid contaminating the fruit when cutting through it.

MODERATOR'S NOTE
The knowledge exchange shared in this discussion helped to create this article written for the Mayo Clinic app. Knowledge for patients by patients and beyond Mayo Clinic Connect.

– How to safely enjoy fruits and veggies after a transplant https://www.mayoclinic.org/CPT-20514171

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.

estrada53 | @estrada53 | Aug 11, 2019

You can buy Norwex online - amazon - or their website. It actually is NORWEX. I received this particular cloth from a friend who sells these products at parties, like the old Tupperware events. I have other cleaning cloths from Norwex as well.

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Aug 11, 2019

Thanks, @estrada53 I just went to Amazon and added it to my cart. I will include it with my next order. I have ordered two times from there in the last two days! I really hate not patronizing local stores but sometimes it's just not possible, and often the prices on Amazon are significantly better.
JK

REPLY
jolinda | @jolinda | Aug 16, 2019
In reply to @genocurt "Hi Jolinda, during our last meeting with the ID specialist, we were told we could eat..." + (show)
@genocurt

Hi Jolinda, during our last meeting with the ID specialist, we were told we could eat any berries SO LONG as we clean them well by a 1-2 minute cold water wash. We specifically asked about using vinegar and she said it was not necessary. I hope this helps.
On another note, we were told by a transplant patient that she makes everyone take their shoes off when they enter her house. Has anyone heard this advice from a transplant team staff? As we said in a previous post, we want to follow evidence-based practices and not hearsay.
Thanks.

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@genocurt
When you say, "As we said in a previous post, we want to follow evidence-based practices and not hearsay.", it kind of implies that the rest of us are in the "hearsay" category, which is unfair. Ideas like a vinegar rinse or specialized cleaning cloth seem like great ideas and based in logic (even though they aren't accompanied by a double-blind study). I have followed what my medical team has told me to the letter and I think most people here do the same. I want us to have an open community where we can share our best practices.
I remember many things being "bad choice" examples like fresh pineapple and cantaloupe were mentioned as unsafe because there was no way to clean the textured, pourous skin without cutting potential bacteria into them. Berries are tricky to clean, great ideas were provided.

REPLY
1 reply
genocurt | @genocurt | Aug 16, 2019

We did not mean to offend anyone. We were just bombarded with information/misinformation in the house where we stayed and somehow in a support group. We want to make sure that we follow instructions provided by the medical team/nutritionist/infectious disease specialist so that the practices we follow are supported by a medical team. Like you, we thought it was a good idea to buy the cleaning cloth, but we cannot endorse that product based on science. We were told several times by our medical team that my husband could eat cantaloupe and watermelon so long as we scrub the surface very well. They told us not to buy fruits that have been cut in the store, though. We enjoy reading the posts in this community, but we will continue to ask if a particular practice has been recommended by a medical provider.

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2 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Aug 17, 2019
In reply to @genocurt "We did not mean to offend anyone. We were just bombarded with information/misinformation in the house..." + (show)
@genocurt

We did not mean to offend anyone. We were just bombarded with information/misinformation in the house where we stayed and somehow in a support group. We want to make sure that we follow instructions provided by the medical team/nutritionist/infectious disease specialist so that the practices we follow are supported by a medical team. Like you, we thought it was a good idea to buy the cleaning cloth, but we cannot endorse that product based on science. We were told several times by our medical team that my husband could eat cantaloupe and watermelon so long as we scrub the surface very well. They told us not to buy fruits that have been cut in the store, though. We enjoy reading the posts in this community, but we will continue to ask if a particular practice has been recommended by a medical provider.

Jump to this post

Hi, @genocurt. I want to express my belated welcome to Connect. I also want to say congratulations to you and your husband as you celebrate your 3rd month with his lung transplant! I have a liver and kidney (simultaneous tranplant) and am 10 years post transplant.

You have brought up a very interesting and important topic about seeking out practices that are supported by a (your) medical team. As I have listened and observed from other transplant patients over my years as a recipient, I have learned that each individual, each organ, and each doctor/transplant facility has some unique variations on what is required. I want to encourage you to continue to ask questions, and to share your experience here on Connect. I enjoy your point of view and experience because you are in a unique position of speaking as a lung recipient.

I have located some more discussiont that I want to share with you:
- TransplantsLung Transplant Selection
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lung-transplant-selection/
- What can I Expect for my Lung Transplant Review?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lung-transplant/
- Browse Connect pages for newsfeed posts from Mayo Clinic experts. You'll also find useful resources and information.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/pages/
Are you and husband home now? How can I help you to adjust to your new life? I am here for any and all questions.

REPLY
1 reply
genocurt | @genocurt | Aug 17, 2019
In reply to @rosemarya "Hi, @genocurt. I want to express my belated welcome to Connect. I also want to say..." + (show)
@rosemarya

Hi, @genocurt. I want to express my belated welcome to Connect. I also want to say congratulations to you and your husband as you celebrate your 3rd month with his lung transplant! I have a liver and kidney (simultaneous tranplant) and am 10 years post transplant.

You have brought up a very interesting and important topic about seeking out practices that are supported by a (your) medical team. As I have listened and observed from other transplant patients over my years as a recipient, I have learned that each individual, each organ, and each doctor/transplant facility has some unique variations on what is required. I want to encourage you to continue to ask questions, and to share your experience here on Connect. I enjoy your point of view and experience because you are in a unique position of speaking as a lung recipient.

I have located some more discussiont that I want to share with you:
- TransplantsLung Transplant Selection
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lung-transplant-selection/
- What can I Expect for my Lung Transplant Review?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lung-transplant/
- Browse Connect pages for newsfeed posts from Mayo Clinic experts. You'll also find useful resources and information.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/pages/
Are you and husband home now? How can I help you to adjust to your new life? I am here for any and all questions.

Jump to this post

Hello Rosemary, thanks for the welcoming message. Yes, we are finally home after spending 3 months in Jacksonville. Adjusting to the "new normal" will take some getting used to, but I think we are coping well. As for many people in this group, preparing food can sometimes be a challenge as we are learning the dos and don'ts of food preparation. We have not been out to eat yet, and I am very careful about what I fix at home. We are also very aware of the environment and its pollutants.
As we said in a previous post, we enjoy reading the posts and participating in this community.

REPLY
2 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Aug 17, 2019
In reply to @genocurt "Hello Rosemary, thanks for the welcoming message. Yes, we are finally home after spending 3 months..." + (show)
@genocurt

Hello Rosemary, thanks for the welcoming message. Yes, we are finally home after spending 3 months in Jacksonville. Adjusting to the "new normal" will take some getting used to, but I think we are coping well. As for many people in this group, preparing food can sometimes be a challenge as we are learning the dos and don'ts of food preparation. We have not been out to eat yet, and I am very careful about what I fix at home. We are also very aware of the environment and its pollutants.
As we said in a previous post, we enjoy reading the posts and participating in this community.

Jump to this post

@genocurt,
Being home IS wonderful! We were away from home at Mayo Rochester for 3 months. There is really no reason to go anywhere at all, except for labs, and those are so-o-o tiring in the beginning, aren't they? As a lung recipient, your husband probably wears a mask, which I didn't have to do.
Are you comfortable to run errands and leave him alone?
I recommend naps as required. We scheduled noon - 3:00 as daily quiet times.
Here is feature that I am especially proud of. I think can see that many of us share how we have adjusted to being at home.

-Top Transplant Hacks: Patients Share Their Best Tips and Tricks
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/transplant/newsfeed-post/top-transplant-hacks-patients-share-their-best-tips-and-tricks/

REPLY
gaylea1 | @gaylea1 | Aug 18, 2019
In reply to @jolinda "@genocurt When you say, "As we said in a previous post, we want to follow evidence-based..." + (show)
@jolinda

@genocurt
When you say, "As we said in a previous post, we want to follow evidence-based practices and not hearsay.", it kind of implies that the rest of us are in the "hearsay" category, which is unfair. Ideas like a vinegar rinse or specialized cleaning cloth seem like great ideas and based in logic (even though they aren't accompanied by a double-blind study). I have followed what my medical team has told me to the letter and I think most people here do the same. I want us to have an open community where we can share our best practices.
I remember many things being "bad choice" examples like fresh pineapple and cantaloupe were mentioned as unsafe because there was no way to clean the textured, pourous skin without cutting potential bacteria into them. Berries are tricky to clean, great ideas were provided.

Jump to this post

@melinda I fail to see the reason why cantaloupe (or any melon) and pineapple should prove unhealthy. I cut the flesh away from the rind. None of that touches my lips or is ingested. The same with bananas I don't eat the peel. Am I missing something?

REPLY
2 replies
JK | @contentandwell | Aug 18, 2019
In reply to @gaylea1 "@melinda I fail to see the reason why cantaloupe (or any melon) and pineapple should prove..." + (show)
@gaylea1

@melinda I fail to see the reason why cantaloupe (or any melon) and pineapple should prove unhealthy. I cut the flesh away from the rind. None of that touches my lips or is ingested. The same with bananas I don't eat the peel. Am I missing something?

Jump to this post

@gaylea1 I think the problem is that when you cut a melon open, if there is anything bacterial on the skin the knife can carry that through to the meat of the melon. With bananas, you are just peeling, not cutting through the peel.
JK

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