"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 19 May 2011 15:07:28 -0700 (PDT), "
> > wrote:
>
>>On May 19, 7:01 am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
>>> " wrote:
>>> >I work in a deli department at a grocery store, and we have a really
>>> >nice guy who has been coming in for about 15 years. He is a Viet Nam
>>> >vet, in his 70s, very eccentric, and a bit paranoid. He's a super nice
>>> >guy who avoids hospitals and cars, won't accept social security, etc.
>>> >He has had two heart attacks in the past and refused to go to the
>>> >hospital.
>>>
>>> >He lives in a nearby motel and buses to work downtown every day. The
>>> >motel won't allow him to have a microwave, hot plate, etc, so he comes
>>> >by daily for dinner and tomorrow's lunch.
>>>
>>> >He's been feeling sick lately, very exhausted and breathing hard. His
>>> >boss finally insisted and hauled him to the doctor. His lungs were
>>> >retaining fluid. He has a water pill now, and they took several vials
>>> >of blood. He was told he needs to cut out the salt since his diet has
>>> >consisted of processed food every day for every meal. His legs are
>>> >swollen, and the lung issue is a bad sign.
>>>
>>> >So, I am trying to come up with some alternatives that he can eat as
>>> >he adjusts his daily diet. He normally eats a lot of sandwiches, corn
>>> >dogs, chicken strips, and chinese food.
>>>
>>> >In the past, we have done some adjustments to his food, such as adding
>>> >a can of veggies to some rice and an entree, and heating it up for
>>> >him. Or adding rice to soup. Stuff like that. We normally do not heat
>>> >non-deli food, but we make an exception for him.
>>>
>>> >Today, I fixed him some rice, with unsalted butter stirred in to
>>> >replace the gravy. And I had the cooks stir fry some veggies and
>>> >chicken without any sauce or seasonings. I also chopped it smaller as
>>> >I normally pick through the entrees for the smaller pieces as he only
>>> >has 4 teeth. I'm sure it was boring but better than nothing.
>>>
>>> >I am hoping for some suggestions that would keep him at a low salt
>>> >intake, especially while he gets this under control. I would love to
>>> >make a nice sauce that I could take and add to rice and a plain entree
>>> >to give it some flavor.
>>>
>>> >I can make something at home and heat it there if it is more
>>> >complicated that stuff we make at work. The chinese cooks can make
>>> >just about any entree I ask for as long as it only uses ingredients we
>>> >have already. Something like a sauce could be made at home and added
>>> >if it requires something else.
>>>
>>> >He has a problem chewing due to the teeth, so the only meat we can
>>> >cook for him is chicken, cut up small. Our beef and pork would be too
>>> >chewy. I could do something with ground beef at home. He is a bit
>>> >relunctant to accept food as a gift, but i think this is serious
>>> >enough that he would accept me cooking it if he paid for it. He does
>>> >not accept handouts. He protests every year about me giving him a
>>> >Christmas dinner (but he does accept it ).
>>>
>>> >Sandwich meats are out since they are so high in salt. He loves
>>> >sandwiches though, so a good alternative would be awesome. I can make
>>> >hot and cold sandwiches, so I am open to any suggestions. He's not
>>> >very picky about food, other than the ability to chew it, so that's
>>> >good. He likes most fruits and veggies. Spicy is fine.
>>>
>>> >He goes back to the doctor again today and a coworker is taking him
>>> >(so that she can help him ask the right questions and write down the
>>> >answers). So hopefully, I will have a better idea of diet restrictions
>>> >and what his ideal daily salt intake will be.
>>>
>>> >He is a really super guy, so I am hoping to keep him around for a long
>>> >time to come. He can cheer me up on a bad day, and he is always
>>> >entertaining. He goes to Reno every year for Thanksgiving, and I
>>> >really miss his daily visits. These days, I worry anytime he misses a
>>> >day.
>>>
>>> He obviously has medical issues that you haven't a clue about. You
>>> need to mind your own business, you're not his doctor, his dietician,
>>> his mother, or his priest... you're a deli clerk, you can't be
>>> dispensing medical advice to customers. You can lose your job, be
>>> sued... your employer can be sued. You'd best not serve anyone
>>> "special diets", if there's some adverse reaction and/or he dies due
>>> to your practicing medicine as a deli clerk you can be criminally
>>> charged, and should be.
>>
>>So I should keep making him sandwiches with highly salted meat even
>>though he is asking me for low salt food?
>
> Serve whatever he asks for from the regular menu, like any otherf
> customer. Anyone who should be curtailing their salt shouldn't be
> eating from any deli, but what any customer eats is none of your
> business. And you don't know what he eats elsewhere, for all you know
> his pantry is chock full of chips n' dips, pepperoni, cheese up the
> kazoos. Deli food is by far the most unhealthful crap there is. Were
> you truly caring you'd send him over to the produce and fresh meat
> departments... but instead you lure him to eat deli crap. You can go
> to his abode and cook for him as a friend and/or invite him to your
> abode for dinner... but it's highly unethical to involve your
> professional life on the job with his medical needs, in other words
> don't shit where you eat, even a cat knows that.

She said he lives in a motel and has no microwave. Not sure if he has a
fridge or not. And he has only 4 teeth.