The Food No-Nos

My SCT handbook has post-transplant activity and nutrition guidelines ("Neutropenic Diet for Autologus Patients After Discharge"). Supernurse G said they're not carved in stone, just suggestions, but honestly... why go through all this and then take any unnecessary changes?

Among the food NoNos:

• Any unpasteurized or raw cheese, milk or yogurt products; cheese that contains chili peppers or other uncooked vegetables; cheese with mold (Bleu, Stilton, gorgonzola, etc.); sharp cheddar, brie, camembert, feta
• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, game, tofu or eggs; meats and cold cuts from delicatessens; hard cured salami; cold smoked salmon or lox; pickled fish; tempe or tempe products; all miso products
• Unroasted raw nuts; roasted nuts in the shell; unwashed raw fruits; unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juices
• Unwashed raw vegetables or herbs; raw vegetable sprouts; raw mushrooms; salads from delis; refrigerator-case commercial salsas
• Raw grain products (I don't think I even know what these are); patients should not make mix or knead any product containing yeast
• Well water (unless tested yearly and found to be free of coliforms); cold-brewed tea
• Unrefrigerated cream-filled pastry products
• Fresh salad dressings containing aged cheese (Bleu, Roquefort, etc.) or raw eggs
• Raw or non-treated honey or honey in the comb; herbal and nutrient supplement preparations; brewer's yeast, if uncooked

It is also suggested patients who don't have a dishwasher rinse cleaned dishes with 1/2 ounce chlorine leach per 1 gallon of hot rinse water, and allow dishes to air dry.

So far, I've done pretty well. I've blown it with the cheese: I've had both hot pepper jack cheese and brie. This is a quality of life issue; I don't want to live in a world without brie.