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Food On the Nuclear Medicine Ward

This may be hard to believe, but for most American patients, the biggest challenge of doing the PRRT is the food served in the Nuclear Medicine Ward. This is not because the food is bad, but it is just that the American diet is different. Meals on the ward usually consist of different versions of German cold cut meats, cheeses and breads/rolls for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There is an English version of a menu that is given to each patient, allowing the patient to choose items for each meal. Originally this was only in German. The only problem is that for many of the food items there is no English (read American) translation for the food. So, in many cases, the patient does not really know what he or she will be getting when they order their next meal.

There are ways around this situation. If the patient has a spouse or significant other who is willing to get food (Take-Out) from the nearby Station 33 restaurant or the small café in the lobby and bring it to the Nuclear Medicine Ward, they can have a more varied diet. Some food items can be purchased at the mini-market too, but usually this consists of snack items. Staff members on the ward will take food to patients if they are delivered to the Ward door. If asked nicely, staff members have been known to heat food in a microwave that is located on the Ward.

There is also an abundance of hot water available - bringing instant soups, oatmeal as well as meal replacement bars can help.

Patients must remember that they will not be allowed out of the ward for 48 hours once treatment has begun, so plan accordingly.


Shopping For Food and Drugstore Items

In Bad Berka: On the main street there is a small pharmacy store and across from the train station (which is a small outdoor shelter area) there is a super-market-like store with food and some drugstore items. There is also a supermarket type store located a short distance outside of Bad Berka on the main road to Weimar.

In Weimar: There are more options to choose from in Weimar. The stores there are larger and have a greater assortment of products than can be found in Bad Berka.

At the Zentralklinik:There are several different shops and services available in the lobby of the Zentralklinik. This includes a mini-mart, espresso bar, bookstore, florist, and a hair salon. The mini-mart is a good place to buy some drugstore items, snacks and non-mineral/still water for persons going throughout PRRT. Listed below are the hours of these shops, including the Finance/Cashier office of the Zentralklinik.

Hours of Facilities at the Zentralklinik:

* Mini-Mart

     o Monday - Thursday 8 am - 6 pm

     o Friday 8am – 5 pm

     o Sunday 2 - 5 pm

* Espresso Bar (next to Mini-Mart)

     o Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 7 pm

     o Saturday and Sunday: 08:30 am- 7pm

* Bookstore/Newsstand

    o Monday - Friday 8am- 4pm

    o Saturday 1 - 4 pm

* Florist

    o Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

    o Saturday & Sunday 1 - 5 pm

* Salon Coiffeur/Hair Dresser

   o Monday – Friday 1pm – 6:30pm

* Salon Beautician

   o Monday to Wednesday 9am – 5pm

   o Thursday – Friday 9am – 7pm

* Finance/Cashier

   o Monday - Friday 7 am – 4:45pm

   o Saturday 9:45 am - 1:30 pm

   o Sunday 11 am - 4:30 pm


Dining in Bad Berka

Dining options in Bad Berka are limited.

• The food at the Hotel Am Goethebrunner is said to be good too.

• There is a small pizzeria on the main street in the village as well as a nearby Ice Cream Shoppe.

• The food at the Altes Brauhaus restaurant in the village is very good. They do have an English version menu, but you have to ask for it. The staff is friendly at the Altes Brauhaus and at least one of the waitresses speaks good English.

Dinning at the Zentralklinik

There is a restaurant located on the grounds of the Klinik called Station 33. The menu has lots of choices, but there is no English version. Sometimes the waiters can describe the dishes to you.

As noted above there is a small café in the lobby that does serve sandwiches, pastries and good coffee drinks.

* Espresso Bar (next to Mini-Mart)

      o Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 7 pm

      o Saturday and Sunday: 08:30 am- 7pm

 

Food for Delivery

  • Stadt StadtCafe-AZAD-BadBerka-HospitalDelivery-1Café AZAD Doener and Pizzeria
    Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Sunday and Holidays 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm
    99438 Bad Berka - Am Markt 5, Phone (03563) 30563, Cell (0160) 1717008
    Take away delivery is free within Bad Berka for orders costing 10 euro or more. If order is more than 20 euro you receive a free bottle of wine with delivery Also offered on the menu besides Pizza are the following: salads, Spaghetti, Tortellini, Rigatoni, Schnitzels, Doener, Soft Drinks + beers Prices from 3 euro to 8 euro

 

 

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Dining in Wiemar

There are a wide variety of restaurants in Weimar since the city is a tourist destination. You can find nearly all the main cuisines if you look around.

Cafe Residenz is the oldest coffee house in Weimar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Pizzerias Da' Antonio at Windischenstraße 33 has perhaps one of the best pizzas in Germany.


 

Medications

If a patient normally takes some type of prescription drug for a condition other than for the NET, then the patient should bring enough medication to last for the duration of their stay. Typically, all medications related to the PRRT are included in the fee for the treatment.

If the patient is using the Subq form of Octreotide up until the Saturday priot to PRRT, then the patient should bring that medication. It is also suggested that the patient bring some form of anti-nausea drug, such as Zofran, and possibly a pain relief medication that can be taken on the trip home, if needed. Any anti-nausea and pain medication needed as part of the PRRT will be part of the treatment plan. Some patients do experience nausea and/or pain following discharge, so both possibilities should be planned for.

Personal Items To Bring

If a patient uses a computer (and the Internet), then they should bring their computer. The same is true of other electronic entertainment gear such as iPods, iTouches, iPads or other MP3 type devices. Reading devices such as the Kindle or Nook are good to use too. Movies and music should be downloaded to devices before going to Germany and are a great way to pass time. Just remember to bring the charger and a plug converter. Some Apple chargers have interchangeable plugs that can be used in the US and in Germany and other countries as long as you have the appropriate plug.

Once the patient has the PRRT they will be confined to their room or to the Ward, so having something to pass the time will be good. Just plain books are good too. In addition to time spent on the ward there will be times too when the patient is waiting to take test/scans. Waiting for an hour or more for a scan is not uncommon, so having some form of entertainment can be helpful.

Digital Recorder

It is highly recommended that the patient bring a small, battery-operated digital recorder to Bad Berka. This recorder should be used to record the consultations with Dr. Baum or other physicians during the treatment process at Bad Berka. In fact, for NET patients, having a recording of all doctor-patient consults should be a standard practice. In the case of the consultations at Bad Berka, a great deal of detailed information is conveyed to the patient in a short amount of time. Usually a patient will meet with Dr. Baum at least twice during their stay. The first consultation usually follows the conclusion of the 68-Ga PET/CT scan. The second meeting is at the time of discharge when Dr. Baum reviews the preliminary outcome of the treatment.

Having a recording of what is said in these meetings ensures that the patient can refer to findings and physician instructions accurately. There are many such recorders on the market, but the patient may want to purchase one that allows for the recording to be transferred to a computer and maintained in a digital file. Some patients convert the recording to a format that allows them to place the recording on an iPod or other type of mp3 player and listen to the consultations that way.