Hi! We, like you have lived many different places. I am guessing you have experienced many different clinics/hospitals. I did notice you said you are only in every 10 yrs or so. Good for you! Back to the issue... My girls have been in hospitals in AZ, TX, OH, NE, CA, & NL (the Netherlands). Every hospital we have been to from children's to university they have all allowed us to bring food in. All had access to refrigerators and one, Dayton Children's, actually had a small dorm style fridge in CF patient rooms. That was the BEST, having a fridge in your room! When my oldest, Anna, went off to college and was admitted. (super long story there), I would call up one of those waiters on wheels kinda places and place an order for her every couple of days. They would deliver right up to her room. If it was after visiting hours she would go downstairs and meet them in the lobby. UNMC has security so you can't get upstairs without a pass after 10pm. At Stanford the delivery people will only come to the front so you always have to meet them. We have never had a problem bringing in food. Anna never eats the hospital food except for the breakfast, Cheerios & Milk. Usually the nurses station either gives you free access to the patient fridge & microwave or they will do it for you. I hate the doing it for you part though. I always feel they have enough to do. Then again, I'm the mom, I'm always there to do it for my girls, and if I"m not they are able to get out and do it themselves if they are feeling up to it. Which mostly they are. We also bring our own drinks alot of the time. At UNMC Anna never really had a problem with always being able to get something to drink, the kitchen has a patient number to order anything at any time. Stanford on the other hand, the kitchen closed at 7pm, you were out of luck if you didn't get your drinks by then.
Check with your hospital like everyone else suggests. Also, if your visit is a "planned" one you might want to check out their cafeteria. Some hospital actually have a good one. Usually the food in the cafeteria is a good representation of what you get in your room. Some hospital will let you order straight from the cafeteria if what they are having downstairs is something you want. UNMC would let you do that.
Good luck and may you have a quick and productive tune up.
PS. some docs do let you sneak out but most will not readily admit it. they or the nurses might use other words for it. Like going for a nice long walk and get some fresh air. Only in NL did we actually get permission to leave the premises. At each hospital we asked we were told it was an insurance issue.
