Home for Christmas (I hope)

GlasweJen

So we're talking about me being home for Christmas (roughly 13 weeks since I was admitted!). I've managed to acquire an infection, knock out some of my nerve function and I needed an extra surgery because one of the big blood vessels sprung a leak!

My new heart seems to be settling in. It's fitted with a pacemaker because no amount of new heart will be able to fix the dodgy wiring I have coming from my brain. I've been tested for immune responses pretty much every day since I woke up from the operation and nothing yet (except against the infection).

So at the moment my new question is how do I Christmas shop from a hospital? I do get out once a week (ish) but my family usually all want to join in (since my nieces can't visit me in hospital) so I need to shop sneaky.

Does anyone have any experience of doing an entire Christmas shop online?

Thankfully food isn't an issue as mum has booked us into a restaurant for Christmas day, my flatmate is happy to get parcels but I need to wrap them! I need a hand to get my head around the logistics of this.

Torry_Quine

Amazon gift wrap some things if that helps. I'm sure though that having you home and recovering will be present enough and they probably aren't expecting anything.

Glad to hear things are improving.

Richie-from-the-Boro

GlasweJen wrote: »

So we're talking about me being home for Christmas (roughly 13 weeks since I was admitted!). I've managed to acquire an infection, knock out some of my nerve function and I needed an extra surgery because one of the big blood vessels sprung a leak!

My new heart seems to be settling in. It's fitted with a pacemaker because no amount of new heart will be able to fix the dodgy wiring I have coming from my brain. I've been tested for immune responses pretty much every day since I woke up from the operation and nothing yet (except against the infection).

So at the moment my new question is how do I Christmas shop from a hospital? I do get out once a week (ish) but my family usually all want to join in (since my nieces can't visit me in hospital) so I need to shop sneaky.

Does anyone have any experience of doing an entire Christmas shop online?

Thankfully food isn't an issue as mum has booked us into a restaurant for Christmas day, my flatmate is happy to get parcels but I need to wrap them! I need a hand to get my head around the logistics of this.

Ask the hospital if they have a ' friends of ' service where a local long term trusted individual could help you choose / buy / wrap / whatever for you.

That way you get to keep control .. .. and keep secret .. .. what you need to.

Best to you Jen

GlasweJen

there is a friends of service because there's a note on the tea room door about how the profits go to the friends of the hospital charity. Might need to grab a nurse to discuss it. Do you think they'd let someone take me out for the day?

Richie-from-the-Boro

GlasweJen wrote: »

there is a friends of service because there's a note on the tea room door about how the profits go to the friends of the hospital charity. Might need to grab a nurse to discuss it. Do you think they'd let someone take me out for the day?

I've no idea depends on the local [ type of ] service and things like insurance and health and safety issues once you are 'off site', however it costs nowt to ask lass, so ask at least two different people at different times and see what answers you get.

sheeps68

GlasweJen wrote: »

there is a friends of service because there's a note on the tea room door about how the profits go to the friends of the hospital charity. Might need to grab a nurse to discuss it. Do you think they'd let someone take me out for the day?

I tend to get release time when I'm in hospital as long as timed around drugs tests etc. Friday afternoon or weekends tend to be good times for brief escapes.

McKneff

Glad to hear youre on the mend, let me be the first to say 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS' I'm sure it will be and thanks for the update.

kingfisherblue

Good news that you are improving so well. I'm sure that you want to get several presents for Christmas, but the best one for your family is to have you alive and well. I know it sounds twee, but it's true.

Could you ask your mum to buy presents that you have chosen for some family members, and then ask someone else to get your mum's present from you? You could have a list of requirements. that way, you could spend your 'release time' getting special cards, choosing wrapping paper, and other things that need your personal input. Hopefully, it would prevent you from tiring too easily (I hope that doesn't sound patronising. I don't mean it to, I'm just concerned that you might overdo things and be too tired to enjoy Christmas Day)

Dazi

I got all pressies online 1 year as my OH was poorly with a bad back and bedridden and going out xmas shopping was the last thing on my mind :eek: I ordered everything from Boots, made use of the 3 for 2, even ordered all the wrapping paper and tags because it was easy. TBH it was the best xmas, no worries, once stuff was ordered it didn't matter if someone said oh x was wanting this, z was wanting that, they all had what I ordered and that was that!

Could you order it all and get help from the 'friends' to help wrap.

Best wishes for you, and I hope you enjoy your xmas xxxx

formaldehyde_perfume

I think a combination of all of the above suggestions would be good.

Order things online that you can (and make a list of what you ordered for who!), and get them delivered to your flatmate. Organise your family to go and collect the items for other members of the family and wrap them for you. If it becomes too much you could give money to the parent of your nieces and ask them to buy it and wrap it for you, to add a personal touch you could write them a poem or just a lovely message in a christmas card each, that would lighten the load a bit. It depends how big your family is really!

But just remember, the best gift they can receive this Christmas is for you to be as well and healthy as possible, so don't over do it!

I'm glad to hear you're doing so well Do keep us updated as and when, it's nice to hear such positive news on this board.

Savvy_Sue

GlasweJen wrote: »

Thankfully food isn't an issue as mum has booked us into a restaurant for Christmas day,

As I did last year, and tbh I'm not sure I shall ever do the whole turkey thing again ... :rotfl:

However, the thing is, you do what you can, you prioritise what's most important, and you say "stuff the rest".

So I'd prioritise children, and use any help you're offered (as already outlined by others) and as for grownups - well the ones who'll mind don't matter, and the ones who matter won't mind if you haven't got them the perfect present / exactly what they wanted / wrapped it as beautifully as you normally do.