Hospital inpatient etiquette and advice please!

Armchair23

On top of all the really helpfully posts - what bothers you or makes you feel good is what you should have a think about.

So if you love certain drinks/snacks take them with you, if you hate TV but love an audio book see if you can load some onto an MP3 player.

In all honesty you don't really know how you'll feel afterwards, so a good friend who'll rush down to the hospital shop and get you sanitary towels, crisps and Polos, or bring in 5 extra pairs of pants is what's needed.

I hope everything goes really smoothly, very best wishes.

Bennifred

Crocs are brilliant footwear for hospitals - light, comfortable, easy to slip on and off and can be given a good scrub when you get home! That's why medical staff often wear them.

penny_crayon

Do you know if you will need a drip or catheter, or anything else that will be attached to you? You can't wear pj bottoms with a catheter or change your top or bra with a drip attached to you.....

MrsC....tobe

Just home on Sunday after 4 nights on our maternity ward. Our bedside cabinets had a lockable part on the outside but I didn't use it. I had my camera, kindle, and my purse lived in amongst everything else in my bag. Good luck to anyone who would have had time to go hunting!
Everyday I showered and changed into fresh pj bottoms and a top of some sort. I did wear a bra and I had a cardi handy.
We had no tv in Our 4 bed room, bedside or otherwise, and a snack trolley only came at weekends for some reason.
Everywhere will be different. Good luck with the op.

Mrs_Ryan

penny_crayon wrote: »

You can't wear pj bottoms with a catheter ....

You can. I did. I also wore yoga pants with one.

Aunty-Pickle

penny_crayon wrote: »

Do you know if you will need a drip or catheter, or anything else that will be attached to you? You can't wear pj bottoms with a catheter or change your top or bra with a drip attached to you.....

I will have a catheter and canula/drip for the op, and I might have a drain in my abdomen. It will depend on how things go as to how long they stay in for.

lostinrates

Aunty-Pickle wrote: »

I will have a catheter and canula/drip for the op, and I might have a drain in my abdomen. It will depend on how things go as to how long they stay in for.

I've had this sort of set up. I opt for nighties. I find them more practical and easier access in all honesty, and easier for me when I've been on a drain, but off a catheter and unsteady on my pins. :D.

Getting feet in to slippers and getting a dressing gown/ cover up on is sufficient for me to worry about tbh. I save trousers till I'm getting out of the place.

bluenoseam

Might be worthwhile taking in an eye mask as well, hospitals aren't exactly "perfect" when it comes to trying to get to sleep I felt as there's always a light on somewhere!

RE: electricals, might be worthwhile checking their policy, I know it's rare these days but some hospitals may still be a bit picky with regards to what equipment can & can't be taken in. I was lucky, modern hospital, younger patient tailored unit so they weren't fussed when I was taking in phones/media players. Might also find they may have patient wi-fi, so check with them & see, it's a longshot, but don't ask and you don't get!

Given the fact that hospital food can be hit & miss it might be worth taking in some salt & pepper as well, not much worse than bland tasteless food! Also a good idea to take something which can put a taste in your mouth, dunno if it's just me but after the third handfull of generic white pills you kinda need something "tasty".

Probably because of the type of wards I was in I was always told to overestimate the clothing incase of mishaps (i.e. talking to Huey on the ceramic telephone). Besides as mentioned, wards can often be a little on the warm side & if you're in bed that means sweating. Oh and take towels in as well, made the mistake of using hospital ones once, felt like sandpaper, not pleasant!

Where I was the trolley came round twice daily (morning & afternoon) with the usual stuff - sweets, popular juice, couple of daily papers in the morning. Hot drinks were mid morning & mid afternoon on top of meal times, again possibly perks of being in a modern unit & specialist wards.

Pretty sure you can if you want either request chaplain services OR state that you do not wish them, which can then be noted on the outside of the door similar to NBM type stuff.

inkie

You can wear PJs with a catheter. Nighties give easier access for changing pads etc though

maman

I've dipped in and out of this thread so apologies if it's been said before.


I'm fortunate in that I've only been in hospital twice: once for birth of DD and once a couple of years ago overnight when I had minor day surgery. I think I was angry to start with as I was only kept in as there was nobody available to discharge me (Saturday!!).


What I wanted to say is that I'd do all and anything you can to stay in control. So I'd want to have food/snacks/drinks available (assuming you don't have friends/family that can bring it in). I'd want to get dressed in my own proper clothes as soon as I could and I'd definitely wear a bra. I'm not fussed about TVs and games but I'd definitely want my phone. The more 'normal' you feel the more likely you are to be strong if you need to stand up for yourself.


Sorry if this sounds like a rant but I found the 'out of control' bit about hospitalisation the hardest to take.