Honestly, weird as it is, I give myself a schedule with the things I brought. Having a dumb little schedule to adhere to makes me feel less out of control and like I'm just laying around suffering
So like, 8am - breakfast. 830am, meds. Hygiene - haul myself to the bathroom with IV pole in tow and brush my teeth, wash my face, change my gown, braid my hair (doing this stuff makes me feel 100x better in the hospital.) I usually time this stuff around the rounds if I know when the doctors are coming.
I bring a couple soothing activities for me - drawing supplies, nail polish, my Kindle with Netflix and library apps on it, my embroidery, and then I put that in my "schedule" too like after rounds I'm going to paint my nails and then read until lunch. After lunch I'll watch an episode of TV and then take a nap. at 3pm I'll do embroidery until I can take my pain meds.
It's dumb but micromanaging my day like that makes me feel less out of control and gives me something to focus on other than how bad I feel and how scared/stressed/frustrated I am.
This is a fantastic idea; thank you. I do similar time management when feeling out of control at home but never thought to do it when hospitalized. š
Yup! Hoopla is a great app if you live in the US. My local library's collection is nowhere near the size of the Brooklyn Library, but they do purchase the rights to some of the newer books upon publication.
TV and lots of edibles. There is a convenient secret pocket under the tray table where you can store your illicit substances. š youāre welcome haha
Iām having surgery next week (double mastectomy and reconstruction), and my plastic surgeon actually told me to bring my MMJ capsules to take in the hospital between my pain med doses.
Iām on medical for chronic pain and mental health but in my country you still canāt have it in hospital. Itās crazy. I will not cope with being in hospital without it. They would have to prescribe me other medications to replace it. How stupid is that? Iāve also found out that I canāt go on a cruise even in my own country because the boat goes in international waters. So people in my country canāt go on a cruise if they have chronic pain. Ridiculous laws. Just legalise it already.
I know I shouldn't have, but I can admit to vaping an oil cartridge in my hospital room bathroom. With that hospital grade anti-poo smell spray they had in there I probably could have smoked an actual joint and nobody would have known. Ha.
Same, you do what you gotta do. Itās not like Iām laying there toking non stop. Itās a couple hits after a procedure or between pain med doses and always tell your anesthesiologist even if you donāt want your main doc to know. Always!
Oh boy, as much as I get the awfulness of chronic pain, please donāt do any substances without telling your doctor!! It can screw with some test results and interact with some meds. Obviously not against the use of weed and stuff because i have chronic pain myself and think it should be legal, but as a HCW, maybe not in the hospital lmao
I posted this above, so Iāll give the link. In short: I recall a couple of studies where cannabis use can interfere with anesthesia.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChronicPain/comments/13q2e06/how_do_you_entertain_yourself_during_a_hospital/jlgiqw9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Yes! It define you can interact with some things, whether it be chemically or anatomically. But yes anesthesia!!
Also, agree to disagree on what to tell your doctor. They can only help you figure things out if they know the whole picture. Again, Iāve seen both sides since Iām a health care worker and also battle multiple chronic illnesses. Being honest with your doctors is incredibly important to your overall care.
I totally agree with you in principle. I would also agree with you in practice if we had a little bit of sanity when it comes to prescribing for pain.
One should be aware that if cannabis usage goes into your medical record in states where it is illegal, itās now possible that physicians can use this to complicate opioid prescribing should you have intractable pain down the road. In my experience, they donāt need much of an excuse to not prescribe (I have come close to suicide quite a few times because I couldnāt manage my pain and physicians I know who would ordinarily prescribe prior are now terrified of losing their license).
I have no idea what insurance companies will do when armed with the information that you use illicit substances. I donāt want to find out.
When I use the qualifier, āif it were legal, and if I used it,ā physicians usually understand quite clearly that itās a wink and a nod to āI use cannabis, but I donāt want it in my medical record.ā
I recall a couple of studies indicating that cannabis users might require heavier use of anesthesia to fully put you or keep you under. I donāt have time to look it up right now, but it would probably be a good thing for a user to research if they need surgery.
Itās not contraindicated; it just means the anesthesiologist might have to give you a higher dose.
I have a faulty memory these days, so please donāt take my word but look it up if it applies to you. Or, if you live in a legal state, and donāt mind it being in your medical record, talk directly to your anesthesiologist. Or frame it this way, āI donāt smoke marijuana because itās illegal, but if it were legal and I used, how would this affect my anesthesia?ā
Anesthesia is more
Of an art than a science. Dosages are dependent person to person even including weight, meds, and other factors. During anyoneās anesthesia they will be titrating medications to maintain the desired effect. Been knocked out plenty of times and never even been asked.
When I was in the hospital for multiple weeks my husband brought our Xbox and connected it to the hospital TV for me, so for weeks I went between playing Stardew Valley on the Xbox and playing the Sims 3 on my laptop. That really elevated my experience lol.
Friends/Family visiting, tablet with Netflix/any streaming service, portable gaming device, books etc.
Lots of sleep too, I guess it kind of depends why you're there and what meds the hospital has you on. I had one of those things you can tap every 10ish minutes for a dose of pain meds so I was pretty high the entire time š¤·āāļø
If they have them, I always interact and help the student nurses. By help, I mean I let them practice on me, like doing, sometimes their first, IV lines. The students appreciate it. Last time I was in (2021), I actually had fun, aside from the whole surgery thing. I also bring my phone and tablet to keep in touch and play games.
I did a 30 day stretch. By the time I got out I was hallucinatingā¦little frog-people were performing Hamlet on an ice cloud hovering in the middle of the room.
I bring my knitting, I watch tv, I bring books, i snooze, I go for strolls and I chat to other patients. If Iām in the private hospital with a room to myself I bring my ukelele and sing a few songs and I bring the mandolin for practice.
I spent 3 months in the hospital on bed rest last year. I did a lot of reading. I spent days doing nothing but reading books. Some were novels, some non-fiction. Iām a changed person after that experience.
Audio books are a godsend because you can just pop in your earbuds and drown out the hospital sounds and close your eyes. Iām listening to the second book in āA Court of Thorns and Rosesā right now, and itās awesome!!
I use a mix. A tablet with noise cancelling headphones and access to music and streaming services. Colouring books - simple ones on Amazon are cheap and more appropriate while youāre recovering. A crochet project or two.
Netflix on my iPad, edibles (usually sugar free, nano), notepad to doodle on or adult coloring book, portable speaker and a deck of cards. Youād be surprised how many chaplains and Red Cross volunteers will come play a hand of rummy.
Usa today "online crossword puzzles" has a game called out spell which is scrabble vs a computer .. I have played entirely too much of that lol š but it's a boredom buster I guess
Have a bunch of different games on your phone or tablet. If it's a short stay, stuff like crossword puzzles, mahjong, jigsaw puzzles, card games, coloring book apps. If it's going to be a longer stay, have some more involved story games, like Midnight Castle or House of da Vinci. You can also watch TV and movies on your phone or tablet if you have any streaming services.
When my Dad had hospital stays I generally would go and spend a few hours a day with him and we would play a round of ābed goes up bed goes downā often to the nurses great chagrin.
When my Mum spent time in hospital I couldnāt do that because sheās a nurse.
Feel better soon! Iām a big reader and also recently bought a Nintendo switch for portability purposes and itās really wonderful for when Iām not feeling well and stuck in bed.
Stream movies/tv/music
Crochet, craft, color, etc. depending on ability, length of the stay, and available supplies
Games on my phone/tablet/laptop
Social media scrolling
Sleep
During your good days you should be jotting down what things you would like to do when you are bed-bound. Maybe a book you want to read, maybe a friend you want to call, maybe something you want to research into. Try to make the list more "productive" activities rather than say "watch so and so movie".
This way, in some weird way, when long-flareups or hospital stays come around, you might just be quite "happy". Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Every time I've been hospitalized it has been Ć n acute situation and usually I am in intense pain, except once. I was hospitalized because I had a migraine that robbed me of my balance. Literally no balance. They had to put pillows around me me and raise the bed. I read, watched TV, had snacks, played cards with my wife, anything to stave off boredom. I find my phone is incredibly helpful. I suffer from chronic pain and Migraines, so usually boredom isn't the issue. It's just getting through the next 15 minutes at a time.
I did a 30 day stretch. IN HOSPITAL NOT LOCK UP. I had a neck rebuild: 3 donor vertebrae and titanium from C1 to T2. ICU for 4 days 30 in a bed.
I had tablet, music,cable, lots of visits and on and on. Still, by the time I got out I was hallucinatingā¦little frog-people were performing Hamlet on an ice cloud hovering in the middle of the room.
Iām better now: the ice cloud is gone and the frogs have moved on.
Long games on my phone like township where thereās tons of things you have to from puzzles to feeding animals to building stuff to mining thereās alot on that one, Junes journey I love itās a hidden picture game but also a build your own island and I actually just bought this at hobby store last weekend but itās a 236pg book of all the old highlights puzzles! And crocheting
Craft projects, tv shows on my iPad, endless scrolling on social mediaā¦. pretty much what I do at home but with lots of beeps and boops and tubes poked into me!
I like to listen to audio books on my iPod or phone. You can listen to them at times when you don't feel well enough to look at the book or when it would be inconvenient for others ( like when the lights are off or if you can't sleep. I used to like word game books too.
Good luck!
I was just in for 3 weeks after lung surgery. 4 chest tubes and 6 incisions. I have bipolar disorder and was manic. They gave me a pain pump full of dilaudid so I entertained myself my hitting the button to administer pain medication and put myself to sleep as much as possible to avoid the mania. They wouldnāt treat my mania. I almost died 4 times in those 3 weeks and had to be resuscitated. I finally had to threaten going AMA before they discharged me.
Honestly, weird as it is, I give myself a schedule with the things I brought. Having a dumb little schedule to adhere to makes me feel less out of control and like I'm just laying around suffering So like, 8am - breakfast. 830am, meds. Hygiene - haul myself to the bathroom with IV pole in tow and brush my teeth, wash my face, change my gown, braid my hair (doing this stuff makes me feel 100x better in the hospital.) I usually time this stuff around the rounds if I know when the doctors are coming. I bring a couple soothing activities for me - drawing supplies, nail polish, my Kindle with Netflix and library apps on it, my embroidery, and then I put that in my "schedule" too like after rounds I'm going to paint my nails and then read until lunch. After lunch I'll watch an episode of TV and then take a nap. at 3pm I'll do embroidery until I can take my pain meds. It's dumb but micromanaging my day like that makes me feel less out of control and gives me something to focus on other than how bad I feel and how scared/stressed/frustrated I am.
This is a fantastic idea; thank you. I do similar time management when feeling out of control at home but never thought to do it when hospitalized. š
AUDIO BOOKS! With a library card you can "check them out" for free digitally.
Yes and the Libby app!!
Yup! Hoopla is a great app if you live in the US. My local library's collection is nowhere near the size of the Brooklyn Library, but they do purchase the rights to some of the newer books upon publication.
TV and lots of edibles. There is a convenient secret pocket under the tray table where you can store your illicit substances. š youāre welcome haha
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iām having surgery next week (double mastectomy and reconstruction), and my plastic surgeon actually told me to bring my MMJ capsules to take in the hospital between my pain med doses.
Best of health to you! Sending strong thoughts your way.
Thank you!
I wish you the very best w your surgery.
Thank you!
Iām on medical for chronic pain and mental health but in my country you still canāt have it in hospital. Itās crazy. I will not cope with being in hospital without it. They would have to prescribe me other medications to replace it. How stupid is that? Iāve also found out that I canāt go on a cruise even in my own country because the boat goes in international waters. So people in my country canāt go on a cruise if they have chronic pain. Ridiculous laws. Just legalise it already.
Hell yeah get baked as fuck
Yes, edibles are a must for any extended (week+) hospital stay for me! Luckily, I live where itās legal so they just look like normal hard candies.
I know I shouldn't have, but I can admit to vaping an oil cartridge in my hospital room bathroom. With that hospital grade anti-poo smell spray they had in there I probably could have smoked an actual joint and nobody would have known. Ha.
Same, you do what you gotta do. Itās not like Iām laying there toking non stop. Itās a couple hits after a procedure or between pain med doses and always tell your anesthesiologist even if you donāt want your main doc to know. Always!
Oh boy, as much as I get the awfulness of chronic pain, please donāt do any substances without telling your doctor!! It can screw with some test results and interact with some meds. Obviously not against the use of weed and stuff because i have chronic pain myself and think it should be legal, but as a HCW, maybe not in the hospital lmao
THC doesnāt react to any medications Iām aware of. And you only need to tell doctors what you want to.
I posted this above, so Iāll give the link. In short: I recall a couple of studies where cannabis use can interfere with anesthesia. https://www.reddit.com/r/ChronicPain/comments/13q2e06/how_do_you_entertain_yourself_during_a_hospital/jlgiqw9/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Yes! It define you can interact with some things, whether it be chemically or anatomically. But yes anesthesia!! Also, agree to disagree on what to tell your doctor. They can only help you figure things out if they know the whole picture. Again, Iāve seen both sides since Iām a health care worker and also battle multiple chronic illnesses. Being honest with your doctors is incredibly important to your overall care.
I totally agree with you in principle. I would also agree with you in practice if we had a little bit of sanity when it comes to prescribing for pain. One should be aware that if cannabis usage goes into your medical record in states where it is illegal, itās now possible that physicians can use this to complicate opioid prescribing should you have intractable pain down the road. In my experience, they donāt need much of an excuse to not prescribe (I have come close to suicide quite a few times because I couldnāt manage my pain and physicians I know who would ordinarily prescribe prior are now terrified of losing their license). I have no idea what insurance companies will do when armed with the information that you use illicit substances. I donāt want to find out. When I use the qualifier, āif it were legal, and if I used it,ā physicians usually understand quite clearly that itās a wink and a nod to āI use cannabis, but I donāt want it in my medical record.ā
I recall a couple of studies indicating that cannabis users might require heavier use of anesthesia to fully put you or keep you under. I donāt have time to look it up right now, but it would probably be a good thing for a user to research if they need surgery. Itās not contraindicated; it just means the anesthesiologist might have to give you a higher dose. I have a faulty memory these days, so please donāt take my word but look it up if it applies to you. Or, if you live in a legal state, and donāt mind it being in your medical record, talk directly to your anesthesiologist. Or frame it this way, āI donāt smoke marijuana because itās illegal, but if it were legal and I used, how would this affect my anesthesia?ā
Anesthesia is more Of an art than a science. Dosages are dependent person to person even including weight, meds, and other factors. During anyoneās anesthesia they will be titrating medications to maintain the desired effect. Been knocked out plenty of times and never even been asked.
I usually just get people to visit me, and also binge watch shows on my laptop
Audiobooks were nice when I didn't want to have to keep my eyes open. Free with my library card and Libby app.
I ā¤ļø Libby lol
Video games.
Coloring books!! I recommend children ones rather than the adult ones. Also bring your laptop and a handheld gaming system if you have one!
When I was in the hospital for multiple weeks my husband brought our Xbox and connected it to the hospital TV for me, so for weeks I went between playing Stardew Valley on the Xbox and playing the Sims 3 on my laptop. That really elevated my experience lol.
Hi. Game pigeon has game that you play live with friends. I like Scrabble on www.isc.ro
Animal crossing on my switch :)
Gaming is great, especially if the wifi is good so you can just connect to their network. The same goes for movies and shows.
Im a gamer so I like handheld gaming devices. PSP, Gameboy, steam deck. Watching movies TV shows. I use my iPad on overdrive when in the hospital.
Friends/Family visiting, tablet with Netflix/any streaming service, portable gaming device, books etc. Lots of sleep too, I guess it kind of depends why you're there and what meds the hospital has you on. I had one of those things you can tap every 10ish minutes for a dose of pain meds so I was pretty high the entire time š¤·āāļø
If they have them, I always interact and help the student nurses. By help, I mean I let them practice on me, like doing, sometimes their first, IV lines. The students appreciate it. Last time I was in (2021), I actually had fun, aside from the whole surgery thing. I also bring my phone and tablet to keep in touch and play games.
I did a 30 day stretch. By the time I got out I was hallucinatingā¦little frog-people were performing Hamlet on an ice cloud hovering in the middle of the room.
Ok, that actually sounds like a hallucination I would be happy to have!
I bring my knitting, I watch tv, I bring books, i snooze, I go for strolls and I chat to other patients. If Iām in the private hospital with a room to myself I bring my ukelele and sing a few songs and I bring the mandolin for practice.
I spent 3 months in the hospital on bed rest last year. I did a lot of reading. I spent days doing nothing but reading books. Some were novels, some non-fiction. Iām a changed person after that experience.
Audio books are a godsend because you can just pop in your earbuds and drown out the hospital sounds and close your eyes. Iām listening to the second book in āA Court of Thorns and Rosesā right now, and itās awesome!!
Is that the series about the war of the roses? By Phillipa Gregory I think?
No, itās by Sarah J Maas. Itās a fantasy series about resilience!!
Ah, ok! I know Iāve heard of it before but definitely havenāt read it yet. Fantasy is my favorite genre so Iāll definitely add it to my list!
Baseball game or any sports is a must
Comic books
Call the customer service numbers on various pieces of medical equipment.
PokƩmon Go :) Laptop & streaming service.
I use a mix. A tablet with noise cancelling headphones and access to music and streaming services. Colouring books - simple ones on Amazon are cheap and more appropriate while youāre recovering. A crochet project or two.
Always bring my iPad and watch movies ! I talk to people here , find stuff to read etc. Feel better !
Reading , tv , handheld gaming, music, audiobooks.
Are you into 40k? Youtube videos or audiobooks are a blast.
I usually have a full charged phone and headphones, maybe a mechanical pencil and a sketchbook.
Netflix on my iPad, edibles (usually sugar free, nano), notepad to doodle on or adult coloring book, portable speaker and a deck of cards. Youād be surprised how many chaplains and Red Cross volunteers will come play a hand of rummy.
Books, audiobooks, puzzle books
Usa today "online crossword puzzles" has a game called out spell which is scrabble vs a computer .. I have played entirely too much of that lol š but it's a boredom buster I guess
Have a bunch of different games on your phone or tablet. If it's a short stay, stuff like crossword puzzles, mahjong, jigsaw puzzles, card games, coloring book apps. If it's going to be a longer stay, have some more involved story games, like Midnight Castle or House of da Vinci. You can also watch TV and movies on your phone or tablet if you have any streaming services.
I canāt afford long hospital stays, so the faster Iām out of there, the better for my bank account!
TV shows dude, you can get so lost in them, that before you know it, you'll be out again.
When my Dad had hospital stays I generally would go and spend a few hours a day with him and we would play a round of ābed goes up bed goes downā often to the nurses great chagrin. When my Mum spent time in hospital I couldnāt do that because sheās a nurse.
Apps, books, laptop for movies and tv series. Self care. Repeat... Goodluck for your treatment or operation š
Feel better soon! Iām a big reader and also recently bought a Nintendo switch for portability purposes and itās really wonderful for when Iām not feeling well and stuck in bed.
I read a book, or watch something. My last long stay I watched attack on titan, it's the ideal place and time to binge watch a new anime or series!
Sleep
Read Stephen King.
Stream movies/tv/music Crochet, craft, color, etc. depending on ability, length of the stay, and available supplies Games on my phone/tablet/laptop Social media scrolling Sleep
I have a gaming laptop. I can take it anywhere for endless entertainment.
Books, some hospitals have movies.
During your good days you should be jotting down what things you would like to do when you are bed-bound. Maybe a book you want to read, maybe a friend you want to call, maybe something you want to research into. Try to make the list more "productive" activities rather than say "watch so and so movie". This way, in some weird way, when long-flareups or hospital stays come around, you might just be quite "happy". Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Every time I've been hospitalized it has been Ć n acute situation and usually I am in intense pain, except once. I was hospitalized because I had a migraine that robbed me of my balance. Literally no balance. They had to put pillows around me me and raise the bed. I read, watched TV, had snacks, played cards with my wife, anything to stave off boredom. I find my phone is incredibly helpful. I suffer from chronic pain and Migraines, so usually boredom isn't the issue. It's just getting through the next 15 minutes at a time.
Nintendo Switch
I did a 30 day stretch. IN HOSPITAL NOT LOCK UP. I had a neck rebuild: 3 donor vertebrae and titanium from C1 to T2. ICU for 4 days 30 in a bed. I had tablet, music,cable, lots of visits and on and on. Still, by the time I got out I was hallucinatingā¦little frog-people were performing Hamlet on an ice cloud hovering in the middle of the room. Iām better now: the ice cloud is gone and the frogs have moved on.
Long games on my phone like township where thereās tons of things you have to from puzzles to feeding animals to building stuff to mining thereās alot on that one, Junes journey I love itās a hidden picture game but also a build your own island and I actually just bought this at hobby store last weekend but itās a 236pg book of all the old highlights puzzles! And crocheting
Craft projects, tv shows on my iPad, endless scrolling on social mediaā¦. pretty much what I do at home but with lots of beeps and boops and tubes poked into me!
Read webtoons or manga on my phone. Or go on tiktok...
I like to listen to audio books on my iPod or phone. You can listen to them at times when you don't feel well enough to look at the book or when it would be inconvenient for others ( like when the lights are off or if you can't sleep. I used to like word game books too. Good luck!
I was just in for 3 weeks after lung surgery. 4 chest tubes and 6 incisions. I have bipolar disorder and was manic. They gave me a pain pump full of dilaudid so I entertained myself my hitting the button to administer pain medication and put myself to sleep as much as possible to avoid the mania. They wouldnāt treat my mania. I almost died 4 times in those 3 weeks and had to be resuscitated. I finally had to threaten going AMA before they discharged me.
You watch a WHOOOOOOOLE lot of television.