By this time tomorrow evening Jake should be on his way to recovery. For tonight he's requested meatloaf and mashed potatoes, some nice wholesome comfort food before he starts his fasting at midnight.
I will have my laptop, so I'll post an update as soon as we have news.
Hospital Preparedness
Since we are going to be re-entering the hospital, albeit for a considerably shorter time than previously, I thought I would post some of the tips we learned during our recent stay. It's good to be prepared; as I see it, the disaster you prepare for is the one you're least likely to experience. So, here goes, not in any particular order...
- Sunglasses
Silly as it may sound, you are likely to need shades in the hospital. Firstly because when you stagger out of the hospital into the broad light of day after a full night of bedside support, the morning sun will likely blind you. More importantly, they are great when you are trying to catch some rest during the night. Slip them on to cut down all the ambient light (it's not like these rooms are ever really dark) while still allowing you to keep an eye on the patient and the comings and goings of his various caregivers. - Layered Clothing
This is normally the prescription for cold weather survival; multiple layers allow you to add or remove items incrementally to stay warm or cool as needed. It's not all or nothing. Why would this matter in a hospital? Well, Jake's first full night in the hospital, after the ER, was in the RAU (Rapid Admission Unit). The temperature in that unit was roughly naught. Kelvin. I spent the night in a t-shirt and shorts freezing my but that's enough of that. So, second night I came prepared; jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Unfortunately, Jake was moved to the 8200 unit, where in the interests of the comfort of his octogenarian roommates, the temperature was roughly that of the womb, although slightly less humid. It was hotter than hell, and the staff didn't seem to take kindly to my wandering around in briefs. - Slippers/sandals
Same as the previous item, these are very handy (er, footy?) for your comfort. Just be careful the nursing staff doesn't drop a syringe through the top of your foot. - Headlamp
It's pretty difficult fumbling around in the semi-dark, trying to attend to your personal patient without disturbing the rest of the crowd. Hospital rooms do not afford the best reading lights in any case, so during those long sleepless nights the headlamp makes for easier reading. I think the staff were actually jealous; one of the surgeons even commented regarding my Black Diamond lamp that we were very well prepared. - Smartphone
A phone is kind of obvious for keeping the rest of the family and friends up to date, but the smartphone allowed me to keep people in the loop through emails and the blog. - Laptop
The laptop is obviously a better option than the smartphone for keeping up with communications, but it had the added bonus of access to entertainment; Pandora, Netflix, Ken-Ken, etc. And I could charge my phone off one of the USB ports. - AirCard
Don't expect to be able to access a WIFI connection in the hospital, so bring your own broadband card if you plan to use a laptop. - iPod with External Speaker(s)
The iPod probably seems obvious for tunes, but the surprising thing was the little battery operated speaker. We brought the speaker for Jake because he could not use earbuds with all the damage to his head. It turned out that I couldn't use earbuds either, because when I wore them I couldn't hear Jake asking for help. I discovered that I could set the little speaker near my shoulder and set the volume loud enough so that I could hear my music or whatever, without bothering the neighbors and still hear Jake when necessary. - Neck Pillow
You can steal pillows from your son while he's conked out from morphine, but he's going to want them back when he wakes up. Regular pillows don't fit so well within the constraints of typical hospital seating, so one of those little airline travel pillows is probably the hot tip. - Battery Operated Fan
To cool the patient or yourself as needed (see previous note re. octogenarian thermic requirements). - Universal TV Remote
When your roommates are watching something particularly annoying you can take matters into your own hands. - Hip Flask
The are plenty of general anethetics in the hospital, but they're kind of picky about restricting their use to the patients. Bring Your Own! - Frozen Margarita Maker
Come to think of it, why settle for a flask. - Surgical Scrubs
It's surprising where a stethescope and a set of surgical scrubs will get you in a hospital. Say "STAT" alot and you'll have the run of the place in no time.
You were obviously a boy scout. (Or were you only a scub scout?)
ReplyDeleteWe'll be thinking of Jake during his surgery and looking forward to the post-op post.
I think this instructions should be part of the pre-stay instructions they give to all incoming patients. But then anarchy might reign with the universal remote.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good luck with the surgery. We'll be watching for posts.