1. Order food from the pediatric menu. The hospital food was terrible, as expected, but ordering from the children's menu was a sneaky trick someone shared with me. Cheeseburgers, bagels, fruit cups and chocolate milk... all better choices, plus hey, how bad can a grilled cheese sandwich be?Of course no one wants to be in the hospital, and I am grateful that my daughter is no longer there. I really have a new appreciation and respect for the really strong women I know who have and are battling sickness and as a result spend alot of time in hospitals -- I'm sure it must wear you out after a while. You are fighters though, never never doubt it.
2. The nurses have extreme power. Want drugs? Want food sent up to your room in the middle of the day or night? The nurses (at Gillette anyway) were super helpful and seemed to be able to arrange anything for you if they so desired. BE ON THEIR GOOD SIDE.
3. Just take the free stuff. We left the hospital with a cartload full of supplies - tylenol, gauze, bandages, q-tips, lotion, soap, shampoo. And even though I know that we could easily pick up that stuff at home, well, it has been a much easier first few days because we haven't had to.
4. This ain't your grandma's hospital. You might be surprised to find out that your local hospital is wireless. Yes, indeed you can open your laptop anywhere and be hooked up to the internet now. And checking your email, as silly a thing as it sounds, does wonders to making you feel connected to the outside world. Plus, in the waiting rooms you can find Nintendo and XBox stations, often donated by great organizations like the Children's Wish Foundation.
5. Music Therapy might just work. I was a psych major and even I rolled my eyes when the music therapist arrived in our hospital room with her guitar and granola (just kidding). But halfway through "It's a Jolly Holiday with Hafsa" I was grinning ear to ear. The next thing I know we're all shaking maracas and making animal sound effects for Old Macdonald's Farm. Maymuna loved it.
6. If you or a loved one are going to stay at the hospital, consider a caringbridge website to stay connected with friends and family. I did this in order to help inform our friends and family about Hafsa's condition, but her website really ended up being for me. It was something that kept me busy, and I could check messages from everybody at any time and not have the pressure of returning phone calls or emails. You have no idea how many times I read them during the surgery time alone.
7. Neurosurgeons don't think babies are cute. Okay okay, this one is an exaggeration - but hey, what's with doctors who are so clinical that they can't crack a smile for a baby that obviously putting on a little show of drooly grins and adorable coo's just to get their attention? I won't name the doc on rotation that day, but let's just say I didn't crack much of a smile for him either.
8. People/babies are stronger than you think. I guess the thing that I am taking away from this experience that I treasure the most is that I am stronger than I thought I was. So is Hafsa. And Maymuna. (yes, I am omitting Ozayr here, but c'mon, I always knew he was strong). Children in particular seem to have a resiliency that is astounding.
9. Why not love the room you're in? We were going to have to stay in that room for 3-5 days anyway, so why not make the best of it? Once Maymuna arrived with her collages and paper chains I really felt like we were making the best out of our circumstances and surroundings.
10. I want that bed. The modern hospital bed doesn't just go up and down, the one in Hafsa's room adjusts to the way you are sleeping. There's air inside and as you shift your weight it redistributes the air to make the most comfortable mattress around. You can also select how firm or soft you want it to be.
Some comic relief over the last couple of weeks has been Maymuna and her budding personality and sense of humour... I'll leave you with this pic...
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