Having just spent another 2 delightful (it really would be if we could cut out the doctors and drugs) weeks in hospital, thought I'd make a list of things that get me through smiling (almost anyway).
1. Have a pamper session! This is the first time I've ever had one, my mum and sister decided to come up with goodies and give me a make-over. This included curling my hair, foot massages, makeup. They brought me a pretty summer dress. They also bought lots of cream cakes and a lovely prawn salad with fresh bread. We watched a DVD and played on the Wii for a bit.
2. If you can have electricals hooked up to your TV, then get a Wii (our ward have one in each room, but the ward is only a year old, and it was begged for lol.) Not only is it fun, gives you some exercise without you realising you are doing it, if you can get nurses to join in it's even better. It gives you competition, a chance to socialise a bit with the nurses building trust and confidence in them. It gets everyone talkign for days lol. It also gives nurses a chance to exercise when otherwise they might not get much chance to.
3. Jigsaws, I love them! They can really help you pass the time, and you don't realise the hours slipping by (missed tv shows on more than one accasion becasue of this lol.) You can get jigsaw boards meaning they can be put away and got out later if you don't have much space in your room.
4. Your own pillow. Especially in this weather! The pillow they provide have the plastic coating and even if you have a cotton pillow case over the top you still end up sweating like crazy. I take my memory foam pillows and a couple of pillow cases so I can change every few days. Can also brighten up the bed and room and make it feel less hospitally.
5. Cheese and crackers. If you have a fridge in your room you can store cheese in there. It makes a lovely snack. Also if you have a fridge then fresh fruit. Sometimes if you wake up in a morning and it's been really warm over night, a nice cold pear or plum or grapes or melon can make you feel a lot fresher. A bit of fruit can also help with tummy trouble which can be a common occurance when on IV's.
6. Days out- if your ward allows it, just popping out for a couple of hours, just for a drive or better a shopping trip, can be fantastic. After week 1 of IV's I start walking the perimeter of the hospital or going to the local shopping centre. At my old hospital there used to be a park across the road which was fantastic to quietly walk round and just take things in. I always make sure I'm wearing a clear written wrist label and the ward have my mobile number if they're missing me.
7. Crafts. Sometimes I take models to paint, other times face paints. I like the facepaints most, I can paint designs up my arm. Not only is it great practice (I'm a face painter for a charity) with the bright colours it really cheers me up. Can spend hours painting, washing and painting again on my arms and occasionally my face. I also take crochet, I like my crafts, they keep me occupied and entertained. Soem people also take materials to make cards and things.
These are just a few things I like to do to fend of depression when in hospital. We also have desktop computers in our rooms, so I take my external hard drive with games installed on it to play. Though, I'm sure not many people have this luxury. :)
Hope everyone is well
Gem xx