10. BYOB......Bring your own blanket (and neck pillow)-
Yes, the nurses will give you one but it is so much easier to have your own. I got a $2.88 fleece blanket from walmart that is perfect...big enough to cover me up, warm, but small enough to fold and easily transport with out too much bulk. Neck pillows are a MUST!
9. Cleansing Wipes-
Every hospital does not always provide a shower for the care giver. I have been blessed to run to my in-laws hotel room and shower there but some sort of cleansing wipe is perfect when you just want to freshen up a bit, it can actually help you feel so much better!
8. Flip flops AND tennis shoes-
Flip Flops are great for night time (no one wants to walk barefoot on a hospital floor). But Tennis shoes are a must when you are walking the halls with your loved one and should be worn through out the day for your own back support!
7. Don't go to the cafeteria for comfort food-
I don't know about you but when I get stressed I want comfort food, greasy fries, a great burger......I don't want to eat healthy. At OSU they have a pretty healthy variety in their cafeteria. But THEY HAVE NO FRENCH FRIES!!!! Good thing there is a Wendy's in the basement and it is open until 3am. I highly suggest their Cod fish sandwich!
6. Be honest-
People care a lot. They want to help, they want to visit, but your main priority during your hospital stay is your loved one. You have to learn to be honest. This is hard for someone like me who is a people pleaser,,,,,I don't like to disappoint anyone. But I have learned I have to be honest and tell them when David isn't up for visitors, asking people to leave the room so David can have privacy, and so forth. I don't always like it but it is necessary. Everyone has been so understanding and I appreciate that!
5. Pack a suitcase and leave it in the car-
Everyone knows hospital rooms are not huge. As the caregiver there may not be room or you may not be able to carry a suitcase plus everything else. So what I did was I packed my big suitcase with everything I will need and I left it in the car. I have a smaller bag as well. I take just what I need for the day out of the suit case and put it in the smaller bag. I also keep a garbage bag in the car for dirty clothes. This allows me to not lug everything I don't currently need and it is a nice reason to go outside and get some fresh air even if it is only for a few minutes.
4. USE CASH-
I learned long ago to use cash at the hospital. When you use your debit/credit card you quickly lose track of how much you have spent (no time or energy to balance a check book) and you end up spending WAY more than you should. However, If you use cash for everything you know how much you have left and it saves a TON of money.
3. Bring a Turtle-
Ok not a REAL turtle but we found (David and Shawn) these turtle massage things. They vibrate and look like the shape of a turtle. They have been huge in helping relax and work on knots in David's back from laying in the bed. I think they found them at Andersons or you can get them on Amazon.
2. Protein is your best friend-
I realized how important protein was one night when I realized I had eaten practically all day. I think it was surgery day and I just didn't eat much. It was in the middle of the night and I started feeling nauseous due to lack of food, I remembered my sister had give me some protein bars and I took just one bite and felt tons better. Protein is important!
AND NUMBER ONE......
1. BYOMTD-BRING YOUR OWN MT. DEW!
OSU is a coke only campus so finding a Mt. Dew is impossible! Thankfully my friends and family know me well and gave me plenty of Mt. Dew to get me by!!!!
I hope this list helps someone, some day. Or at least you learned a little more about some of the important things I have learned. I think I will try to catch a quick nap with my neck pillow and blanket now!
Alice
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