(no subject)

[rivka]

If you were going to be spending several days in the hospital at the side of your sick toddler, what could someone bring you that would make things easier?

My friend Emily's husband decided to cancel his business trip, so she's at least going to have someone consistent to help, and give her breaks. But she's going to be the one spending nights at the hospital and so forth. Zoe's still very sick - they've given up on the idea that she'll be able to go home before Thursday or Friday at the earliest.

I'm going by to visit tonight. I'm planning to bring coloring books, crayons, and stickers for Zoe, and my electric kettle filled with herbal tea and cocoa packets for Emily. (I suspect that all they'll have on the unit is a coffee pot, and Emily is an observant Mormon.) I'm also going to bring by a light and frivolous novel.

Any other suggestions?

Comments

[ladyotterfae.livejournal.com]

People have covered the grounds pretty well. :) I was fortunate in my lots of time in the hospital this last summer that the person I was visiting/keeping an eye on was interactive and largely self-entertaining, which isn't the case with a sick toddler, but my experience tells me of a few necessities: comfortable pillow/blanket for sleeping wherever you end up sleeping, whenever you can get the sleep. Any form of low to medium concentration level handicraft is a godsend when trying not to fret yourself silly, or deal with a long nap on the part of the convalescent.
Speaking from distant memories of being stuck in a hospital myself as a child, a cuddly, somewhat interactive soft toy is good.
I love your idea for teas and cocoa. I stocked the hospital/nursing unit rooms with things like dried fruit, nuts, a little good chocolate, and just sucked it up and paid for anything other than water. If we ever have to go through that again, I'm bring the tea kit with me.