Distractions are an important part of surviving the hospital. If you remember, the packing list I wrote about in Let’s Go to the Hospital! includes several books, a phone charger, and a laptop or tablet. These items are critical because there’s a lot of downtime when you’re a patient. Doctors, nurses, and technicians come and go all day and night, but you’re still left with hours to yourself.
At this point, I was grateful to be rid of the catheter and ng tube, but I was still dazed from surgery and concerned that I wasn’t feeling better. When I had my first surgery at 18, I felt better immediately. Like immediately upon waking up. That wasn’t happening this time though and it was making me very nervous. If it weren’t for my distractions, I believe I would have driven myself crazy stressing about the future.
Luckily, my hospital room came with cable and a movie channel. I watched a ton of movies and a lot of tv. American Pickers was my favorite because it complemented my mental state and it was on 3-4 hours a day. If you’ve never seen it, I recommend it. It’s on the History channel and it’s about these two guys who drive all over the country going through people’s hoarded goodies. If they find stuff they like, such as old cars, toys, signs, etc., they try to haggle with the owner so that they can buy it and haul it back to their store. I say it complemented my mental state because it is simple, low-conflict, happy, engaging, and rife with historical anecdotes that are really interesting. It was the perfect distraction for me at the time.
No grand life lessons or takeaways today. Just remember that when you’re overwhelmed, it’s ok to give yourself a break.
Now there’s a good life lesson- don’t be afraid to tend to yourself! Good one, Dan.