<p>I know so many of you come up with brilliant ideas when it comes to gifts for graduates etc. Any suggests for a gift to cheer a friend who is going in for surgery? She’s keeps talking about her upcoming “vacation” when she refers to the surgery so I’m thinking of including little umbrellas as decorations for a “beach/vacation” theme when I wrap the package but I don’t have any ideas as to what kinds of things to bring her when she’s in the hospital (2-3 days). Any good books? or interesting things to keep her entertained while she recovers? All suggestions are welcome! Thank you all so much.</p>
<p>The vacation theme is cute, but I’m not coming up with anything very good that’s related! Depending on how close the two of you are, you can offer to take in her children for a few days or offer to drive them to school/ballet/soccer/whatever. You could make up some meals for the family either while she’s in the hospital or in the days when she’s home but still recovering. Maybe you and your friend could go and both go out to lunch and get pedicures or manicures once she’s recovering (depending, of course, on the type of surgery). I think books on tape would be good for in-hospital entertainment. I would find it hard to keep up the concentration and energy to read if I’m dealing with pain, pain medication, after effects of anesthesiology, and whatever else, but a book on tape could be fun. Flowers, of course, are always a good addition to the home.</p>
<p>To have in the hospital, nothing valuable because it can get lost. I would suggest socks, maybe tropical-themed or some of those “World’s Softest Socks” because hospital room temperatures can be variable. The vacation theme is adorable!</p>
<p>thank you both so much! I’m sure she’d love it if I could bring her kids…but her one and only is in graduate school far away from home. But I love the idea of books on tape. And the socks are great! I’m sure I can find some tropical-themed socks. Thank you! Any more ideas out there? Her surgery is in two weeks. Thank you thank you. CC is a great community!!</p>
<p>oaklandmom~</p>
<p>I’m one who <em>LOVES</em> pillows and lots of 'em!!! My bed is COVERED with pillows…a body pillow and quite a few others. The NAP line at Brookstone has these <em>really</em> comfy little nap pillows that are great for EVERYTHING and SOOOOOOO soft! The nap blankets are also incredibly soft and luxurious. I sleep with both. I think one or two of these really awesome pillows would make a hospital bed (and recovery at home) much more comfortable. :)</p>
<p>Also, if you buy a book, you might also include a book light.</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>Remember, if she requires an inpatient stay, or even outpatient surgery she will be miserable for many days post-op. Speaking from both the receiving end and MD end- once you feel halfway human they tend to send you home. Anything you can help with at home is appreciated- food, such as baked goods, meals…flowers…errands… Vegging out in front of the TV is sometimes as much as you can manage, reading can require more brainpower/ concentration than you have- so much for my intentions… Of course, it also depends on where the surgery is- head, tummy, arm, leg… Best wishes.</p>
<p>Cash is the best gift.</p>
<p>Is your friend married or single? Some of the things she may need you to do could be different depending on if she has a spouse or not.</p>
<p>Thank you all! I like the pillow & blanket idea too. This mom is single & her only kid has gone off to grad school this year and its been so hard on her. Her son stayed at home for undergrad and they’re very close. And I’ll be taking care of her kitties while she’s in the hospital and looking after her house as well. & then run errands for her when she’s recovering at home. But I still want to bring her something to help make the hospital stay more pleasant and cheer her up. Thanks again everyone. You all are great!</p>
<p>I had surgery last December, and the only thing I really wanted at the hospital was someone who would be willing to go to my house when necessary, pick up things that I needed, and deliver them to me. The real challenges are at home, and you’re already doing the most important things – taking care of her pets while she’s in the hospital and running errands for her when she gets home. In my opinion, taking care of those responsibilities for her is much more important and meaningful than a gift.</p>
<p>It’s thoroughly unglamorous, but sometimes the most important thing you can do for someone who’s home recovering from surgery is to come over on the night before the trash pickup, empty all the trash cans, and take the trash out to the curb. If she can’t lift heavy things or if she’s using crutches or other equipment to get around, taking out the trash may be literally impossible for her, and it’s something that desperately needs to get done.</p>
<p>Also, on the day that she’s discharged from the hospital, she’s almost certainly going to need someone to drop off and pick up prescriptions for her at her pharmacy. I have never understood why the hospital doesn’t just fill the prescriptions from its own pharmacy, but they don’t, and that’s the way it is.</p>
<p>Maybe those tropical umbrellas could go with a tropical plant? You could probably get some more tropical themed decorations at a pet store - at least piratical stuff anyway! Amazing what they think you want to put in a fish tank. :)</p>
<p>I agree with socks. The last time I had surgery, my feet were freezing.</p>
<p>You can get your prescription filled at any pharmacy, the physician gives it to you to give you your choice; sometimes it’s worth going to the nearby pharmacy if you may need refills, the later convenience may be worth it. I would presume your insurance would cover the hospital pharmacy since you probably chose it in part for insurance plan reasons (what a wonderful world, when third parties help us make our choices…).</p>
<p>I guess you want a frivolous gift as well as the practical help you’re giving. Think of something as bright and silly as you want. Flowers- cut or potted would do it for me. Anything to take away from the seriousness of hospitalization, and since it’s a gift she won’t feel embarrassed by it even if she’s inwardly very pleased, it is, after all, a gift from someone, not her own bad taste… It can be something she and the nursing staff can joke about…</p>
<p>How about brightly colored gown/robe/lounge wear ( going with that beach/tropical theme) that she could use both in the hospital and at home during recovery and the rest of the summer. It’s someting useful that a lot of women don’t treat themselves to very often but are happy to receive.</p>
<p>A friend of mine arranged for gourmet meals to be delivered to a patient’s room. The meals were prepared in the hospital, and were in accordance with the patient’s medical needs. PO, you may want to check out the particular hospital your friend will go to, and then see if they provide this, or similar, perks.</p>
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<p>When I was discharged from a hospital a few months ago, I was not allowed to fill my prescriptions there, even though they obviously had the drugs on hand (since I was taking them while hospitalized). My husband had to visit several pharmacies before he could find one that carried an apparently unusual drug that I was supposed to take. This was time consuming and stressful (especially since it would have been dangerous for me to miss a dose).</p>
<p>I have also accompanied family members who were having outpatient surgery on several occasions. Every time, the medical personnel make you sign a form that says that you will stay with the patient for the rest of the day, while at the same time they hand you prescriptions that you have to go to a pharmacy and fill. They seem oblivious to the fact that they have required you to either 1) leave the patient unattended while you go out and fill the prescriptions or 2) drag a person who is obviously not feeling well into a pharmacy and make that person wait an hour for the prescriptions to be filled.</p>
<p>It’s a stupid system.</p>
<p>If she normally doesn’t have time to read magazines, bring her a couple of the current women’s magazines…if she doesn’t like one story or article, there’s always a choice of something else on the next page!. Oprah, Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal etc. Also…a great excuse to read something like People…for those of us who feel we need an excuse to read People! Or…maybe one of those fancy travel magazines to go with the tropical theme. An added benefit is she can throw them away or give them to someone else, rather than lug them home. (While I love plants and flowers, I never send them to people at the hospital if it’s a short term stays It’s so difficult bringing all of that extra stuff home and putting it away…especially if you’re not feeling 100%)</p>
<p>Unbreakable SMALL picture frame with picture of son and/or kitties you’ll be taking care of.</p>
<p>My basket of goodies for her is indeed filling up! I have a great picture of her son taken when he graduated from Cal. & I love the idea of travel magazines. Its perfect for the travel theme. & I think I may search for a little toy kitty. Thanks!</p>
<p>For a toy kitty, look for a beanie baby. Also, the company that makes the beanie babies also make larger stuffed animals. They have a baby line that is super soft like the Brookstone nap pillow and blanket. I don’t know if they have a cat in that line, but they do have really cute baby animals. I love to buy these for teenagers to take to college with them as they are so soft.</p>
<p>For a silly gift, how about the Playmobil surgery set? I gave it to a teenager who had surgery, and told her she could feel free to dump them all in the trash if it made her feel any better. On the other hand, some people are never too old to play. It can also be a conversation piece with the staff and visitors. (Depends a great deal on the personality of the recipient whether something like that is appropriate.)</p>
<p>lefthand, that is so funny! I’m going to go look for a set today!</p>