I have finally got home after a week in hospital after a flare up of chest infection and asthma. Just wondering what others experiences' of stays in hospital have been? Im 24 and was the only one under about 60 on the ward of 9 and found it extremly difficult to sleep at night, which made my health worse if anything, I'm sure! Obviously the first few nights were a write off due to the heavy breathing and continuous obs/ meds etc... but as time went on and my asthma/chest improved I still found that the night life on the ward hampered things somewhat!
Not wanting to complain...the nurses were all great and took me under their wing on the ward. Glad I've returned home now, but was just wondering what your ecperiences of being hospitalised entailed.
Thanks everyone! Sarah x x x
18 Replies
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The same I'm afraid. With the added anxiety on my last admission of being in a ward with a very confused elderly lady who kept wandering about at night trying to disconnect everyones IV's.
It's always a huge relief to get home......glad you're back home.....remember to take it easy though!
Take care
Feejay
seren85,
Every time I have been in hospital I always end up on a ward with lots of old folk.
I really love that and always help them (read to them a story,comb hair for them,pass them a drink and move tv so everyone can see and tick their meal charts for them,mother them alot and we all end up great friends).
When im not bed bound that is.
glynis xxx
ps. staff brill and always had good care but hope this year no more hospital admittance
edit-glad your home Seren85 im always glad be home to x
When I've been inpatient I dislike the general wards. Staff are Mostly nice but things get missed and you don't get the same support as the nurses in respiratory ward. The respiratory staff are able to answer questiomns better and more understanding of unusual symptoms of asthma. Plus easier to talk to other patients with similar illness and symptoms. Tho age gap can be annoying
I go onto the paeds wards and i can't complain about them at all (though i still do!). Everyone gets a single room with an en suite shower and toilet plus the rooms all have there own telly. The day rooms really nice too though it can be a little isolated as people tend to stay in their rooms. Visiting times are anything before 8pm which is good and the food is from a kids selection. But i've heard of adult wards being very differnt!!
Thanks to everyone for their experiences. Once I was feeling better and saw that I was very nearly ready to get home I was able to see that the end was in sight and began to be able to help the elderly patients around me- they were very friendly and supportive.
I know that beds are so so short, to be on a bed in any ward is better than being stick on a trolley in the medical assessment unit, but I can't help but feel that I'd be much better suited age wise to the on the teenage ward, a a specific ward for people with breathing problems, as this would clue me up a bit better about my condition.
Thanks for the repsonse and it's reassuring to know that others have similar experiences. Sarah x x
The only relaxing experience i've ever had in hospital was when I got the whole adolesent bay to myself on a ward when I was 15, or in october when I was isolated for swine flu.
Hospitals must be in the top 100 worst places to relax.
i am currently on day 4 of a hosp stay and still on MAU not even in my local as I was in the cinema with a friend! Havent had much sleep at all!
Internet
One other thing... being really prepared for a possible over night stay in hospital, I had my friend bring in my laptop, hoping to be able to connect to the internet. While I was able to watch DVDs and listen to my music I couldn't connect to the Internet- one of the nurses said something about a dongle (my laptop had wireless built in- but apparently this doesn't matter).
Does anyone understand anything about getting the internet on the wards? Sorry for my complete ignorance!
Thanks! Sarah x x x
It is when I read things like this I am so thankful to be treated by the RBH, the nurses are friends, you know all porters, plebs cleaners etc. I am just going into week 3 of what I had hoped would be a 10 day stay but other things put a minor spanner in the works. Mind you it helps no end to have my lap top, my mobile phone and best of all my 2 roomies (I am in a 3 bedded bay) are lovely and we help each other along and we dread when someone goes home and cross everything that the next roomie will be OK.
Bex
ps if you are about the RBH for I am here until at least Friday so please feel free to pop up!
Seren, to get access with a wireless enabled computer there has to be a wireless network transmitting near by eg Wi-fi. Not all hospitals will have this plus you either need a free wi-fi - no access code needed, or one where you can get the access code - the hosp may be reluctant to do this!
A dongle is basically a small modem or mobile internet receiver - It works on the same principle as a mobile phone but is a long lump of plastic that you plug into a USB port. You can get contract ones or pay as you go - much better if you don't need to use it usually.
But, Ensure you can get mobile reception on the ward before you load it up with credit!
Hope this helps.
Kate
I am the longest resident still in MAU in southmead bristol! I hve always a overnight bag with some books etc but if longer than overnight then DVD's dongle and laptop please! and food blande food potato's and veg every meal!
re:mobile internet
would add that some mobiles can be used instead of the dongle for connection, just blue tooth connection to the computer and phone acts as a modem, OK for the occasional use otherwise can be expensive.
Can you explain how you go about doing that woody?
I have a blackberry...
not sure with a blackberry but Nokia works through their PC Suit software.
the lights never go off at the right time, its always noisy and there's always someone screaming or a confused elderly lady asking you strange things. I've had one who has come over to my bed and kept poking me to wake up (this was after a sleepless night on HDU) to ask me if it was christmas. It was April. Its impossible to sleep in hospital at night, they never have to wake me up for abgs, obs or meds cos I am awake and they think i'm texting when actually i'm on mobile facebook!
I never know when i am going to leave cos I am not one who usually has lengthy admissions so I never usually have all my things to keep me relatively sane like my mobile phone charger, laptop, books etc!
sadly i have mobile phone charger in my handbag along with mp3 player lots batteries,enough drugs for a weekend-not in boxes-and deodorant and toothbrush and toothpaste. attached to handbag is my omrom and my torniquet the smell of the disposable ones makes asthma worse and YES bag is heavy
@me not sure if you ever did get your blackberry to work as a modem but found this in my newsfeeder
I have noticed the same as you. Every time I end up in my local hospital, I am the only person of my age group in the chest ward, all the rest of the women are over 60+. Where do the rest of the young people go lol. I was lucky this time, although the ward was full of over the 80 age group this time they were very quiet once it was bedtime, none of them snored, got out of bed, nothing at all. It was BLISS lol. Lets see what happens next time I go in.
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