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Hospital visitors?
Reading this recent column from Nichole Kohr, Celebrating ‘Company’: Visitors at the Hospital, I once again found myself relating to much of what she said.
My relationship and comfort level with visitors while inpatient is constantly changing. As a child, nothing made me happier and helped pass the time than having friends or family visit me in the hospital. As a young adult, there were only a few people whose presence and company I was comfortable with. I would accept other visitors but found that it wasn’t restful or comforting to me; I wanted to be sleeping or relaxing rather than chatting. In recent years, I prefer to not have company (with the exception of my partner, daughter, and visits from hospital staff who have become like family). However, I no longer have any hesitation in expressing that! If I am not up for a visit, I will thank the person for thinking of me but say that I’d prefer to not have them stop by.
How do you feel about having visitors in the hospital?
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1 Reply
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Ah, nice topic. Pfff, long time ago that I was in hospital, I always refused to get in-house treatment for IV antibio, so they sent me home with a portable system. Saved me dozens of admissions.
But I had my appendectomy in 2015 and hence was admitted for 5 days. Only visit I wanted was from Debbie, and her brother came along one time which was nice. We didn’t even tell other friends and family until I was home again. And Debbie did not even have to visit in the beginning, because after the surgery she refused to leave me alone and managed to charm the head of the ward into putting an extra bed in my double room (which I watched in awe). So she could watch over me, which was no luxury because in the beginning they gave me the wrong painkillers (oxycodon, you know …) that made me suffer from short episodes of respiratory arrest, from which I would awake every time, only to sink back into semi sleep and have another episode. No one came to help, but after Debbie reported what she saw happening they changed my medication into something more suitable.
Anyway, every morning after we had breakfast and coffee in the hotel room, sorry hospital room, Debbie took the car and went home for a couple of hours to let me rest and take care of the house, have lunch and diner, and returned late in the afternoon shortly after my diner to stay the night. It was very cozy and we had fun. No other visitors required.
When younger, around 10 years old I think, I was admitted several times, and my parents and sister came to visit which was nice, but as a young kid I was always very upset to see them leave again, so I wonder what was worse, being alone or having to see the visitors leave time and time again.
Later I mostly enjoyed family to visit me, but never asked friends or other acquaintances. Hospital days are filled with weird protocol anyway, and it is nice to have a rest in between all these activities. The beds are mostly not suitable for good sleeping either, so I had to catch up sleep over day. And food is the worst, so you get weaker and weaker every day, it is always a race against the clock what will happen first, starvation or discharge. So far I managed to get out in time.
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