HospitalHacks on Seaboxes Blog

HospitalHack 4 - Three Point Plan

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 20:35:00 +0000

This hack is especially important while your child is nauseous!

The three point plan is simple:

At any time, have three vomit bags visible.

You never know when you'll need it!

HospitalHack 3 - Footwear

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 20:19:00 +0000

What happens in hospital, stays in hospital.

Requirements:
- Warm feet
- Footwear that's easy to take on and off to get in and out of bed
Solution:
- Socks
- Thongs

I'm not the only one, when lining up at the ~~trough~~ food cart I looked down, a mum in the next room was doing the same.. Great conversation starter!

HospitalHack 2 - Pollyanna Positivity Principle

Mon, 09 May 2016 20:46:00 +0000

Doing the cancer walk with your child is not all roses.. It’s tough! It’s hard to stay positive and look at the upside. As per a previous post, attitude is transferable, if you’re feeling one way, your child picks up on that and runs with it too. So in this Hospital Hack I share how I (try to) stay positive.

While in hospital we’ve watch a lot of movies, it’s a great way to pass time with your little one. Anyhow while watching the 1960 classic Pollyanna something struck me as a good thing to do, The Glad Game. It’s as simple as finding something to be glad about, no matter what the circumstances. Pollyanna plays this game when everyone is whinging about it being Sunday, she says she’s glad it’s another 6 full days until it’s Sunday again.

HospitalHack 1 - Coffee

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 03:12:00 +0000

I love coffee, and it’s awesome the hospital provides coffee, of the Blend 43 variety. I’m not a coffee snob, but Blend 43 doesn’t count. Well, Blend 43 counts if you really need caffeine, then it’s bearable, only as a double shot with sugar (ok, that’s a little snobbish, and I feel a little bad knowing it’s roasted down the road). Anyhow, my preferred coffee is an small (8oz) double shot skinny latté with no sugar. I do like it slightly bitter, so if there’s a choice of coffee shops I’ll hunt to find a blend I like.

You know you're a father of a 6yo girl with cancer when...

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 02:04:00 +0000

Over the last few months of being at hospital I’ve created a list of things that indicate I’ve got a girl with cancer:

Vomit bags decorate the house
You can talk the medication lingo Ondanse, Max, Dex, Loraz, Oxy, Lasix, Cyclo, Vinc, Dox, Cisplat …
Don’t go to the beach or swimming as you know the central line can’t get wet
A ‘day pack’ now includes a medications you know the ED don’t regularly carry
You know your childs’ name, date of birth and allergy status
It’s not uncommon or uncomfortable to have conversations about wee poo and vomit (much like when you have a baby)
You know how to be a patient patient, you’ve jumped the queue before when things were serious, so you know why there are people ahead of you.
Much patience and flexibility is required to get your child to do what you want (choose your battles, look for distraction/rewards, give limited choice)
You know your childs’ name, date of birth and allergy status
You know your childs hospital ID(UR) number
You not only know all her stuffed toys names, but their attitudes
Know that sometimes it’s easier to hook up NG feeding than have the one hour I’m hungry but I don’t know what I want conversation
Have a hospital day bag always half packed ready to go
Have a check list of the things not to forget for a hospital day trip
You know your childs’ name, date of birth and allergy status
Know that the car park full sign means you’ve still got 90% chance of finding a park (even if it takes 15 minutes to find it)
Drink sensibly and keep under the limit, in case you have to drive back to hospital
Know what is like to sit in the back seat of your car
Can scan a room full of kids, pick out the one with a runny nose and divert your child from going anywhere near them
Know that it takes at lest 2 hospital ’towels’ to dry yourself
Wash your hands before, during and after eating
You have a three vomit bags in site at all times
Stickers, the prize box and playdoh are currency
Know the smell of an antibiotic wee
Eat smelly food outside the room.. Unless you don’t mind catching vomit while eating.
Don’t eat spicy food, just in case the after effects cause …vomiting
Are skilled at the art of waking from a deep sleep, jumping out of bed and catching vomit
Think you’re good at ‘biting your tongue’ when you’re tired and cranky and have an opinion on return everything
You know that you can’t play Happy Chef in the iPad when she’s nauseous
You know the difference between a cough and a the start of a vomit … ahh.. No, no you can’t
Paper towel is the official note paper of nurses
You can cook bacon and eggs on an underpowered sandwich toaster without fire alarms going off
Blend 43 tastes ok if it’s double shot with two sugars and you really really, really need to be caffeinated
Have no trouble discussing a bowel motions and what a poonami and overflow is with the doctors
Can flick a vomit bad open on one movement of the wrist
Just like camping… Use a cup if you forgot the bowl; a spoon makes an ok fork if you can’t find one
As with everywhere.. Build a relationship with the receptionist and cleaner, they are valuable people to know

This is the start of my #HospitalHack series of posts, over the coming weeks/months I hope to share how I’ve made our hospital admissions a little more bearable.