long surgical recovery...how to keep entertained

[disfan07]

I am going to be having brain surgery at the end of june. the in hospital recovery is supposed to be about 7 days (2 in ICU and 5 on main floor) without complications. After that, I was told it will be about 2 weeks at home before I can really move around for any lenght of time and than another 2 or 3 weeks until I am basically back to normal. So I am looking for ideas of how to keep myself entertained for about 5-6 weeks.

I know that while I am in the hospital, i am going to be on a lot of pain meds and probably sleeping much of the time so I'm not expecting to be able to do much while I am there.

But when I get home, there is seriously only so much TV I can watch before I want to jump off a bridge..lol.

My mom is taking me to barnes adn noble before the surgery to stock up on books and my grandparents are buying me an ipad to help entertain me but does anyone have any other ideas of how to keep from getting too bored? Everything has to be able to be done either lying down or sitting in a recliner.

In reality, I won't know what I will actually be able to do until after the surgery becasue it will all depend on how I am feeling but I want to be prepared so that I don't have a chance to get really bored.

 

[The Orchid]

I was in the hospital/nursing home for almost a month after a hernia repair went bad. I spent a lot of time talking to friends on Facebook, playing Farmville, watching movies, reading Harry Potter, listening to music and talking on the phone! It's tough when you have that much down time, but most of us have a list of movies we'd like to watch or books we'd like to read. This is your chance to do it guilt free!

I hope your surgery goes well!

 

[shortbun]

Good luck!!! I think I'd stock up on DVD's, CD's of some great music and schedule some friend visits everyday so I had something to look forward to. The time will pass quickly or slowly depending on your preparation.

 

[disfan07]

yeah I don't do well with down time....lol. I always have to be doing something

It's really a bummer though because I will now be spending my 21st birthday in the hospital instead of at Disneyworld

That's probably the worst part of all of this...lol

 

[clarabelle]

Recorded books are good
www.audible.com has them and you can download them to your I-pod
Libraries have them sometimes too.

Is there a TV show that you never saw -that is out on DVD? You can get all of Lost or some other show that has several seasons and have a marathon.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a good one with lots of episodes.


Also you can get some cool apps for your I-pad
"Angry Birds" is big around my house right now

Do you like to color? I know it may sound silly. www.doverpublications.com
has loads of coloring books on all kinds of subjects. Not just kid things.
Things like Art Deco design or American Masterpiece paintings. You could get a good set of markers or colored pencils and go at it.

I hope this helps. I wish you a speedy recovery!

 

[mom2travel]

along the lines of a PP's coloring idea... I've seen "coloring books" with really cool designs/patterns (like stained-glass window type pictures) at Michaels. That might give you something fun to do while not being entirely mindless.

Maybe you could find some little kits of crafts at Michaels or AC Moore. Or gather your photos now and work on albums/scrapbooks while recuperating - even if it is just cropping photos, not doing the actual pages

Do you like crosswords, word search, sudoku, etc?

Read WDW books and plan your next trip to celebrate your belated birthday and your recovery!

Good luck with your surgery. I wish you a quick and easy recovery. And a happy 21st birthday!

 

[Pembo]

I had brain surgery 6 years ago. I was in the hospital for 16 days and spent the summer at home recuperating. For me, I couldn't watch tv or read. I did a lot of sleeping and enjoying the peace of the day. I also had exercises to do from physical therapy.

From my experience, you won't need a lot to do...you'll figure it out as you go.

Best of luck on your surgery.

 

[The Orchid]

I thought of something else I did during my recovery. Crafts! I love to scrapbook and it is a very low key activity. But there lots of things; painting, crocheting, knitting, embroidery and tons of other things.

Have you ever wanted to take up a new hobby but never had the time? For example, have you ever wanted to learn photography or sign language or some other hobby? This would be your chance to buy a "how to" book or instructional computer program and spend some time learning. There are tons of things you can learn how to do. Who knows? Perhaps you could come out of this recovery period with brand new interests.

And I agree with the above poster about watching a TV series that you've never seen. Lost is excellent! And anybody who starts it now is lucky because you don't have to wait between episodes. Now THAT is the best way to get through Lost! No agonizing delays, no waiting nine months for the next season...you can just go right through the whole thing. And many shows are available online. I know that on ABC.com you can watch a LOT of their TV shows, and in some cases you can watch the entire series and not have to pay for them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have been on bedrest twice. I am a video game player, so I did a lot of game playing. Easy to pass the time playing a lengthy RPG.

Good Luck on your surgery and recovery!

 

[powellrj]

I had brain surgery 6 years ago. I was in the hospital for 16 days and spent the summer at home recuperating. For me, I couldn't watch tv or read. I did a lot of sleeping and enjoying the peace of the day. I also had exercises to do from physical therapy.

From my experience, you won't need a lot to do...you'll figure it out as you go.

Best of luck on your surgery.

I have never had brain surgery, but from the surgeries I have had, that has been my experience. I load up on books and dvds, but I usually just spend my time sleeping and relaxing. I am the type that had to be doing something all the time, but somehow I never have the energy after surgery.

 

[golfgal]

Will you be able to read or do crossword puzzles, etc.? I would get as many movies for your laptop as you can (or get a laptop if you don't have one). At least that will keep you occupied. You can also get some games loaded on your laptop-card games, etc. If you have to lay in bed or on the couch, work out some sort of table or something to hold your laptop before your surgery.

Good luck.

 

[wendinator]

About 5 years ago I was in the hospital for 5 1/2 days and then had a 6 week recovery. As someone else mentioned, you're likely to spend quite a bit of time sleeping, so there may not be as much free time to kill as you think.

In the beginning I found it hard to focus on anything for too long, so reading was out, and I wouldn't make it through a whole movie either. Though as my recovery progressed, I did watch quite a few movies. By that point you'll also probably be ready to start doing physical things again to get your strength back.

Good luck with the recovery! And try not to get discouraged when it feels like it's been FOREVER since you felt normal.

 

[golfgal]

About 5 years ago I was in the hospital for 5 1/2 days and then had a 6 week recovery. As someone else mentioned, you're likely to spend quite a bit of time sleeping, so there may not be as much free time to kill as you think.

In the beginning I found it hard to focus on anything for too long, so reading was out, and I wouldn't make it through a whole movie either. Though as my recovery progressed, I did watch quite a few movies. By that point you'll also probably be ready to start doing physical things again to get your strength back.

Good luck with the recovery! And try not to get discouraged when it feels like it's been FOREVER since you felt normal.

Good point. Stock up on Reader's Digest magazines. With the short stories and features they are great for shorter attention spans like this.

 

[donac]

Take up knitting. YOu spend the time making a scarf. Very little thinking. You can put it down when you are tired. YOu can make some Christmas presents while you are sitting there.

Good luck with the surgery.

 

[Best Aunt]

Netflix.

 

[Tinkermommy]

Take up knitting. YOu spend the time making a scarf. Very little thinking. You can put it down when you are tired. YOu can make some Christmas presents while you are sitting there.

Good luck with the surgery.

Well I was going to suggest crocheting. It's easier to learn in my opinion.

I like to make small projects (dishclothes, scarves, hats).

How about puzzles? I love doing those.

Or even puzzles books - crossword, sudoku (sp?), word search, etc.

 

[disfan07]

Thanks everyone. Yeah I know that chances are, I wont be able to do much but I like to be prepared (It's the OCD part of me...lol)

 

[BellvilleDad]

Sorry you have to go through that, good luck!

After my biggest surgery, I watched box sets of my favorite tv series'. I see it's been mentioned above. just thought I'd cast my vote for that, too.

Take care!

 

[pezheadmeg]

I've been there after ankle surgery and it's tough not having anything ready to do. For me it was a totally unexpected break, so I didn't even have time to prep anything.

Another vote for the TV shows. What's nice about that is almost all are under an hour, so if you tire out you can pick it up later. I even took the opportunity to watch Gone with the Wind, it's one of my favorites and I never have time to watch it.

It's also a great time to catch up on any reading that you've been wanting to do. I was averaging a book every two to three days when I was stuck sitting on the couch.

Get yourself a comfy couch blanket and the right lounge wear. It really does make a difference if you feel somewhat pulled together. Even if you aren't leaving the house.

 

[scrapquitler]

But when I get home, there is seriously only so much TV I can watch before I want to jump off a bridge..lol.
.

Board games with the family? Card games or solitaire? Soduku.

Honestly, I'd be thrilled to be have the time to pursue some of my hobbies: it might be a great time to knit, crochet, scrapbook, quilt or embroider, learn to make jewelery.

Then again, I might be tempted to get really organized and be productive: addrese envelopes for christmas cards (way ahead of time, but it would save time later), sort my paperwork for taxes or to clean out my desk, sort the family photos into photo albums, peruse my recipe books for new recipes to try.

And I could spent an infinite amount of time: disboards, facebook, farmville, etc.