Behind the Scenes

A little insight into what we do during the hospital stays.

• We try our best to take care of Brayden. We bring his noise-maker from home, a cd player (although his is currently broken), the movie Happy Feet, blankets from home, a couple of toys...whatever provides comfort.


• Jeremy and I have date night. It is sad to say that our last date night was during the last hospital stay in the spring. Brayden is situated and usually falling asleep, we let the nurses know that we heading out to grab a bit to eat. Down the street from this hospital is one of our favorite restaurants, Sweet Water Tavern. We order an appetizer, dinner and dessert (trying to make up for all that hospital food). If we cannot leave the hospital, we at least dine in the cafeteria together.
• I know Jeremy loves me because he knows my favorite thing from a hospital cafeteria is vanilla pudding (I know weird, right?). If he goes to get food and I ask him to get me something, he certainly brings me food, never to forget the vanilla pudding.
• I always stay at the hospital during the day. Jeremy stays the night.
• I like the nutrition center, a little room with snacks and drinks. I like to snack on dry cereal (sugary cereal that I never buy at home) and I really like the hospital ice with water.
• Nurses make or break a hospital stay. The night nurse this weekend is apparently no so good. First night, Jeremy fell asleep in bed with Brayden. The nurse tapped Jeremy on the forehead to wake him. Tap, tap, tap on his forehead!
• It is yet again July, the time for new meds students, first year residents...basically everyone "new" to their positions. You can spot the med students and 1st year residents...they carry a bag full of medical dictionaries or their coat pockets stuffed with references.
• Photos. Many, many times, Jeremy and I have used our phones to send pictures back and forth to let each other know how Brayden is doing (or things at home). I also have my camera. If you are like me, you take lots and lots of pictures but never take the time to pull the pictures off the camera. Not having much to do in the hospital other than wait around, I tend to my camera...and of course take pictures too.
• Yes, we get bored. At lot of time on the computer. I get a chance to catch up on blogs. Jeremy looks up fishing and hunting adventures and of course does work. There is not much on TV that keeps our attention.
• Speaking of TV...it feels a little weird to watch an episode of Real Housewives or the Kardashians, when medical professionals are coming in and out of the room and you need them to take you seriously. I tried watching Fox News but those stories seem to be on repeat throughout the day. I found Discovery and TLC seem to be safe (unless it is a Toddlers and Tiaras marathon, yikes!).
• At this hospital, for what seems like years, has 10+ channels that are stuck, meaning the picture does not change. Channels stuck with this lady in different positions and this man, who looks thrilled. I am tired of seeing their faces.

• Being in the hospital is not only disruptive to our family but tends to be disruptive to Brayden's medical needs. The ketogenic diet is difficult unless we are at Children's so I bring stuff from home and explain it all to the nurses and/or doctors. Medications that he takes are not all available via IV, we have to compromise on which would work best, including seizure medications. Some of Brayden's medical needs like suctioning his stomach several times a day, are NOT typical things to do, we certainly get strange looks when we explain it needs to be done (inevitably, they still check with his GI dr). And apparently, crushing the pancreatic enzymes for his feeds is a bit different because we handle that too.
• I always ask for extra supplies that we have a hard time getting from our supply company, it is our hospital swag bag.
• We are getting way too comfortable with hospitals...happy to leave.