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Illness & Disability

Handling hospital visits

Being in the hospital can be scary – even for adults. Not only are you in a strange place, but you may have to deal with new medical tests and treatments. Not knowing what will happen to you can be hard, but it will help to ask questions, trust the people around you, and find ways to relax.

It can also help to remember that hospitals can be very supportive places. The staff is there to help you get better – they are on your team!

Being around new people top

The hospital can be a good place to meet people, even though that may sound funny. If you have to be there for awhile, talking to other patients your age can make it more fun. You may even have a roommate to keep you company, but you can also close a curtain in between you to have privacy. You'll also meet many new health care staff, including doctors, nurses, and technicians. Technicians are the people who take x-rays, draw blood samples, and perform other tests. These new people will be in and out of your hospital room at all hours, which can be uncomfortable sometimes. These new people are there to help you get better, though.

Being away from friends and family top

It’s hard to be away from friends and family, but hospitals have visiting hours so that they can come to see you. Here are some tips to help you deal with being away from home:

• Have family spend the night. In some hospitals, parents can visit whenever they want, and other family members usually are allowed to visit longer. You may also be able to have a parent stay overnight.
• Use the phone to keep in touch. You will likely have a phone in your room, so you can keep in touch with people that way. Calls may be added to your hospital bill, so check with your parents first.
• Invite your friends over. Once the doctor says it’s okay for you to have visitors, people can come by to keep you company. Ask your friends to bring games and pictures to get your mind off your hospital stay. It can be tiring to have too many people in your room, so make sure to say something if you need rest.

Feeling like you are missing out top

It just plain stinks to be stuck in a hospital when your friends are enjoying school and being outside. It is a common feeling to worry that you’re missing out on all the fun at school and in your neighborhood. It is also common to worry that everyone won’t remember you. But they will remember you, and there are things you can do to stay busy until you get well.

Helpful tips:

• Bring things to the hospital that are familiar, such as your favorite pajamas and books.
• Write in a journal.
• Visit the activity rooms to see what kinds of movies and games they have.
• Make friends with other patients your age.

Keeping up with schoolwork top

Missing school might not seem so bad at first, but then you might worry about how much work you have to make up after your hospital stay. If you feel up to it, you can try to do some of your work in the hospital, but don’t worry if you can’t get to it. Focus on feeling better first!

If you’re worried about falling behind, you can look into:

• Tutors. Some hospitals have tutors to help young patients keep up with their classes while they are in the hospital.
• Homebound programs. If you have to spend a long time at home getting better after a hospital visit, your school might have a teacher who can come help you with your schoolwork.

Feeling Pain top

No one likes to feel pain – even adults. But your doctor will talk to you about what your tests and treatments will be like. It’s also okay to ask if these things will hurt. Talking about what to expect doesn’t stop the pain from happening, but it can make it less scary. Also, the doctors and nurses will do what they can to make you comfortable.

Pain and surgery. If you are scared about surgery, remember that it will not hurt you while it is happening. You will either be asleep or parts of your body will be numb so that you can’t feel a thing. When it is over, your health care team will help you to feel better as fast as possible.

Learn more about what to expect from surgery.
Read more about pain relief.

Leaving the hospital top

It might sound strange, but it’s normal to have mixed feelings about leaving the hospital. You might miss the health care team that took care of you, or worry about taking care of yourself from now on. It might take some time for these feelings to pass, but it will feel good to be back with your family and friends.

Advice from other teens on going back to school
If you are a little nervous, excited or scared, you can hear about other teens that have gone through the same thing. You'll also find out how to get the extra help you may need to make going back to school easier.

Not knowing what will happen to you top

Most everyone would agree: The unknown is scary. While it is not fair to tell you not to worry at all, there are things that might help you feel better.

• Stay informed by asking questions. This will help you feel more comfortable with what is happening, even if there are some answers the doctor may not know yet.
• Trust the people around you. Your family and health care team are doing everything they can to make you feel better. Even if they can’t answer every question you have about what will happen to you, they will do everything they can to make you comfortable along the way.
• Find a way to relax. When you are worried, find a way to comfort yourself and turn your thoughts to happy things. For example, look through photo albums of your family and friends, watch a movie you love, cuddle up with an old stuffed animal, or write in a journal. This activity can be your "trick" to feeling less scared, and then you can spend your time working on getting better.

Helpful Tools top

• Yes, I want to learn more about hospitals! Learn more about what it’s like to stay in the hospital, such as, whom you will meet, what they do and what kinds of tests you might have.
• How can I make my hospital stay more fun? Check out the links below to learn from other kids how you can make a hospital stay easier to handle – and maybe even fun.
   
  • Check out Band-Aids and Blackboards, a web site for kids and teens about growing up with a medical problem.
  • The more information you have and the less you worry, the better. To read all about what will happen to you, see the article, "What is it like to have surgery?"

Content last updated June 2, 2007

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