Second Grader Will Be in Hospital for Four Days Following Hip Surgery-any Advice

Whatever you do-do not leave him alone for one minute-do not allow anyone in the room who is not masked and gloved-especially the staff-and if someone brings the "community", filthy mop around to do the floor-don't let them in the room-best of luck!

i would get large t shirts so he can be comfortable. it will be easy for him to move around and wont need pants. i would bring a couple of his favorite games and toys.

I not know a lot...but books, magazines would be fun. Otherwise he will probably be sleeping a lot or watching tv. Also..if its a pediatric floor...they may have a toy room where they can get out and play in (may be hard with hip) or you can bring toys/games into your room.

Best of luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery !

I can't address the recovery, since ours was a different problem, but my son was hospitalized for 9 days when he was in second grade. The most useful things we had there were a sketchbook with art supplies, a sticker book, and some of his legos.

See if the hospital has a child life specialist on staff. If so, talk to him/her. Our hospital had several, and they were wonderful. Their job is to help kids cope with all the strange things they have to put up with as part of a hospital stay. My son still has, almost two years later, the "hospital buddy" doll one of the child life specialists made with him. Any time my son was going to need to have something done (he had a chest tube, which is pretty scary), they used the doll to show him what was going to happen and to explain why they needed to do it. It made things a little easier.

WEll sorry to hear your little guy is having to go through this first off! Next as to questions you should be asking I have worked in healthcare for 15 years so I'll do my best to help you out here. Make sure you know the game plan for surgery and post op prior to the surgery. Ask about his physical therapy and where it will take place sometimes they send someone to your home other times you have to go to a facility. What medications will he need after for pain, infection prevention ect. I find the more you both know before the procedure will make the whole thing a lot less nerve racking. Make sure to explain to him that when he goes that he will get an IV so it's not suprise he will get stuck with a needle, also that if needed they can and will give him something for anxiety if you ask the dr for it. the dr doing the procedure and the anesthesiologist will talk to him and you the day of surgery and go over everything again to make sure you know what will happen. Just some inside stuff that they may not go into with him prior ~when he goes into the operating room he's going to see tons of lights and machines that may seem overwhelming but don't worry they are there for your safety, also it will be cold in there but they will give you warm blankets, they will also be attaching sticky patches on you to attach monitors to make sure all of your organs are working properly and handling the surgery ok. I think that the more he knows prior to it will help him be prepared rather than shocked when he gets there. As far as what to bring most hospitals have movies,games, and things to entertain kids who are there but I would suggest bringing a laptop or tablet/portable dvd player if you have it just incase, also any movies that he likes to watch, maybe some markers and coloring book, little things that you can keep him entertained with after surgery when tv has gotten old. Cards/small games are also something to take. I also find that a pillow or blanket from home that makes him comfortable to sleep will make it not so hard to sleep in a place where he won't get much sleep. People think they get put in the hospital that they will get lots of rest, unfortunately its not the case most of the time because nurses and techs will be in and out every few hours to check vitals and incisions ect. to make sure he is doing ok so prepare for very broken up sleep. Mom bring a pillow and blanket it gets cold in there alot so make sure you are warm. I hope this helps a little if there is anything else I can help answer please let me know. Best of luck for your surgery I hope everything goes smoothly and you have a quick easy recovery!!

Set up a page on caringbridge.com and his classmates can write him get well wishes!

Ask the Surgeon.
The Surgeon and his/her team, would or should meet with you.
To explain and tell you about it and after and the recuperation etc.
They will also send you home, after the surgery, with a packet of information and aftercare, information. And meds etc.
If not, ask them for handouts.

Ask the Surgeon, anything you are wondering.
That is what they are there for.

When my daughter was 7, she had surgery for a Hernia.
It was general anesthesia, and the Pediatric Surgeon and the team, met with us. They explained everything. And after.
My daughter's surgery, while not the same kind as your son, but her recovery was about 6 weeks.
We informed her school, and about her condition/what she can or cannot do etc. and the Teacher and her classmates, all as a team, helped my daughter.

The key is, to ask the Surgeon or the hospital, all your questions.
Because, it is not generic info.
He may or may not be able to eat before or after.
After the surgery, recovery will take time. And the Doc will be checking on him after etc. Your son will be there for 4 days after his surgery. The Doc should be telling you, what is allowed or not, to bring in.
I assume, bringing some sort of lovey or comfort object is fine. As well as books or what not and some clothes for him to go home in. But ask the hospital.

Per the wheelchair... is your home, wheelchair friendly? Is there any stairs??? ie: is his room and the kitchen and the family room and the bathroom... all on the same level of the home??? Can you then, wheel him around to where he needs to go? If not, is it okay... to carry him??? Or not? And if you are allowed to carry him per the Doctor, how do you do it safely and per his incisions etc.? ASK the Doctor, how you can transport him.... in the car and at home... and what you can do or not.
This is very important to know.

Also, can your vehicle, accommodate a wheelchair??? it folds, different types of wheelchairs.
How will you transport the wheelchair in your vehicle, for your son?
Will he be able to sit in his car seat and per the seat buckle if he is in the car?

Will he need to be in his wheelchair, 24/7? Or can be be in his bed to sleep? If so, how do you transport or carry him, out of the wheelchair and into and out of the, bed, safely?

What do you do for any pain he has?

What about bathing him??? How long after he is home, can you bathe him or he be in a shower? Can the wheel chair fit in the shower? If not, then ask the Doc, how to bathe him???
What about his bandages?? When will he need to go back to the Doctor for follow-up exams???
How are you supposed to care for his bandages and change his bandages??? What do they recommend, you buy, for him, to do this?? Ask the Doc.

Will he need to go to physical therapy or anything after his recovery?
What do you look for, as he recovers, to know if it is healing fine or not?

All the best.

I am so glad you were not asking information on school work. When I saw the title, I thought that maybe you were.

Forget about schoolwork, but let him catch up with whatever he likes academically or not via a laptop computer. I love what another mom said about having his teacher and friends connect online! God bless.

I know my second grader would be happy to stay in bed for two weeks with an ipod touch, especially if he could get wifi! His ds would keep him happy too.

My sister was 13, but some of the same things should apply(she was in one for a year recovering from a double open fractured femur and shattered knee on opposite leg).

Friends over as much as possible!
Go on walks with the kids, or if weather isn't permitting, perhaps a group walk in the morning at the mall with a group breakfast(have your iPod on for his privacy--I had my Walkman back then), so they can have buddy time.
Pizza and movie night(with lots of pictures of them having fun!) once a week.
If they're bookworms, have a reading night where each kid reads a chapter of a book they all want to read(also good for the AR testing a lot of schools have these days). Even if they aren't bookworms, the group reading thing will help all the kids improve their reading, and discover what kind of books they like.
Scrapbooks for him and his friends containing pics that are being taken.
Anything that has him doing routines he normally does with his friends to keep his spirits up(a chair can bring a kid down REAL quick if you're not careful).

Hugs to you Mama! Keep us posted!

A fun bag filled with his favorite toys, books, coloring/art supplies. Maybe a few handheld game devices, dvd's for watching movies and anything that makes him comfortable.

You should also encourage some of his friends to stop by when he is up to it so he has some company. Good luck!