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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To enjoy being in hospital?

122 replies

onefortheroadplease · 08/10/2017 22:23

Am I really weird to enjoy being in hospital?

I have recently had an overnight stay for a minor operation, and the whole build up to the operation, plus the stay and recovery afterwards, I have really enjoyed Confused

I love having an atheistic, love the wooziness afterwards, plus the lovely sleep drifting in and out of consciousness.

I love having cups of tea brought to me, and being able to legitimately have a nice rest.

Obviously it goes without saying that if I was in hospital for something serious it would be horrific and scary, and I would find it terrifying and want to be anywhere but hospital.

So AIBU to feel this way?

OP posts:
Welshmaenad · 09/10/2017 06:50

You're all mad. Restful? I was in recently for an emergency operation/serious infection and was going stir crazy, even in a private room there was too much noise to sleep properly plus they would wake me at 5 every morning for obs! I've never been so exhausted in my life.

The cups of tea were nice though

Seeyamonday · 09/10/2017 06:52

I can imagine nothing worse than being in hospital. Was there a few years ago for a heart bypass, General Anaesthetic made me so sick, noisy nights (porters whistling at 3am, staff that don't listen, it was truly awful and now they want me to go for more surgery..... Hell no!!!

SabineUndine · 09/10/2017 06:56

I hate it. No privacy, being ordered about and woken at all hours to take meds. NO fresh air. Horrible! I

cresit · 09/10/2017 07:00

I used to day dream about solitary confinement in prison when the kids were little, a pile of books, bread and water. Heaven.

ElizaDontlittle · 09/10/2017 07:08

I've had 2 long stays (3 months and 4 weeks) plus 8 admissions during pregnancy, plus various shorter stays.
I have PTSD from intensive care and I have barely ever had a private room or been on a ward which was not boiling hot. I was out in 8 days after an emergency ileostomy - with hindsight it was too soon, managing the bag was hell the first 4-5 days at home - but that was how strongly I felt about getting out.
Even my elective operations have been several hours in theatre and poorly controlled pain the first 24 hours. Urgh. And there's another bowel op to come in the next year, I will have to really psych myself up to cope with the first couple of days.

I'm glad not everyone feels like this though!!

BalloonSlayer · 09/10/2017 07:13

arf at No China tea let alone peppermint

You should have refused to pay the bill!

steff13 · 09/10/2017 07:17

I used to day dream about solitary confinement in prison when the kids were little, a pile of books, bread and water. Heaven.

A co-worker used to talk about this. Not solitary confinement, but we decided we wanted to take a vacation to jail, just for like a week. You don't have to cook or clean anything, you can just sit quietly and read all day.

morningrunner · 09/10/2017 07:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TammySwansonTwo · 09/10/2017 07:18

In the decade or so before my twins were born, I had 8 surgeries. I hated them all, every second of every hospital stay, long recovery periods, unmanaged pain (I'm already on morphine and used to be on so much they could never manage my pain properly).

They're now saying I need a hysterectomy but I'm going to wait until the twins are a bit older and can move themselves around - I do picture it as a bit of a holiday even though I have a good idea of the pain I'm in for!

toomuchtooold · 09/10/2017 07:21

Only overnight stays I've had have been at big London hospitals that were as busy as Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon so not all that restful unfortunately. Now I live abroad and have Swiss insurance, I would quite enjoy a minor something or other Grin

Oblomov17 · 09/10/2017 07:30

I enjoy it very much. The peace and nit being hassled, cups of tea bought to me, and all meals. Love it.

eurochick · 09/10/2017 07:33

You are all mad. Hospitals are bloody awful places. I literally can't wait to get out.

BeyondThePage · 09/10/2017 07:47

I hated being in hospital - a 6 bed bay in a 4 bay mixed ward, the noise was horrendous, the constant round of tea/food/meds/observations really intrusive, the toilets were smelly and constantly in use, no privacy, no let up from the noise of "ill people", the beep of machines, the visitors -you own and other people's. Being dragged her there and everywhere for scans and tests. Doctors changing all the time so you had to explain how stuff happened to multiple people multiple times... Got right on my nerves.

Now... a private en-suite room in a private hospital in the care of your own personal team - might be a bit different.

Pleasedontdrawonyoursister · 09/10/2017 07:49

After the birth of DD2 I stayed in a birthing unit for 3 days. I cried when I had to leave!!!

ujerneyson · 09/10/2017 07:53

I had DS2 privately. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Beautiful room, comfy bed, gorgeous food, Sky tv, proper breast feeding support and cups of tea for all my visitors.

PoppyPopcorn · 09/10/2017 08:07

To be fair my most recent experience which was relaxing and restful apart from the vomiting was in a private hospital with single rooms and ensuite bathrooms. I'm sure things would have been less relaxing in a ward with 3 other women, all vomiting too.

NooNooHead · 09/10/2017 08:14

When I had my ectopic, it was half and half - I had my own private room with en suite on the ward, but I suspect it was because most women in my position needed privacy and we were all traumatised to be hauled in and told our pregnancies were failing or in danger.

The room and en suite were marvellous by NHS standards and the level of acute care absolutely faultless. The teaching hospital at Norwich was excellent, but I would say one night staying there on my own in that room was enough - despite all the trauma and pain, I was bored stiff, tired, sick from the anaesthetic and very hot! It was not pleasant at all!

EssentialHummus · 09/10/2017 08:49

I loved my overnight stay in the Birth Centre at Lewisham after DD was born. I’ve not slept as well since.

formerbabe · 09/10/2017 08:52

I was completely gutted when 2 hours after giving birth the midwife told me I could leave...I was really looking forward to a nice rest in hospital with just my baby and no housework.

TossDaily · 09/10/2017 08:58

I was in hospital for ten days due to complications following the birth of my DS1.

Nineteen years ago, and it remains one of the best holidays I've ever had.

YANBU

FlakeBook · 09/10/2017 09:03

Are you all going to a very different hospital than I have been to?!

Hideous uncomfortable beds
Lights on and off all night and people walking up and down
No privacy
Disgusting food
Can't get a cup of tea or a shower when you want to
Boiling hot
Can't go outside

Just hideous

Tiddlywinks63 · 09/10/2017 09:07

I think it depends on how much pain you've in- when I smashed my ankle I was on morphine, Tramadol, ibuprofen and Oramorph and it barely touched the pain. The GA was the only good bit.
More recently I spent three days in hospital and felt too sorry for the overworked staff to really say it was in anyway 'enjoyable' (I was also feeling too ill to actually 'enjoy' the rest)

Tiddlywinks63 · 09/10/2017 09:11

And having 2 IVIs, monitors and a catheter was hardly pleasant!

TooStressyForMyOwnGood · 09/10/2017 09:13

Well I am a HCP so am very familiar with the environment which probably makes a difference. However, I was on a standard maternity ward in a 4 bedded bay which was full.

Bed was fine. A bit hot but nothing hotter than a summer's day. I'm used to general noise and hospital noise so that also a bother - I can sleep / rest through anything anyway. Food was absolutely fine and loved not having to cook or wash up. I never expected a cup of tea when I wanted it, had a jug of water which was fine. Got many more cups of tea there than when chasing after a toddler anyway. Bliss not to go outside versus having to take said toddler out at least twice a day while heavily pregnant to tire them out.

Plus being woken up overnight / at 5am then being able to rest was far, far easier than getting up at 5 and having to start the day with a two year old who barely sat still. Staff also were brilliant (they didn't know initially I was a HCP so nothing to do with that).

Like I said, I loved it Grin.

TooStressyForMyOwnGood · 09/10/2017 09:15

Xpost Tiddlywinks, as I said earlier I was lucky to be quite well and it is of course a different story if you are really unwell and feeling terrible.