Gifts to make life bearable in hospital?

[WomblingWriggles]

What can I take into hospital to make things a little more bearable? The patient is a female in her late twenties. She has had surgery on her back, and will be in for at least a week.

So far I have a special interest magazine, a puzzle book and a fiction book.

sweets? drinks?

Inspire me!

nice juice? nice showergel? a framed pic? chocolate/sweets?

don't take too much though as she'll have nowhere to put it all!!

Some sort of bookrest - reading lying in bed is really tiring on the arms, so something you can balance on your front and squint at much easier.

And some sort of nice-smelling body lotion. Hospital air is pretty drying - and pretty smelly...

I was grateful of babywipes to freshen up with & dry shampoo. Guess it depends on whether she can use the shower yet or if she's confined to bed.
If the hospital TV is on a pay-per day/week basis, a pre-payment card is handy.

suduko and a pecil and rubber
ipod

Edible food. She won't be getting any there.

My SIL brought me in a fresh diced up honey dew melon and a fork once, it was heaven.

A nice pillow/cushion
Lavender oil
Facial wipes, a small mirror

lip balm.

some nice essentail oil stuff - lavender is probably safes/nicest

phone credit/TV card

wipes/dry shampoo/nice shower gel

nice pyjamas?

Nice hand cream

Offer to do her laundry!

Lucozade

M and S instant food! eg nice sarnie, ready made salad etc

An ipod or DS if you have one to lend?

Is she interested in any crafts at all? My mum did loads of crochet when she was in hospital after heart surgery, even if she's not tried it before, if she was interested at all you can get some great introduction magazines for knitting or crochet to get started :)

a selection of magazines, then you can read bits and peices form each when it takes your fancy.

Some really nice squash type drinks - the water tastes a bit odd in hosptial and this will make it better

Buy her a hospital Internet connection. I spent 3 days in hospital a couple of years ago and I think it was around £12 for that time -saved me from absolute boredom.

internet connection is free in my local hospital

in hospital during last summer - my friend brought me a pic of me and my kids - i didn't c them for 2 wks so it was lovely to have

Fantastic ideas. Thankyou. will put a pack together for her.

EAR PLUGS-hospitals are soooo noisy!!!
vaseline
baby wipes

some 4711 cologne - makes you feel fresh and clean in stuffy hospital

m&s food

I second the ear plugs. And some antibac wipes - the TV/radio units over the bed tend not to get cleaned. You could even take her some new headphones.