Need Ideas Fast, Please!

sara1998 · #1 11-22-2004, 10:17 PM

A very good friend of mine was involved in an accident yesterday. She was rollerblading, and was struck by a car. Both her legs are broken, her shoulder is broken, torn spleen, slight brain hemmorhage..... ANYHOW... believe it or not, she is OK, she's talking, and wondering how she wound up in ICU. Unfortunately, she is in Arizona, and I feel helpless because I can't take off from work to go see her and help in her care. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas for a care package. I'm thinking of things she could do while she is on bedrest ('cuz she ain't going to be doing much else for a while). So far, my ideas are books, and hand held video games (Yahtzee, Poker...) She is right handed, and thank God it was her left shoulder that is broken, so she can at least attempt to write, draw, or color later on. If anyone here has been on bedrest for an amount of time, please let me know what helped you through, because I've never been there! (thank goodness!)

Maria

wondergirl9847 · #2 11-22-2004, 10:24 PM

Yikes, that is horrible!! I'm glad she's okay, what an ordeal! Hope she heals quickly.

How old is your friend? Does she like to do crossword puzzles, word find? Perhaps, she would like to listen to Fleetwood Mac while she works on puzzle books...hee.

Also, I'm wondering if she could do cross stiching.

sara1998 · #3 11-22-2004, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wondergirl9847

Yikes, that is horrible!! I'm glad she's okay, what an ordeal! Hope she heals quickly.

How old is your friend? Does she like to do crossword puzzles, word find? Perhaps, she would like to listen to Fleetwood Mac while she works on puzzle books...hee.

Also, I'm wondering if she could do cross stiching.

She's 25, and she'd **** if I sent her FM! She likes the likes of Korn....

Puzzle books are a great idea!

Thanks, Christy!

wondergirl9847 · #4 11-22-2004, 10:41 PM

Okay, nix the FM, hmmm...perhaps, a CD of Lindsey's hard guitar songs.

DeeGeMe · #5 11-23-2004, 12:14 AM

When I had to have reconstructive knee surgery in my 20's, I took up cross-stich and needlepoint. I read a lot. I watched a lot of tv. Videos or DVD's or her favorite films, maybe? Does she like books? I agree on crossword puzzles and word finds and other little puzzle games. Magazines are great too. The trashier the better. You want to be distracted when you're in pain and you're suffering. You also want good drugs but that's a whole 'nother story!

CelticGypsy · #6 11-23-2004, 12:17 AM

Romance novels or her favorite poetry, funny books, magazines
Some of her favorite tv shows on tape that she cannot get from hospital television.
Catalogs
Puzzles
Crossword puzzles
Board games
Handheld video games
laptop computer (maybe her family can bring this to her if they have one)
writing paper, colored pens, addresses of her friends and stamps
post cards that are colorful
a camera so she can take photos of her visitors and the nurses that took care of her.
If she can lift small weights, she can use 2 or 5 lb dumb bells when she feels better.
Coloring books and crayons or markers (I loved these after I had my kids and they would be asleep at the hospital when I had a free hour or two).
Rubik's cube
headphones and CD's, CD player
batteries for CD player
construction paper and scissors and stapler so she can decorate her hospital room.
Make-up kit, mirror, brush and comb set and some barrettes for her hair.
small crafts kits such as latching hook rugs, knitting needles and yarn, crochet hooks and yarn and instructions.
jewelry making kits
inks and drawing paper
paint by numbers kits

Hope your friend will be out of the hospital soon. I know how hard it is to have a friend in the hospital and it must be hard for you to be so far away from her. I am sure whatever you send to her will be appreciated. Also, don't forget cards, a plant or some balloons or a phone call to cheer her up too

amber · #7 11-23-2004, 12:20 AM

I would do movies and tv shows, too. As a rollerblader, your story freaked me out really bad. I'm glad she's "ok" although, i wouldn't think so if i broke my legs, shoulder, and spleen. Maybe you should send her the book "How to sue someone's f**king a** off" My good thoughts for healing are going out to your friend. Maybe you can send her some snacks, too? so she can pork up while on bed rest?

Just kidding, seriously, some yummy snacks would be yummy....

pianogirl04 · #8 11-23-2004, 12:34 AM

Alright, this is just brainstorming... sort of like 'if it were me, I'd want someone to bring me...'

*the kind of coloring books that you can 'paint' with water and a paint brush -- no mess
*a walkman
*maybe some kind of beading kit that's got chunky beads so she can string them with one hand -- I saw these at walmart the other day in the craft aisle
*legos? you can make almost anything with them
*stickers (everybody loves stickers)
*a kaleidoscope

I'm trying not to repeat things other people have said... hope this helps in some way

wondergirl9847 · #9 11-23-2004, 12:38 AM

At Wal-Mart (and other places, I'm sure), they have these velvet art posters you can color. They are WAY cool! I have about 5 of them that I've done. In fact, the attached picture is just one of the posters I have framed in my room. I love unicorns.

amber · #10 11-23-2004, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wondergirl9847

At Wal-Mart (and other places, I'm sure), they have these velvet art posters you can color. They are WAY cool! I have about 5 of them that I've done. In fact, the attached picture is just one of the posters I have framed in my room. I love unicorns.

hehe, I like those, too, cause i can't draw, but i love to color! Those are cool. I found i needed to get an extra set of felt tip pens, though. Also, i bought art paper, a few stencil pictures, and a box of 64 crayons that i had quite a good time with when i quit smoking...I know, it sounds stupid, but it's fun and meditative. For books i also recommend series. Good, easy ones are the Narnia series, and the Wrinkle in Time series.

GardenStateGirlie · #11 11-23-2004, 12:47 AM

Thank God she's okay...be sure to update us.

You could even allow her to pick out her own DVDs with maybe a subscription to netflicks or something of that nature. I'm big on magazines too so if she's interested in something specific, that might be another thing to try. Other than that, just things to make her comfortable...maybe a new pair of pj's, comfy pillow/blanket?

sara1998 · #12 11-23-2004, 07:38 PM

Thanks for all the ideas! I wound up getting a pair of PJ's, a gift certificate for books, puzzle books, 3 hand held games (poker, solitare, and 21), gel pens and a sketch pad. Oh! And hand held yahtzee. And, since she loves Hello Kitty, I saw a small desktop water cooler, so I got it so she can get something to drink on her own.... water.... lemonaide.... apple pucker.... bourbon!

I wanted to get her some beads and stuff for making jewerly 'cuz she gets into that, but I'm going to wait a little bit.

She's doing OK...she will walk again, and have full use of her limbs, they don't expect any brain damage at all... and she gets to keep her spleen. But she goes back into surgery tomorrow to finish repairing her right leg and her shoulder.

Amber, and other rollerbladers, please be careful out there!

Maria