Daily Living

Coping With a Hospital Stay: Two Viewpoints

It's an emotional time if you or a loved one has a cardiac emergency and needs to go to the hospital. You may feel helpless, frustrated, scared, or angry. Janett Probst of St. Paul, Minnesota, knows what that's like. She kept a journal during and after her recent emergency hospitalization. Her doctors did extensive testing to learn why she had experienced chest pain and passed out. Janett, 45, recorded a range of emotions in her journal.

What's Wrong With My Heart?

Excerpts from Janett's Journal

How did I end up here? One minute I was picking up my daughter after school, and the next I was in an ambulance. I remember feeling mild pain down my arm and in my upper back. And I noticed some chest pressure but thought it might be indigestion . . . . It's amazing how you can go from normal life, feeling in control, to lying in a hospital bed, feeling totally out of control . . .

Everyone keeps asking me what happened . . . it reminds me that I don't yet know what's wrong . . . [One test] may show a partial blockage in one of my arteries, which means I could have had a mild heart attack . . . I know I'm in good hands with my doctors. But I wish they could say, "Here's exactly what happened and why."

Read all of Janett's journal entries.

According to Mary Jane Rasmussen, RN, when something unexpected happens to your health, those feelings are normal. Rasmussen is a cardiac nurse who worked with heart patients for many years at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She read Janett's journal entries, then shared with LifeBeat Online some suggestions for dealing with emotions during a hospital stay. She also provided practical tips to help you through the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

Needing Immediate Medical Help

When you need emergency medical help, it's not like watching a medical emergency on TV. You're not just an observer. And you're no longer in control, which can be unsettling.

The people taking 911 calls, the ambulance staff, and the doctors and nurses at the hospital—all are experts trained to deal with emergencies. Focus on the fact that they will do everything they can to help care for you.

Dealing with Uncertainty

While you're waiting to be diagnosed, you might think: "Why me?" or "When will I get back to feeling normal?" If you need lots of tests, you may think, "I don't have time for this, and neither does my family." Those feelings are normal. People often go through different stages such as anxiety, denial, and anger before they start to accept what has happened to them.

Like you, the doctors and nurses would like the answers to medical problems to be immediate and clear-cut. But that's not always the case. Tests are often needed to rule out reasons for your symptoms and zero in on the most likely cause.

Doctors have to look at all of the evidence—your history, symptoms, and test results—before they can make the best-informed decision. No one wants to spend time in the hospital. But until you are diagnosed, and perhaps until you receive treatment, being in the hospital is safer than being at home.

Making Your Hospital Stay More Comfortable

When in the hospital, you may get tired from too many callers or guests. If so, ask a friend or the nursing staff to help you limit interruptions or visitors without hurting people's feelings:

Give your cell phone to a friend to take calls.
Turn off your bedside phone or answer it only if you feel like talking.
If it's OK with your nurse, close your hospital room door so people don't just drop in to visit.
Put a sign on your door asking visitors to check in with the nursing staff, and give the staff a list of approved visitors.
Have an outspoken family member or friend sit with you and tell visitors after 5 or 10 minutes that you're getting tired.

Even if you're tired, try to move as much as possible—but always get a nurse's OK first. Walk up and down the hallway to get your muscles working. Or, if you need to stay on a monitor in your room, do some leg and arm exercises as you sit in a chair. Ask your nurse for exercise suggestions.

If you'll be in the hospital for a few days and need some of the comforts of home, ask someone to bring in:

Some personal items like pajamas and a robe
Special photos or children's drawings to put on the wall
A CD or tape player with your favorite music (and headphones to avoid disturbing others)
Crossword puzzles, games, playing cards, or needlework

What About Treatment?

Treatment depends on your individual situation and symptoms. You may need medications, angioplasty, a stent implant, bypass surgery, a device implant, or a combination of treatments. Once your doctor explains your options, you may have questions and concerns. What are the side effects of medication? How safe is a stent implant? Why do I need bypass surgery instead of a simpler procedure? Is the problem likely to recur, even with this treatment?

Don't hesitate to ask questions of your doctors or nurses. The answers may not come with a 100% guarantee. But learning about your treatment choices may make you feel less anxious and more like a partner in your healthcare decisions.

Adjusting During Your Recovery

After you're home from the hospital, it's normal for you and your family to have an adjustment period, both physically and psychologically.

Physically—Depending on your treatment, you might need to alter your lifestyle. For example, you may need to make changes in your diet. If you've had a procedure or surgery, you might have limitations on heavy lifting for several weeks. But generally once you receive treatment, it's a matter of getting back to your routine. Be sure to ask your nurse about acceptable activities—and how you should pace yourself—during recovery.

Psychologically—It's reassuring to leave the hospital with phone numbers of nurses, social workers, and your doctor. Call if you need to and they will try to help. Read through the educational brochures that describe your condition or treatment. Know which medications you're taking and what they do for you. In addition, find out when your next doctor visit is. All of these things can help you feel reassured about your health, and more comfortable with your treatment and recovery.

If your family is overly concerned as you recover, say you appreciate their thoughts but continue to tell them you're OK. Over time both you and your family will adjust to the idea of your medical condition and your treatment.

Try taking a day-to-day outlook—rather than wondering what you'll feel like in a month. Adjustment never happens all at once, it happens day by day.

In time you might find that you have a new appreciation for your health. Maybe you will decide to focus on the ways in which you're still healthy instead of the health problem that you've had. Many people find this helpful in the long run.

Read all of Janett's journal entries about her emergency hospitalization.

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