Friend in Hospital

Howdy TW. This is my buddy since we were just little babies. His name is Jon and he has AML. He's currently getting chemo and is getting a bone marrow transplant next week. Prayers are certainly appreciated but that's not my main reason for writing.

l'm looking for gift ideas for him while he's in the hospital. He's not allowed many visitors or even able to see his 2 year old son due to having a weak and compromised immune system. Long story short, any ideas help since he will be in a hospital room (by himself) most of the time.

Ideas I have so far are iTunes gift card for movies and games. A planner/log to keep track of days and progression. He already has Netflix. Being able to FaceTime helps him see his family and boy.

I just didn't know if any of you have or have had family members in the hospital for long periods of time. Maybe some of those "that was a great idea" while in the hospital. I realize my friends situation is unique because of lack of visitors, going outside, and also can't have outside food. I'm really mind boggled on what to do to even help make time go by. As I wrote before, my only idea is movies and iPhone games.

Any idea or help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Cannabis edibles as it will help with the chemo.

 

best gift is your time…..

magazines and things that keep your mind busy.


id be stoked for edibles.

 

Can he use an xbox or something? Some games would keep him busy

 

Friend went through this last year and he said it helped a lot with the chemo, it will help him feel normal, like you said also take his mind off the treatments hopefully, help with his appetite.

Bring him some, you'll see a lot of changes.

 

Judging by the shirt in the picture hes in Kansas City Kansas/Missouri so marijuana is illegal there.

 

yeah, im sure there is absolutely none of that in those states…


id rather have cannabis over pills…but lets not get into that debate. Oil drops does/did help a lot especially when you cant smoke it nor have an appetite for anything.

back on topic though….chemo does take away energy. xbox may be fun, but requires a lot of energy and can be stressful at the same time. Asking him what he wants is the best, but little helpful things, like tinker type toys or doodling will keep it busy. i dont really know what to suggest as you know him better than all of us. If it were me, id build a model car, but knowing me, id be that friend who will buy my friend a fleshlight and stuff it with snicker bars.

 

he could binge watch a series like entourage or game of thrones or something

 

PM sent

 

Colorado is his neighbor, along with New Mexico.

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881

 

Yup, he's here in KC at The Unversity of Kansas Hospital. I actually work there so I get to check in on him. With his immune system getting weaker I won't be able to hang out with him much. Not sure if they can get video game systems in their room? Bought him an iTunes card today for movies. He has Netflix so I told him to watch Walking Dead or Breaking Bad.

Anything to pass the time really. He needs to walk every day so thought about getting him a Fit Bit wrist thing to track activity. There's really not much I can think of that he probably doesn't already know. I'm sure he'd rather be comfortable at home with his 2 year old boy.

I had a baby girl a month ago and we were in the hospital for 4 days. Healthy baby but premature so we had to stay until her weight got up. Not to compare, but i was going crazy after 4 days in a little room. And with her being premature it was similar in where we couldn't take her out much I have visitors. I hate comparing my healthy baby story to my friend going through chemo. Just saying it gets boring in a hospital room.

Thanks for all the advice. Feel free to follow him on Facebook Jon's Journey

 

I passed over the pot post the first few times I read the thread but, I actually have some legit questions and would like to be educated (if that's possable).

In what form did your friend from last year (the one who went thru chemo) consume? Did they bake some brownies, smoke it, eat it dried or???

I know the friend had chemo (I hope he/she has done well) but, for what disease or illness? What drove the chemo?

Was chemo the end treatment? In other words, was the chemo combined with radiation, was there a bone marrow or stem cell transplant that followed?

Do you know which, specifically, chemo was used?

Were there any other underlying issues?

Again, hope the friend is doing well.

 

Prayers sent for your friend BC. I will add John to the prayer list at our church.

If Jon is a MLB fan, he has a great team to cheer for.

 

When my best friend was in the hospital waiting for his "new" heart he did lots of legos and wrote music.

 

I'm not a Lego person, but for some reason that actually sounds pretty awesome if I was stuck in a hospital room. Might actually get him a cool one. Thanks for the tip.

 

If I was in the hospital and unable to see my wife and children I would go bat shit fucking crazy. A photo album or photo book these days, of my family would be the best gift anyone could give me. Sure you can have photos on your smart phone but the sentiment behind the album or book is priceless.

 

Yeah, time killers.
Best of luck to your friend Cmurder.

 

Thanks for all the great ideas. Just trying to help my buddy from going crazy and bored. I didn't realize all the things that go along with his AML. It's one thing if you're in the hospital and can have visitors and maybe even walk outside for some fresh air. But what I was unaware was that he has to stay on the unit or in his room 24/7 with almost no visitors. That's the part that got me.

Keep the advice coming. Hopefully it helps others of they or someone they know is in the hospital.

Photo books
FitBit
iTunes card
Legos (I really like this idea)

 

In what form did your friend from last year (the one who went thru chemo) consume? Did they bake some brownies, smoke it, eat it dried or??
-he used a vaporizer. You can eat it in edible form like brownies or cake, they now have gels or tinctures that can be placed under the tongue that's absorbed. For purposes of chemo vaporizers seem to be the most popular form, some people have a tough time eating it when they feel nauseous. Since your friend is in a hospital edibles may be his only option.

I know the friend had chemo (I hope he/she has done well) but, for what disease or illness? What drove the chemo?
-leukemia

Was chemo the end treatment? In other words, was the chemo combined with radiation, was there a bone marrow or stem cell transplant that followed?
-if I remember correctly I think he had an initial round of chemo and like your friend spent the first few month or months in the hospital, he was able to go home and was going back to the hospital for chemo. He would use cannabis before and after his treatment. He also had a bone marrow transplant from his brother, initially it was going good, but his body ultimately rejected it. My time line is all messed up, seems like it was recent but he passed last year unfortunately. He first went into the hospital maybe 4-5 years ago, just seems like yesterday, still think about him, he was my buddy.

Do you know which, specifically, chemo was used?
-unfortunate I don't, sorry.

Were there any other underlying issues?
-with medical cannabis? Or his treatment, or his health?