What's Hospital Like?

If you are going for a visit, make sure you have something you can do while waiting (iPod, colouring pages, book, schoolwork, etc…).

If you are going to stay in hospital it is a good idea to prepare. You can pack your favourite pyjamas and your slippers. It is always warm in hospitals so we advise you to pack a light cloth for during the day. You should also have:

• A towel
• A face flannel
• A toothbrush, soap, etc…
• Your favourite toy

In hospital, it can happen that you don't have a TV in your room so we advise you take books, games and activity books to entertain yourself. During the day, you will be able to play in the hospital playroom and maybe even to make new friends!

The hospital food is healthy and adapted to your needs but it will be different to what you are used to at home. Don't forget to tell the nurses if you are vegetarian, don't eat pork or have any other food restrictions.

Many hospitals don't mind if you, sometimes, supplement their meals with food from local takeaways. However, it is better to check with the nurses before you get mum or dad to order a pizza, hamburger, chicken nuggets…

Hospitals can be a bit boring! However, there will be things to do on the ward and in the playroom. The playroom should have its opening hours displayed, and if not ask the nurses. You can use the toys and games in the playroom and, sometimes, you will be able to play with other children and adults in a red t-shirt (the play volunteers).

Here is a list of things you can pack before going to hospital or ask family or friends to bring for you:

• Drawing papers and pencils
• Activity books
• Your mobile phone
• A cuddly toy
• Schoolwork (If it's term time, a teacher will probably help you keep your work up to date.)
• Jigsaws
• Playing cards
• Your i-pod or walkman
• Your laptop (if any)

It is a good idea to put your name on your belongings and remember not to leave valuable items lying around where they might be stolen.

Here is a list of people you can meet in hospital:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Dieticians
• Play workers or volunteers
• A teacher
• An occupational therapist
• Physiotherapists
• Porters
• Cleaners

Your mum and dad will certainly spend as much time as they can with you. It is possible for at least one of your parents to stay overnight and you can also receive visits from your friends and family during the day.

Being ill can hurt. You might already have experienced a broken leg, a sore throat or a stomach bug, and you will know these hurt. At the hospital you should not experience too much pain thanks to the use of special drugs called painkillers or anaesthetics. Injections can hurt a little, but the pain goes very quickly (in a few seconds).

If you feel too much pain don't hesitate to tell your parents, the doctor or nurses. They will not know you are in pain until you tell them. You can also try to describe the type of pain. The doctor and nurses should relieve your pain quickly.

An x-ray is like a photo that shows the inside of your body and, more particularly, your bones. X-rays can go through the soft part of your body easily but they cannot go through your bones. It will show the doctor where the injury in your body is and how big it is. An x-ray is very quick and it doesn't hurt at all!

Your blood can tell doctors a great deal about how well your body is working. Sometimes they just need a single drop of blood from a finger prick. But usually they need more blood than that. They will then take blood from your arm, where the veins are larger and easy to see. Your blood is collected in a syringe and then put in small tubes, ready to be sent to the lab for testing. Don't worry, this normal procedure won't make you weaker.

An MRI Scanner uses a computer to produce pictures of your body but it doesn't use x-rays. It uses radio waves and a magnet. The scanner looks like a tunnel and your whole body goes inside at once. It is a very important and impressive machine and you won't feel anything if your doctors have to use it.