Hospital Crohn's Patient Cart

Okay everyone I need your help!  I have Crohn's, I have an ostomy, and now I work for my doctor and surgeon and I have a fun project to do-A hospital patient cart of goodies.

Basically they used to have an ice cream cart that woud go around in the afternoon and offer ice cream or frozen juice cups to the patients then it disappeared (probably funding or something like that).

Now they want to bring it back in fill it with items IBD patients (both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis) might want.  So far I have come up with soft toilet paper since the stuff at the hospital feels like tissue paper, air freshner, we are going to create our own videos on the diseases and surgical options so I will have our own IBD library on DVD to offer, and our internal newspaper which will include informaiton on local IBD groups such as CCFA and support groups.

What else would you recommend for my IBD patient cart?

Thank you!

Erica

Thanks! I'm really enjoying it and feel very blessed with the opportunity. When the website is up I will post it!

The main thing I can think of is bottled water. I know we can never get enough water...especially if we're in the hospital.

Chocolate, desserts and other high energy foods that are low-residue and either gluten free or dairy free.

I don't know what the hospital food is like there, but here the meals aren't big enough to give us the energy we need, and there are no high-energy options for people with food intolerances.

And yes, soft toilet paper. Maybe some squirty bottles for rinsing bottoms too.

Oh, and perhaps some samples of different supplement and meal replacement drinks.

This is such a good idea, Erica. I hope it succeeds and is embraced by the hospital, as it should.

Ivy.

lol Randy! What a great opportunity Erica! I go with all of the above and a definite must is the yoghurt, as mentioned. I know my first long walk in hospital is to buy some yoghurt from the shop in the lobby.
Jo

Soups - good idea, eva.

Good idea on the cart for IBD.

Love the idea. I don't have much to add ... maybe apple sauce and jello but I'm sure you get plenty of that from the nurses. Pedialyte? Banannas?

How about popsicles and G2?  I am always dehydrated and popsicles are a great treat.

heating pad!!!

Maybe some lotion? My skin gets kind of dry when I'm sick and dehydrated. Or little bottles of olive oil for soothing fissures (I'm hooked on this thanks to pb4 )

I had my meeting with my doctors and they loved the list of items-so the next step is to make it work!

Thank you!

I second the personal items. I bought a toothbrush as I got thrush in my mouth and thought a new toothbrush might be a good idea once it had cleared up. Deoderant for the night sweats. Definitely the underwear, I had to get my friend to buy me two lots of 5 pairs when I was in because I didn't want my male friend who was looking after my cat rooting through my underwear drawer to bring me more in :P Pen and paper to keep track of the tablets they were giving me, because if I didn't they didn't. Also to keep track on how I was feeling. Magazines. Moisturiser for face and body, preferably one with a gradual fake tanner in it, makes them think you're getting better as you get more colour in your face (worked for me haha) and they let you home quicker. I used Nivea, it's cheap and it works. Also I've never been so moisturised after spending 16 days in hospital with nothing better to do than rub cream all over me. Sanitary towels, took me about 10 mins to get a sanitary towel out of the nurse one day because she was foriegn and didn't know what I was on about even though I felt like I was on "give us a clue".

I know they've all been mentioned but I thought I would point out why they were important to me.

Also nightdresses, I used the hospital ones the whole time I was there because I was sweating everynight, but it would have been nice to have had my own once in a while.

As I was on a liquid diet I couldn't buy any sweets off the trolley :( but I would have been buying them out of stuff if I could have done. Mini cheddars and fruit gums...mmmmmmmmmm.

Good luck with your project.