It is a wonderful blessing to those you love to visit them when they are in the hospital. It is a time when you can show them your love for them by taking time to sit and talk, bring them some "real food", or to admire a new baby.
However, you have to be careful because people are often under a lot of stress when they're in the hospital whether it be for an uncomplicated surgery, a new baby, or fighting a severe illness. Therefore, you should remember to put their needs before your own! :)
It's always a good time to try to check first to see if the patient is even up for visitors. Sometimes it can be quite lonely in a hospital room, and patients would LOVE the distraction. Other times the hospital is very noisy & the patient is exhausted and needs some uninterrupted sleep.
If you do visit, try to bring something little... a plant, some flowers, a trashy magazine, some food (my friend, K, made delicious cheese straws one Christmas; my friend, A, brought Krispy Kreme doughnuts; my friends A & MD brought chick fil A, etc). Those things will brighten the patient's day.
While you are there, offer to water the flowers, get the patient a drink or some snacks, make phone calls, or help them in any way.
Most importantly, make it a SHORT and SWEET visit, unless they beg you to stay. I mean really, really beg you to stay!
I'll never forget going through in vitro & I had come home from the transfer and was absolutely exhausted and emotional. Some precious friends came to visit and my husband and her husband started talking. THREE HOURS LATER, they left. When D came to check on me, I blew up at him!! It was after 10pm, I had wanted to sleep, not talk for 3 hours (even though I LOVED the wife, I didn't want to talk to anyone for that long!)!!! I was furious at D for not being a better "guard". So, don't stay away, but don't stay too long either!
Once I was pregnant with the triplets I had to go to the hospital three or four different times. I had made it to about 28 weeks and I had a complication that put me back in the hospital. A friend from years ago drove 45 minutes to come and see me. We had been acquaintances early in our marriage. She was thrilled to leave 3 children with a neighbor, and stayed for HOURS. I was on a bedpan, and needed to use the bathroom, but I was scared she would STAY. It was awkward and made me very stressed, which was not good for the babies!! I am sure I had 100 contractions when she wouldn't leave!!
My sweet friend, S, just went to Heaven after having cancer for a little over a year. She was so good about stating her needs, "Please come see me. I want some posters for my room", or "I need a stuffed animal to hold and some cupcakes from my favorite place". I rushed over with a stuffed animal before her final surgery and I am so thankful that I did. Don't stay away, just know when to leave:).
