Dear LPG,

I went to the hospital recently and spent quite a bit longer than anticipated there after a major operation.  I have to say that while I was recovering from the trauma of the surgery I was sleeping most of the time and not in a place where I could do very much, but then, when I was physically feeling a little better, I found myself just sitting and not doing much while the days just came and went.

With nothing else to do or look forward to except the occasional visitor, meals and medication I found myself with a lot of time to think.  I have to say that most of those thoughts were focussed on the pain that I was experiencing,  and the what-ifs surrounding what would happen if the outcome was not positive, which left me quite depressed.  A few weeks later I was up and able to get back to my routine but I have to say that, I didn’t need a doctor to tell me that the weeks I spent just sitting and thinking did not do me the power of good.  

I have decided that the most important thing needed in any life is structure, something that my life was seriously missing at the time.  Routine is one of the major things seriously missing when you are stuck in a hospital ward with nothing to do. 

It is ironic that when at home I, like many of my friends, often complain because there is not enough time in the day to achieve everything I want to do, and that was another aspect of thought that kept getting to me.  I found it quite alarming when thinking of all the things I could be doing and which were piling up while I was stressing about them. 

I noted a post in your pages in which LH gave some really good advice about always being prepared in the event that you suddenly find yourself in hospital for any reason (►►►).   I would just like to add that you should also prepare something to occupy your mind while you are there.  Trust me, it is important to have something to do while you wait to get better.  I suggest that you take pen and paper so that you can catch up with your correspondence, get your tablet or laptop brought in so that you can access your emails, or perhaps it is a time to start your autobiography; basically do anything rather than doing nothing.  If your surgery is planned you have even more of an advantage.

You may become really friendly with the person in the bed next to you that you while away the days putting the world to rights between you, but just in case that does not happen, I would like to remind LPG readers to also think about planning something that you can do as soon as you feel fit enough to overthink everything. 

FP, Lewisham