T+3 (Home Away from Home – Part 2)

As discussed in yesterday’s blog post, Tracy and I chose the inpatient option for the stem cell transplant process. As long as there are no major complications and the engraftment takes place, I should be home before the end of the calendar year.

The inpatient unit for The Ottawa Hospital TCT program patients is called “5 West” (5th floor, west wing). Each patient on this unit gets a private room as we are all immunocompromised in same way. I was going to walk around and count the number of rooms for this blog post but, since I’m stuck in my room under COVID lockdown, I estimate that there are approximately two dozen rooms.

UPDATE: A TOH representative reached out to inform me that there are 20 private rooms and 13 day hospital beds

There is nothing particular special about the hospital rooms … they appear to be the same as most other hospital rooms I have seen. I am fortunate, particularly given the COVID lockdown, that I was assigned what used to be a double room. The additional size makes my captivity a little easier to take.

When Tracy and I reached the conclusion that an inpatient stay in hospital was the best course, we started kicking around ideas for how to make my stay as comfortable as possible. The ideas encompassed clothing, food, lighting, and entertainment.

One notable example of a creature comfort is the desk lamp in the picture below. This light, a birthday gift from Tracy, is a welcome alternative to the overhead fluorescent lights, particularly in the evenings. It has become quite the conversation piece among the medical staff.

Another example is an electronic picture frame. I loaded it with pictures that remind me of happier times. I look at it frequently and, so far, doing so has not yet failed to elicit a smile. As a bonus, it is a great conversation starter with the medical staff who drop by room throughout the day.

Thanks for listening,

Mike