Hospital stays can be traumatic for patients and their family members. Here are the top 10 ways to survive a hospital stay while maintaining your sanity.

10. Bring your own pillow. A good night’s sleep can be lost or found with your pillow.

9. If you are computer oriented bring your laptop or tablet. Most hospitals have wireless and some will even let you borrow a laptop.

8. Bring a list of the medicines that you are CURRENTLY taking. Medication lists are built over time and trust me, your medical record will contain every medicine you have ever taken. Make sure they are aware of the ones you take today, not last year.

7. Have your questions ready BEFORE the doctor arrives. They will make rounds only ONCE per day. If you fail to have a question answered today, it will wait until tomorrow.

6. Patience is not only a virtue, it will keep you sane. Even though your test is scheduled, no one knows when that is. You will know as soon as they walk in your room to get you. That’s just how it works.

5. Every person taking care of you has their own opinion about how you should do things…and believe me they will share it. Many times every opinion is different. Determine what works best for you and go with what makes you the most comfortable.

4. If you are in the hospital it means you are sick…probably very sick. There are peaks and valleys in your path to getting better. If you become sicker it’s not necessarily the hospital or healthcare professional’s fault. That’s why it’s called a treatment course. The road isn’t always straight.

3. There are thousands of patients who move through a hospital each year. Every patient has different needs from food to religion, or lack thereof. Just because the caregivers aren’t familiar with your specific desires does not mean they don’t care. You should let them know how you feel about these things.

2. The movie Roadhouse really sums it up…BE NICE! Nothing will cause a doctor or nurse to retract from you and your family faster than being rude, mean, or disrespectful. There is an unwritten book on how to deal with rude families or patients and all healthcare providers know it by heart.

1. There are doctors who only see patients in a hospital. They are called hospitalists. Request one. Their goal is to make you less sick, not miraculously heal you overnight.  Any doctor claiming otherwise is …well … see #5

Bonus tip

When you board a plane you always want to get on and off the plane first. Your ability to do that is solely dependent on where you sit. Most doctors go to the top floor of the hospital and work their way down. Request a room on the highest floor. This will ensure you aren’t the last patient the doctor sees.