DH stay in the room, DH stay in a hotel?

My DH really hates hospitals, the smells, sounds, waiting around, etc. He went with me in the morning, stayed all day, and when I was aware of my surroundings (about 8PM) I told him to go home. I would have spent all my waking seconds worried that he was miserable. In general when I'm not feeling well I want to be left alone, so sending him home was as much for me as for him.

We only live 20 minutes away. If it was 2.5 hours I think he would have stayed in a hotel or even in the car as long as he didn't have to be in the hospital.

And I know there is a nursing shortage, but at my hosp you wouldn't know it. They are so dedicated to patient care you can't imagine. Each nurse only had 2 or 3 other patients, and Ihad a nurse's aid who was at my beck and call. I hate to ask others to do things for me so she didn't have a lot to do!

Best wishes!

Goal this weekend is to get online and find what hotels have good deals. I will call the hospital to see if they have some affililiations too. Homestead Studio Suites often has $49 a night internet rates, so I will check there first.

I did tell dh to bring along some books, magazines and quiet projects in case he gets restless. I have already packed Christmas cards and stamps and he can get a head start on that project while I lay about. Under no circumstances am I allowing him to relieve his boredom with televised sports on this princess's private room TV!

I had a private room, and highly recommend it. (in my case, i'm a whiney bratty kid, to quote my mom) Our hospital has nice waiting rooms with regular couches and recliners. You can have DH stay in there for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Let the night shift know where he is, and if a problem comes up, or if you just want him there, they'll get him. When my mom-in-law was in the hosp. all her kids took turns staying the night, and that's what we did. Two would stay up and two would go to the lounge and crash.

Check with your hospital about a hospitality room.. for $15 a night, the hospital where I am staying will provide my spouse a separate, private room so he can stay nearby but not have the interruptions that he would have if he stayed in the same room with me.

All your replys have me thinking now....my DH was planning on staying the night in a "cardiac chair" in the room...hopefully a private one...had a semi when I had my second DS and it was horrid....roomie was nice but she was a c-section, breast feeding and post tubal patient....completely opposite of me...so the nurses came in alot for her and her huge family....back to my DH....maybe I will send him home after I am settled for the night....He snores so loud at times....may keep the whole floor up....we only live about 12 miles from the hospital and I can call if I have problems, right? Just have to have him sleep with the phone on my pillow that night.....Doctor said 24 hours and then home if no complications.....my DH will be more receptive to wait on his punctured princess if he gets a decent night's sleep.....
Think this subject is something to talk about this weekend.....Thank you all for just being out there....it is so comforting knowing you are there.....
Mary Ann

I had a private room, and DH stayed with me on a fold-out recliner. I thought I would want him in case I had the Evil Night Nurse. Well, the care was great, and even though he usually sleeps lightly, he was GONE both nights he stayed with me--slept through everything. Nevertheless, I was and am so glad he stayed. It was so good to know he was there in case I needed him, his little sleep noises were was one familiar set of sounds among the strangeness of the hospital sounds, and when he got up to use the bathroom he would come and hold my hand. He says he was really glad to stay because he simply didn't want to leave me. The last night, he went home because he needed to get lots of stuff ready for me, and I was confident in the quality of care.

Every couple will come to a different solution; that was ours. If nursing had been bad, I would have wanted someone, and would have asked friends to stay over if DH weren't the type. In any case I would have wanted someone the first night. I was so helpless and it was all so strange--I had only been hospitalized once before, in another city and decade, and I simply needed him with me.