Hospital Hobby

When I was a teenager I spent a lot of time at the Children's Hospital.

Most of my time was spent as an outpatient or going to smaller procedures like scopes and barium follow-throughs, but I did have two major abdominal surgeries and a few hospitalizations because of pancreatitis.

Recovering in a hospital is often the exact opposite of what is expected. Recovery patients are monitored closely, often being woken up in short increments. Sometimes it would be vital sign checks every hour, every two hours, or every four hours. In extreme cases it was every 30 minutes. You are encouraged to walk and build up strength and recover quickly enough to spend the bulk of your resting time in the comfort of your own home.
But in between the monitoring and and procedures/tests, the rounds made by physicians, the student doctors coming in (if you were a teaching patient like me) and getting up for walks, there is a lot of down time but little sleep.
So I tried to keep my mind occupied by doing things that could be done from the hospital bed, without much movement.

Playing Boggle was one game I loved to keep busy with in the hospital. Reading was another. Sometimes I would paint my nails or even have one of the nurses wash my hair for me. But the activity I engaged in most often is making little beaded animals.
I have gotten rid of various ones over the years (I had nearly 30 different ones after my second abdominal surgery), but these are the ones I have kept and will continue to keep.
Lizards, flowers, a snake, an alligator, a peace sign, and a spider.
It was such a nice coping strategy, and the hospital provided the beads and string - which is inexpensive.
It was a great way to keep my mind busy and learning without negatively affecting my recovery.