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HomeResources and SupportA-Z resourcesHospitalization and surgery

Hospitalization and surgery

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Below you will find a variety of resources to help you better understand, cope with and/or support someone who is hospitalized or needs surgery. If you are coming for surgery at CHEO, read our getting ready for surgery guide.

 Books

Children in the hospital: a guide for family and caregivers / Lansdown, Richard.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

This book provides an introduction to the everyday life and emotional needs of hospitalized children, their families and hospital staff.

Cooper gets a cast / Olson, Karen. 

Atlanta, GA: Pritchett & Hull Associates, 2003

Cooper shares his experience of having a cast, so other children can learn about this simple medical procedure.

Cooper gets a CT scan / Olson, Karen. 

Atlanta, GA: Pritchett & Hull Associates, 2002

Cooper wants you to know that sometimes a CT scan is the best way for a doctor to tell if you are okay on the inside.

Cooper gets an X-Ray / Olson, Karen. 

Atlanta, GA: Pritchett & Hull Associates, 2001

Cooper share his experience of having an x-ray, so other children can learn this simple medical procedures.

Day by day: children tell their journeys of faith and determination living with a sick brother or sister / Frisbee, Christine.

New York: Frisbee Foundation Publishing, 2008.

This book gives siblings who have a sick brother or sister a voice, allowing them to tell their own stories. The purpose of this book is to bring understanding and hope to families with a seriously ill child, as well as to educate others about how to take a difficult situation and use it to make you stronger and wiser.

Franklin goes to the hospital / Bourgeois, Paulette. 

Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2000.

Franklin the turtle has an operation and has to stay in the hospital because he cracked his shell. Appropriate for ages 4-8 years.

Health talk: how to communicate with your doctor / Hawkins, Mary F. 

Toronto: MacMillan, 2000.

Health Talk provides strategies for finding a new doctor, and communicating on behalf of a child or with a palliative care team.

Jessica's x-ray / Zonta, Pat. 

Toronto: Firefly Books Ltd, 2006.

When Jessica goes to hospital after she breaks her arm, she learns about different x-ray techniques. Includes six actual x-ray images printed on film.

Making informed medical decisions: where to look and how to use what you find / Oster, Nancy. 

Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly & Associates, 2000.

This book contains information on the following: tips for researching for someone else; reading a journal article (and understanding what it says); making practical sense of statistics and risk; understanding variations and advances in standard treatment options; exploring complementary treatments; locating a likely clinical trial and making a powerful ally of your doctor.

More than just a cold: what to do when your child has difficulty breathing / Waldman, Debby.

ECHO Research and ARCHE, 2019.

eBook

Bronchiolitis is a viral infection, commonly caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that affects the lower part of the lungs. It mainly affects babies and young children under 2 and is very contagious. This eBook provides information on the symptoms of bronchiolitis, how to manage it at home, and when to seek emergency care.

Oliver's story: for 'sibs' of kids with cancer / Dodd, Michael. 

Kensington, MD: Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, 2004.

Written through the eyes of six-year-old Oliver, this book focuses on the many questions that siblings have when their brother or sister is diagnosed with cancer, and offers constructive ways that they can provide support.

The patient's checklist: 10 simple hospital checklists to keep you safe, sane and organized / Bailey, Elizabeth.

New York: Sterling Pub, 2011.

From a trip to the emergency room to open heart surgery, all patients can experience not just perplexing and impersonal care but serious communication failure among care providers and basic safety issues that can put them at risk. These checklists can play a big role in helping patient and family both guard against human error and improve communication.

Sick all night: when to go to the hospital with childhood vomiting and diarrhea / Waldman, Debby.

ECHO Research and ARCHE: 2016.

eBook

Gastroenteritis is an infection that can cause diarrhea and vomiting. It is common in infants and children and can lead to dehydration. This eBook provides information on the signs, symptoms, and treatment of gastroenteritis, and what to do if you are a parent or caregiver dealing with gastroenteritis.

Understanding operations / deLoache, Shawn; Renfrew, Ruth.

New York: Medikidz USA, 2018.

In graphic novel format, the Medikidz, superheroes from the planet Mediland, help Maggie understand the process of undergoing an operation.

 Understanding the hospital team / deLoache, Shawn; Renfrew, Ruth.

New York: Medikidz USA, 2018.

In graphic novel format, the Medikidz, superheroes from the planet Mediland, help the reader and Jonathan understand going to the hospital.

 Understanding the intensive care unit / deLoache, Shawn; Quigley, Columba.

New York: Medikidz USA, 2018.

In graphic novel format, the Medikidz, superheroes from the planet Mediland, help the reader and Ollie understand the intensive care unit.

A visit to the Sesame Street Hospital / Hautzig, Deborah. 

New York: Random House, 1985.

Grover gets a tour of the hospital in preparation to have his tonsils removed. Appropriate for ages 4-8 years.

 When Molly was in the hospital / Duncan, Debbie.

Windsor CA: Rayve Productions Inc. 1994.

Anna’s little sister Molly needs to go to the hospital for an operation. In this sensitive and emotional story, Anna tells about the experience from her point of view. Appropriate for ages 4-8 years.

Your child in hospital: a practical guide for parents / Keene, Nancy. 

Sebastapol, CA: O’Reilly & Associates, 1999.

Millions of parents take their children to the hospital each year, whether for stitches, outpatient surgery, or longer stays. Children who are reassured about what lies ahead have less anxiety and cope more easily with procedures and treatments. This book will help parents remain calm and be effective advocates for their children in a situation that can otherwise be traumatic.

 Websites

  • Getting Ready for Surgery – CHEO
  • Surgery: Talking to your Child – About Kids Health
  • Preparing your Child for Surgery - Kids Health - For Parents, Teens and Kids from the Nemours Foundation

Fact sheets

 What you need to know: tonsillectomy

Head2Toe: suicide prevention program

What you need to know: ear tubes
What you need to know: adenoidectomy
What you need to know: neck surgery
What you need to know: functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Orthopedic surgery aftercare plan

Fasting guidelines

You are free to copy and redistribute these materials in any medium or format. This work may not be used for commercial purposes. View the full Creative Commons license. 

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Disclaimer

These resources are for educational purposes only. If you have any questions, ask your health-care provider.

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