Tag Archives: Emily McDowell

Hospital Room Decor

Back in April I wrote a post about having so many flowers in my hospital room that it started to look like a funeral parlor.  If you have a loved one battling a serious illness, consider buying one of these non-flower gifts to lift their spirits and brighten up their hospital room:

One of Emily Mcdowell’s amazing Empathy Cards: image

Add some razzle-dazzle with this fabulous gold planter from the Oh Joy! Collection for Target.  Btw, I own this ladyface planter and she makes me so happy!  If you really want to give flowers, place a colorful orchid inside, or fill it with hospital necessities: lip balm, facial wipes, sleep mask, earplugs and candy (if they’re able/allowed to eat it).

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If the patient is in the hospital any longer than a week, a colorful lightweight blanket is perfect.  When I was in the hospital I had a bright red blanket, it was cozy and it helped to make my room feel less institutional/jail-like:

Indigo sells this blanket in several colors:

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A sleep mask makes a great gift for both men and women.  Trying to sleep in the hospital – with the God awful hospital lights blaring at all hours – is frustrating as hell!  Here is my partner sporting a handmade mask that I bought in downtown Los Angeles (LOL!):

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More conventional, but no less colorful sleep masks, are available at many drugstores, Bed Bath & Beyond, large bookstores, Amazon, Sephora...💤💤💤

Finally, a framed photo of your beloved pet is a wonderful idea for a hospital room.  When I was trapped in the hospital for two months, my old dog walker brought be a framed photo of my precious dog Leroy.  Seeing his face each day kept me going; I knew I had to focus on getting better so that I could see him again.❤️🐾❤️

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Emily to the rescue!

When I was diagnosed with Peritoneal Mesothelioma, a rare, incurable cancer, many people didn’t know what to say to me.  I don’t blame them at all, I wouldn’t have known what to say to me either.  Enter the brilliant Emily McDowell and her fantastic line of Empathy Greeting Cards.  Emily has created cards for those many awkward moments in life when we just don’t know what to say.  Whether your friend is struggling with cancer, infertility, or the death of a beloved pet, Emily’s cards are perfect.  They are humorous and heartfelt and many of them poke fun at the ways in which we try to say the right thing but fail miserably.  As a cancer survivor, Emily knows first hand what it’s like to have friends say cringe-worthy things like, “none of us know when we’re going to die, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow!”  So let Emily’s cards do the talking for you and bring a smile to your loved one’s face.

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For more amazing cards:

Empathy™: What to say, when you don't know what to say