Update: I want to thank EVERYONE for their most amazing ideas. We won’t be doing anything for a while, most likely summer. Which will give me time to either find something for free (keeping my fingers crossed), or save up a bit as I look around at yardsales, etc.
I’ve written before about Parker’s safe room.
It’s the room Parker spent most of his first three years of life in as he circled the drain.
The space where Parker hangs out when we need to keep him away from the rest of the family due to illness.
It’s the room that houses Parker’s vent, concentrator, nebulizer, suction machine, pulse sat monitors, various medical supplies, and continuous feeds pole.
It’s where Parker sleeps.
And where we sleep.
On a mattress that we throw on the floor 4-5 times a week.
If truth be told, we don’t really sleep on that mattress. We close our eyes and wish to sleep. But when morning comes, we get up off that mattress just as exhausted as before.
And I need to change that.  Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that at least a few hours of dependable sleep is necessary for this Mama and Papa.
I need to figure out a way to fit a twin sized bed into an already full space.
It’s really a job requiring the skills of The Nester and the Thrifty Decor Chick.
Alas, neither of those talents live at this blog.
I”m thinking of taking everything from both of these long tables (they’re the tables that I used to use to scrapbook on) and combining it into something like this Maple Hutch . This one is only $75.00, which with it being solid maple is MUCH less than I bet they originally paid for it.
Because people are getting rid of their fat screen tv and replacing them with flat screens, tv hutches have been popping up on both Craigslist and KSL pretty frequently.
Whatever I used would have to be very sturdy. The stuff we would need to put on it weighs a ton.
(BTW, anybody have an old hutch taking up room that they no longer need? I have been known to work miracles with a can of paint.)
Then over where the books are now I would have enough room for a twin sized bed. I couldn’t fit the bed directly under that shelf on the wall, because it would wind up t-boning Parker’s crib.
See that huge hole thing under the window. It’s supposed to be a window box. Unfortunately Reed never got around to putting the TOP on the box.
If you are bored and want to add a top to Parker’s window box, come on over. I’ve given up on Reed ever getting it done. And I’m very tired of having to vacuum dead spiders out of it all the time.
That’s our $15.00 glider, which while it works fine, isn’t exactly the most comfortable place when you need to pull an all-nigher with a very sick kid.
So, got any good ideas on how we could make this room work better for us?
Our budget is beyond tight. But I can take notes now and save up shekels because we HAVE to get a bed in there one of us to sleep on.
Want to share some pictures of YOUR kid’s room and how you fit all the medical stuff in there?
Any other parents of medically fragile kids on vents that sleep with their kids at night? How do you make it work?
How about putting in bunk beds instead of the crib? You could sleep on the top and you could put in a rail to keep Parker in his part. When space is small, think up! is what they always say.
MMMM….I agree, think up!! There’s gotta be some good shelving systems out there that would work. Put the books in canvas totes, and pull them down during the day…great for toys and books and supplies too.
These support 250lbs:
http://www.lowes.com:80/pd_48989-46882-25224PHLLG_4294936608_4294937087?productId=1090555&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_Shelves%2B_4294936608_4294937087_
For our TV, we have it mounted to the wall with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Peerless-PM1327B-Tilt-Mount-Televisions/dp/B00006HOH7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268277293&sr=1-2
Would work great for monitors too.
Also, instead of a twin bed, how about replacing the rocker with a twin futon/lounger? I’ve seen them around in the dorms and they take up a small amount of room but you can pull it out into the room as needed:
http://www.finewebstores.com/Ultralight-Twin-Futon-Frame_p_5117.html
http://futonplanet.com/products/Mission_Lounger_Twin_Size_Futon_Package-2811-333.html
Twitter: therextras
Mar 10, 10
Wo – Katy’s idea is good!
I was just going to promise to think on it.
On the weird side I was thinking of one of those ceiling hangers for pots and pans (usually in the kitchen) – for anything that needed hanging.
If bunks don’t work for y’all – are you using the space under the crib?
For whoever finishes the window box – could you also mount some shelves to the left of the window?
Twitter: kadiera
Mar 10, 10
we bought a metal shelf – I’ll have to get pics of his room.
vent & humidifier and power strip on the bottom (the better to not drown Alex with humidity).
pulse ox, nebulizer, suction and related supplies, box of gloves, and kleenex on the next shelf.
mist collar compressor, hand sanitizer, and a few other things on the middle shelf.
books on the one above that, and books and the collection of stuffed dragons on top.
There’s a rolling set of drawers (the plastic ones) now in his closet with most of the needed supplies.
Oooooh. If I’m going to get pics it has to be this week, because next weekend may be the big migration to the twin bed before Alex falls out of the crib…
Twitter: kadiera
Mar 16, 10
Photos of the insanity that has been moving Alex out of his crib:
http://kadiera.quicksilverdragon.com/gallery2/v/Alex/March2010/
don’t you at least have night nursing with Parker on the vent? I didn’t think I wanted a night nurse but this trach thing is knocking me out!
Lacey, we only have night nursing a couple of time a week. And that is IF she shows up. Twice in a row now she’s been a no show.
It sounds like there are some great ides being thrown out here. I hope you figure out one that will work for you., and I hope you get the night nursing thing figured out. You definitely need sleep!
I can’t work out the dimensions of the room from the photos (there seems to be an extra door next to the cot that’s got me baffled) but could you have some sort of cabin bed thing that does loads of storage underneath, with a bed on the top? That’s what we had in boarding school – It was a desk on the right hand side, with a couple of shelves at the back, two drawers (though there should have been three, they were much too deep!) in the middle, a small cupboard above and a full length wardrobe on the left, with the bed on top. Admittedly, our heads were about a foot from the ceiling, but the idea was nevertheless great for space saving!
Of course, you might struggle to find one that’s a reasonable price (or build one for a reasonable sum) but it’s an idea… I’ve always loved the fold down beds (you know, the ones that appear out of a cupboard, like here http://www.thewallbedworkshop.co.uk/) but they’re probably mega expensive.
And I came here from the Nester’s site, if you’re wondering who I am
Hey girl! Well, I have no advice on the placement in the room–that’s one of those things where you just have to actually be in there and move stuff around but, I think you are beyond smart to get the armoire and put all his medical stuff in there!
Once you do that, then it would probably be easier to visualize how much room you really have and where things can go.
Also, instead of putting the crib flat against the wall, you could place it like a real bed–you know with the “headboard” part against the wall and the footboard facing out?
You’ve probably already thought of that or may have a reason you can’t do it but just a thought!
Twitter: MommaHopeful
Mar 11, 10
Jack lives in our room with us. He has a hospital crib/bed that accommodates up to 150lbs, so it’ll work for awhile. I don’t know what to tell you Tammy. We’re all squished in our room, and all of Jack’s supplies are either in rubbermaid tubs under the crib, or in our closet. He has a bedroom, but his crib doesn’t fit in there.
We should start designing rooms for families with special needs. That would be spectacular!
Hugging you from afar. (Also, praying hard for you. I had that surgery 10 years ago when Big J was 4 months old. Ugh)
Shelves instead of tables gets things up and out of the way. Maybe the books could go in boxes or baskets under the bed.
You don’t even want to SEE my room, trust me. It’s HUGE but we have no space..lol. We have 2 queens size beds, 1 crib, 4 dressers, all the above mentioned equipment (sans vent). Austin & I share a room with my sister. Sardines is the word that comes to mind. Good luck!
I would totally go for a loft bed.
Ikea has a pretty inexpensive one. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70019954
Hi =-)
Have you thought about swaping the master bed room with Parkers room…. I would place all of Parkers things PLUS the twin or double bed in the master bedroom… and your bedroom in Parkers bedroom… you might have to give up a few things with the swap but…. if you spend a lot of time sleeping with Parker this might work and it would be for FREE.
I don’t have a medically fragil child any more but…. we ran out of bedrooms and we turned our formal living room into a bedroom for our youngest =-)
I agree with thinking up. You can get a bunk bed with the rail and put the rail on the bottom. Or you can look into a loft bed and then put the crib under it.
I would look into shelves instead of the tables. Check out freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org) for your area. Its things people don’t want/need anymore but are to good to just throw away.
Hmm…well, by the time I got to sit down and really look at this, people had already commented with most of my ideas.
Getting a bunk bed on the cheap would probably prove tricky, but do you have any colleges or universities near you? (Especially ones with any kind of medical program that might be moved by your situation?) A lot of colleges use wooden loft beds for their doubles and quads, and those are basically bunk beds, but you can usually also do things like remove the mattress support part for the bottom and then flip it upside-down so the top bunk is less close to the ceiling…which would leave more room for mommy or daddy up there, and let you just slide P’s crib underneath it, so he could keep that familiarity. Well, that’s assuming his crib has a front wall that slides down out of the way, so you wouldn’t be bonking his head into the top bunk while lifting him out over it. And then, when he is ready for a big boy bed (with added rail or otherwise), you could put the mattress supports back in for the bottom. Usually they aren’t too creaky, so if he’s not very sound sensitive while sleeping, it might work… Plus you could rig curtains around the bottom spot, so when he needs a lot of steam, it stays there with him better. If you could get a college/university to be sympathetic, I bet you could buy one through them for a lot cheaper than anywhere else, since they generally have such things in bulk.
Before you buy something for even $75 (although part of me is loathe to phrase it that way, because I don’t want to feel responsible if you wait and it goes away and nothing better comes up), I’d really take advantage of the Craigslist-free section, the Craigslist-wanted section, FreeCycle and their wanted feature, FreeMesa…any of the other, similar things, that are around depending on your area. Here, I’m seeing shelving units and entertainment centers offered free constantly.
Don’t knock today’s particle board wonders, either. I mean, I prefer real wood too, but some of the fake wood stuff can hold a heck of a lot of weight. We got a GIANT Sauder entertainment center for free, and it’s all fake wood, but it’s holding up a 27″ non-flat-screen, holy-crap-that’s-heavy TV without a wobble, along with solid triple rows of movies on many of the shelves, stacked electronics on two of them, and anywhere there’s space, metal and glass frames and a collection of stonecast gargoyles, none of which are particularly light stuff, so…::shrugs:: I mean, I’d check company info on what you can to get an idea of claimed weight limits and match that against the weight of what you’re dealing with, sure…but I’m just saying sometimes the fake wood holds a lot more than expected. Some of it is stronger than softwoods like pine, anyway.
Aside from that, geez, it’s hard to say without being in the space and browsing your local thrifty-sources and freebie web-lists. I’d come put the top on that window box for you, if I could. Or, if it worked better, cutting (then sanding, of course) the front right off of it so you could fit the toy-shelf and the rocker there in front of the window itself. Beyond that…geez… Yeah, what the others said. Think not just about the space across the room, but the space UP the room.
take out the window box all together and put shelves there. and more shelves on walls higher up. Twin bed where the table is. you need your sleep for him
My trach/vent/tubed child sleeps in the bed with me. I have a $20 entertainment center.. Its rather cheapy but it sits his vent high enough so he can sleep in the same bed as me. I have all of his important equipment in there as well as supplies to run the equipment. All extra stuff (you know how that goes Im sure) is stored in another room… I have bed rails put on my bed so he doesnt fall..
I store all of his extra equipment in closests and on bookcases (yeah it takes a few). I bought baskets for the stuff to go in so its nice and organised. Feeding/vent/suction/etc all has there nice cosy places and its given me a lot of room.
High shelves (stackable) instead of long tables really made it work for us. Also we try to cut down on as much extras as we can so I open packages a lot and store stuff away.. Sometimes the packages take up a LOT of space
Before this current setup our old our set up was similar to yours though we all crashed in the floor on beds made of piles of blankets.
Twitter: bateminx
Mar 12, 10
I love that you sought advice for this on your blog! You’ve got some great ideas coming at you! I don’t have anything new to add, but just wanted to reinforce the “up” idea and tell you to 86 the tables… Good luck! You’ll have to post “after” shots when you’ve made changes!
Well God bless you guys!!
I think the armoire idea is briliant! Go up with the storage instead of out — it will make a huge difference in there! Maybe put it on the wall next to his crib and then you could put a twin bed on that long wall?
ME ME ME!!!! (*wavying hand wildly above head*) I volunteer to build anything you need. I made my girls a barbie house out of pressed boards. It’s so sturdy that I stood on it and it didn’t budge. AND the board itself isn’t expensive. We could make a wall of shelving measured to fit all the different equipment and secure it to the wall. Also, I have extra twin metal frames and box springs that I’d be more than willing to give a new home. (My kids are in bunk beds so the frames, boxes aren’t used at all.) I’m sure the boys and I could get it all built very quickly. Think about it cuz I’m more than willing to do it. I know how busy you and Uncle Reed are. Brant, Rigel and I could have a lot of fun. BTW, Home Depot cut all my wood to my specifications for free and I have a Lowes coupon. Just another thought!
Ok, so take the bunk bed concept, and change it up a bit. The bottom could be Parker’s bed. Have someone who builds make you your own set of bunk beds. They can be made with 2×4’s for about $100. But enclose the bottom so it’s closer to a crib. (ok…a cage…but we’re talking creating space here! ) And, the bottom bunk can be all the way down on the floor if need be, so the top bunk isn’t so high. (I don’t know about you, but i DETEST climbing into bunk beds!) The end of the bunks can have several shelves for storage of stuff too! Meredith Cornish’s dad built a great bunkbed for their daughter that is escape proof. My other thought was take that window seat, and make it wider so a twin mattress can fit on top of it. Then the front can have doors put on so that space is used for storage. Melamine shelving is pretty cheap. For $100 my husband made me SEVERAL sets of shelves in our laundry room that are study, and can hold a lot of weight, AND (most importantly for us) all the clothes in the entire house! But doing it yourself you can customize the size of the shelves to fit each of the machines you need to house! And, the stuff comes in white or a couple different shades of wood grain laminate. It is easy to clean, looks nice, and is (relatively) affordable.
How about a shoe rack that hangs on the back of the door. You can put wipes, hand sanitizers, and other small items.
http://www.target.com/Whitmor-Over-the-Door-Shoe-Organizer-Espresso/dp/B001VSUPPK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=door%20shoe%20rack&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-5&qid=1281387148&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Whitmor%20Over-the-Door%20Shoe%20Organizer%20Espresso&node=1038576|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin,price,target_com_primary_color-bin,target_com_size-bin,target_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0
Here is an example of what I mean.
My child is also trached and on a ventilator for BPD and chronic respiratory failure. I bought a hutch and like how I can put his nebulizer ( and meds), apnea and pulse oximeter. Plus we put suction caths, dressings, spare trachs etc on it. However I have his ventilator on a stand which also holds the heater. Having the ventilator on a rolling stand let Darian be a part of the family when he was younger and on the ventilator all the time. I would be a little concerned about getting the bunk bed too low for worrying about the circuit dumping water into the trachea. Plus you will really have to watch your head– we tried the bunk bed and I hit my head so many times on the upper bunk. Plus I really want to be able to eyeball my kid and felt he was too enclosed and actually was concerned about full access in case he was sick or had a prolonged ibradycardic or apneic episode. Now I usually sleep in his room on a spare crib mattress. Although like you I don’t reallly get much sleep. But again, I have other special needs children. There are 4 kids on feeding pumps, 2 on apnea monitors, 1 on peritoneal dialysis and Darian on the vent. (I also do foster care for medically needy children). I don’t have any way to get a picture on here right now but will try to send one later. Sending my blessings and prayers for Parker.
We have a special needs so who has in home nursing during the day. We had custom made kitchen cabinets made for his room. All of his things will be tucked away in a useable work station with uppers and lowers, as well as a mini fridge for medications.