My hospital bag list and what I really didn't need to take!

[Ali-sleeve2015]

I'm having a gastric sleeve in Czech Republic. All prepared, just the last little bit of waiting now. Looking forward to walking up stairs and not having to stop for a breather hah and also having better energy levels altogether amongst other things. Amazingly terrible how much is affected by putting weight on.

 

[mouse57]

I understand that, it makes such a difference in such a quick time. I wish you well on your journey your date will be here before you know it, then you will be wondering where the time has gone but it Sounds as if you well organised. The oils i bought was from wwwfreshskin.co.uk. I carry a bottle in my bag because it's better hot but you can drink it cold and it does help with the tummy cramps.

 

[Ali-sleeve2015]

Okay, thank you for your wishes and advice. Will take a look on that website today. Heard a lot about the wind pains so very keen to get the oils. I've been researching everything and preparing my mindset for post op for sometime now. Very exciting

 

[violetangel]

Knickers Sports Bra Long nighties Pyjama's work better - loose waistbanded ones anyway. Slippers Toothbrush Toothpaste Shower Gel perfume Dry Mouth Spray iPhone w/Charger Meds Dressing Gown HairBrush Hair products socks sponge big towel peppermint tea ( for wind pain ) water bottle ( easier to drink out of ) They gave me cups cos they wanted to measure how much to drink also have to take my cpap body cream wet wipes (especially useful, as they wouldn't let me shower, so used these first on the smelly bits and then wiped with a sponge) Dry shampoo loose trousers loose t-shirts earplugs headphones tissues squash laptop tummy pillow (left this in the car) dress Nintendo DS (my daughter was supposed to leave this with me as she was using it while she was waiting it at the hospital. Would have been nice to have it!)

This has really helped me prepare for hospital and thank you for a really comprehensive, well thought out list x

 

[Melons1809]

Thank you this is a really useful list

 

[Sarah101]

Thank you that's really helpful.

 

[miss shan]

...

 

[miss shan]

Very useful post *thumbsup* x

 

[puddytats]

great post!

Im still waiting for a date (it's imminent, apparently), so this thread is really useful!

 

[Oopseydaisy]

. . .

 

[elizaxx]

One week tomorrow, starting to get my suitcase together now eek

 

[los in it]

My advise is don't pack loads,I did and barely touched anything! Don't know where I thought I was going I packed way too much had a hospital gown on for 2days just really needed a ruck sack of stuff not a mini case of stuff I didn't get a chance to wear I just needed a change of clothes for coming out a set of pj cleans knickers and a wash bag even then I came out in my dressing gown,decided not to get dressed, who was going to see me!

 

[puddytats]

I took:

~nightie
wore on ward, after HDU and as t shirt going home (1 day)
~yoga pants/pajama bottoms
mine are yoga pants, they're high waisted, but they're very old, and very soft. I didn't want anything new in case of rubbing
~socks x1
only worn on way home
~knickers x2
one wore one pair on way home
~slippers
didn't wear - I liked the hospital slipper socks and managed to bring 2 pairs home with me!
~bra
which I had on when I arrived - which I wore again on way home
~trousers
which I had on when I arrived and didn't put back on
~shoes
wore to and from hosp only - didn't match yoga pants on discharge but I didn't care!
~towel
in case I had a shower, so could wrap self up in comfy towel. Never used and took up a lot of room. I know hospitals have towels; mines a bath sheet so it's useful! But useless for me in hosp!

~kindle
didn't use - couldn't be bothered
~phone plus charger
in the hospital (NHS) there was free wifi. In HDU i had to communicate over whatsapp, as no phone signal. On the ward I had phone signal again so could text!. Charger most important, battery life crap when attached to wifi and nothing else to do!
~iPod plus charger
this got the most use and was the best thing I could have taken. I listened to stories such as Harry Potter as they're so easy to listen to. I know the stories too, so I don't have to actually listen either. I use them for background noise and as soon as I could in HDU I plugged myself in. They barely came off until I went home. They helped me sleep, as I couldn't hear machines bleeping, or other people snoring. I never listen to music overnight as I get ear worms and start singing...over and over...
~couple of trashy magazines
read them at some point, not sure when, but they were bad! Can't have been before surgery, as I didn't have them then. Must have been in HDU

~shampoo
didn't use - didn't shower in hospital (had aided strip wash on HDU, then was moved to ward, then went home - had strip wash when I got home - mum helped and washed my hair with me knelt at the bath). I do wish I'd asked the nurse to help me shower, but also, I was knackered after mum washed me, so 50-50!
~toothbrush
~toothpaste
~baby wipes
used pre-op to wipe self down from sweat - was a very hot day and ward was stinking hot

~mouth spray
wasn't allowed to use pre-op and not much point post-op. Had those foam things with water until I got the all clear to drink and just used them. I think I forgot about the mouthspray post-op

 

[Tracie workman]

Knickers
Sports Bra
[STRIKE]Long nighties[/STRIKE] Pyjama's work better - loose waistbanded ones anyway.
Slippers
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Shower Gel
[STRIKE]perfume[/STRIKE]
Dry Mouth Spray
iPhone w/Charger
Meds
Dressing Gown
HairBrush
Hair products
socks
sponge
big towel
peppermint tea ( for wind pain )
[STRIKE]water bottle ( easier to drink out of )[/STRIKE] They gave me cups cos they wanted to measure how much to drink
also have to take my cpap
[STRIKE]body cream[/STRIKE]
wet wipes (especially useful, as they wouldn't let me shower, so used these first on the smelly bits and then wiped with a sponge)
[STRIKE]Dry shampoo[/STRIKE]
loose trousers
loose t-shirts
earplugs
[STRIKE]headphones[/STRIKE]
tissues
squash
[STRIKE]laptop[/STRIKE]
tummy pillow (left this in the car)
[STRIKE]dress[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Nintendo DS[/STRIKE] (my daughter was supposed to leave this with me as she was using it while she was waiting it at the hospital. Would have been nice to have it!)

Thank you for this list im out shopping today for my hospital bag as i go in tomorrow and op on weds

 

[Julia56]

I ended up in hospital for three weeks and was glad of everything I took.

IPhone, iPad, Kindle, personal wi-fi hot spot (from 3), headphones.

Glasses, little magnifying mirror and tweezers, ear plugs, nail file, handbag sized tissues, hairbrush.

Wash bag (little bottles that I fill with products I use, look for travel sizes or get your own to fill from outdoor shops like Millets or from boots. Fully charged toothbrush. Make full use of hospital wipes provided so you will not need a facecloth. They also have towels so even if they suggest it I never take one (lost too many towels in hospitals over the years).

Spare knickers and Tena lady. 2 nighties, one lightweight dressing gown. If you end up using hospital gowns you can always solve the gap at the back by wearing a second one the other way round.

Indoor pair of crocs. Safer than slippers. I have a bright green pair I use poolside so I know they've never been outdoors.

I go home in the clothes I went in with. Any outdoor shoes and coats go home with OH when he leaves me on the ward. He leaves them in the car so he doesn't forget them when picking me up.

Finally a pen and pencil, eraser and a supply of soduko puzzles.

 

[marcusbm]

That's a good list. I'd also suggest a beach towel as the beds can get really uncomfortable with the plastic covers under the sheets (failing that ask the nurses for a couple of hospital towels).

Also a Netflix subscription and headphones. Hospital beds can be painfully dull. I found I was drifting between being awake and wanting to sleep for much of the time during most of my hospital stays, another time I slept like a baby.

 

[Julia56]

Oh, I forgot to put headphones on my list, yes essential, I'll go back and edit it.