QUESTION:

"I'm having surgery soon, what will I need for my hospital stay or for shortly after???"

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Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this question comes up here so much - I felt it would be a great idea to start up an official thread. My plan is once I think the list is great enough, I'm going to create a checklist for all the folks out there that will be sleeved shortly and have the above question. Then if you are around long enough and as much as I am, and someone has that question you can just lead them to this thread. Fair enough?

Sometimes it's just nice to have everything all in the same place, kinda following the WalMart rule of thumb. They are very successful, aren't they?

Anyway, please start with your suggestions and I'll get my MSWord fired up. I'll also start with the first suggestion:

Comfy Pajamas, underclothes, and slippers or warm cozy socks...

Hospital Stay Checklist.doc

Wow these are all excellent ideas! Keep them coming. I will get that list prepared soon. I ended up not having a lot of time this weekend. It just makes sense to wait until more ideas are brought up first anyhow.

Awesome' date=' you all rock!!

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The give you everything you need

Body wash/ shampoo/ hair conditioninal

Lotion

Towel

Wipes

Socks that you walk with they if you want

Panties

All you need is your phone/ charger

ID

Insurance card and your deductible if you need to pay for it.

I was one day so. If thIs In that state. And how long you stay for. I was in pain didn't process anything but the morphine lol Hope it help. Good luck

Chapstick

A travel pillow or your reg pillow for the ride home. Put it between your tummy and seatbelt. I actually MUST have my pillow to sleep on!

phone and charger

clean panties

loose clothes to wear home. I actually wore TO the hospital what I planned on wearing home.

I took slippers, but they had those little socks for me. I took a gown, but just stayed in theirs.

passport, passport card, drivers license, birth certificate

When I came out of surgery my lips were peeling, and dry, with some raw nicks. I couldn't drink anything for most of a day and a half, just use "sponge pops". When I was under, they put the bougie and breathing tube down the hatch, the surgery was 3 1/2 hours, so the lips got pretty banged up and dried out. I even signed a sheet staying that I understood that I might wake up with cuts or other injuries in.on my mouth...even chipped teeth! Its the anastesia(sp) mostly I think....

My surgeon, and I'm assuming others, also gives you something during surgery to dry the secretions in your digestive system. So that adds to the dryness too. I couldn't drink until I passed the dye test the afternoon after my surgery (not even ice chips), so the chapstick was a huge help. Also, the nurses gave me the sponge glycerine sticks too. I also brought facial wipes (the kind you use to remove makeup) and kept them on my bedside table. They were refreshing when my mouth was so dry and skin a bit itchy from the narcotics and incisions. I brought body wipes too, which were nice for the 2 days before I took a shower. And deodorant.

If you are heading to Mexico, a box of knorr chicken bullion. Very flavorfull and easy on the tummy and you can make it in the coffee pot in your hotel room. The mexico hotels are nice but the broth leaves more than a bit to be desired!

While I'm packing

Phone charger

iPad charger

Pillow

Gas x

Toiletries

Loose clothes to wear

Baby wipes for hands

Doing a special tummy scrub before I go

My camcorder

Etc.

Well off to get ready today is the day!

I have now read ALL the postings in this thread and FANTASTIC is all I can say. I am having my Sleeve on March 13, 2013 and have been so concerned about what to take, buy, have ready, etc. Thanks. This has been wonderful to have this resource.

my instructions are for no phones, cameras or computers, I think there afraid of theft, my hubby brought books for 2 surgries and read maybe 2 pages in a week, magagines are better

best thing to bring is a loved one to help and support you, so hospitals have extra beds for loved ones to sleep over

love my camel bac eddie , you fill it with 28 oz water(750ml) and sip sip sip

This is a wonderful thread! Thank you for starting this

Great suggestions from everyone. Making my list now. I never would have thought to bring some of the less obvious items

This thread has been so helpful. I am having my sleeve surgery within the US, but due to I live greater then 50 miles from the hospital that I have my surgery they require I spend one night at a hotel contracted with the bariatric unit. I have to pack to include the overnight at the hotel to ensure I have the necessities. I am now going to focus on the Mexico sleevers posts to help make my list. Thanks for this great site!

I live about 23 miles from the facility, so I won't have to do the hotel thing. However, I think if I had to do that, in addition to what I plan to bring for the hospital, I'd bring a heating pad, plenty of bottled water, a loose nightgown and a second set of underwear, sweat pants/yoga pants and loose-to-baggy shirt. I'd also tuck in some slippers because I don't think I would feel like putting on socks but I would have cold tootsies (I always do when I have surgery, even though I never seem to any other time!). I'd also make sure I had something to sip my water from that had measurements on it so I would know how much I was taking in. I might also bring something to flavor my water in case I have problems drinking it.

if your staying at a hotel post op you may want to bring a mild soap the stuff in the hotels with perfume might be a problem with your insistions

I live about 23 miles from the facility' date=' so I won't have to do the hotel thing. However, I think if I had to do that, in addition to what I plan to bring for the hospital, I'd bring a heating pad, plenty of bottled Water, a loose nightgown and a second set of underwear, sweat pants/yoga pants and loose-to-baggy shirt. I'd also tuck in some slippers because I don't think I would feel like putting on socks but I would have cold tootsies (I always do when I have surgery, even though I never seem to any other time!). I'd also make sure I had something to sip my water from that had measurements on it so I would know how much I was taking in. I might also bring something to flavor my water in case I have problems drinking it.[/quote']

I am working on a hospital list and hotel list. The hotel does have rooms set up for bariatric patients so that is a plus. I told my husband our car may be loaded but I want to make sure if I might need it that I have it.