Hi

I was wondering if you could do it over again what were the things you would have brought w/ you to the hospital,can you gve me a list of must haves.

Hi!

I didn't bring much of anything with me because I wasn't at the hospital for that long (arrived at 5:30 AM, surgery at 7:00 AM, was home by early afternoon). The doctor said to have an overnight bag packed and stored in the car of my pick-up person in case I needed to be kept overnight due to any complications.

Hope your surgery goes smoothly!

You don't need much. I don't even remember the rest of the day after my surgery, as I just slept most of the time. They had me up and walking and then I spent the night in the clinic, but I don't remember any of it due to the anaesthetic.

If you do a search on packing list or something similar, you can find a lot of good lists that have been created already.

Most of us have same day surgery, So remember you will wear out what you wore in. So dress in lose fitting cloths, also if you are a woman you will not be wearing your bra out of the hospital, so have a sweat jacket or coat with you.

The main thing I'm glad I brought is a pillow to hold over my belly for the ride home.

Honestly, I had a bunch of stuff that I never needed. The only thing that I brought that I actually used was my pillow, which I used like Longhorn did.

Your own cheap slippers which you don't wear at home due to germs - ughh!! I reused the ones I had from being in hospital when I had my baby.

Eye mask - for when they decide to do maintenance at 2 a.m. on your call button (yes, this happened to me)

Ear plugs - for when the very nice old lady next to you calls a nurse in every hour to be repositioned (yes, this also happened to me)

Books.

A private room if you can get it.

Comfy, baggy clothes so you don't have to wear the gown with the gape in the back. This was a lifesaver. It was hard enough just to get up out of bed to go pee without having to make sure that gown was wrapped around my bum all the time. The nurses took my IV's out so I could do this and then put them back in again when I was changed.

I was scheduled for an overnight stay so they told me to plan ahead.

I brought a light robe (for when you're up walking around to cover your bum and for warmth. *Note too, that when you're walking it helps to hold a pillow to your tummy for support, but you also have an IV pole, so I used the robe belt to tie the pillow around my tummy, I just tucked the pillow inside the robe. It looked silly, but it really helped.

Bring slippers for sure.

Eye mask and ear plugs, nurses are lound and neighbors are noisy.

tooth brush and toothpaste. Your mouth is nasty after you wake up from surgery.

I list of phone numbers since you can't use your cell phone, I was bored so I called all my friends.

Clean underwear

I was too groggy to read any books or magazines. Just mostly TV.

Plan ahead in case you need to stay longer. I was in for one night, home for one night then back in the hospital for 4 days due to dehydration and over inflamation, I couldn't keep Water or pain meds down.

Good Luck!

I found that I didn't need much of anything I brought, as it was provided, and the stay was somewhat short (less than 24 hours). Even bringing a robe was a waste because you can get an additional gown and wear it backwards. I did bring nonslip socks and didn't use them because the clinic provided footies. But whatever you'd bring on a normal overnight stay to make yourself comfortable. I think less is more....less to worry about and carry.

Toothbrush and toothpaste are biggies. My hospital does all bands as at least one night in the hospital. But I wasn't allowed out of bed until about 24 hours after. You had to have drank 8 oz in an hour and I kept nodding off and couldn't do it.

BABY WIPES! I felt so gross and sticky (and smelly) and wanted a shower so badly... But couldn't get out of bed. Neighbor had people constantly in & out of the room and they'd always peek in my curtain so I didn't feel comfortable asking for a spongebath. I really wish I could have freshened up a little before they let me take a shower.

Portable DVD player would have been a godsend too. With headphones.

My doc said to prepare to have to stay overnight just in case but that most people he does go home the same day. I will leave my overnight bag in the car and send my hubby out for it if need be. I have a little tote that I have be preparing to take with me. It is a "Survival Kit", kind of like they make for college kids.

It has:

• toothbrush and toothpaste
  
• deodorant
  
• Dove body wipes
  
• body spray (I have to have my spray :teeth_smile:)
  
• insurance information
  
• contact case and solution with my sunglasses for the ride home
  
• lip balm
  
• foot and hand lotion (my hands and feet get very dry)
  
• hairbrush
  

These are all in travel size and things I use daily anyway. I am sure I may add a couple of other things I am not thinking of yet, but those would be what I would use right after surgery if I were going home.

My overnight bag would just have:

• my cellphone (my hospital allows these to be used)
  
• showering items
  
• a fresh pair of undies
  
• my own pjs and robe (I cannot sleep in hospital stuff - just my thing)
  
• perhaps my laptop with a few movies or my MP3 player (either one, with headphones would drown out a noisy neighbor and nurses)
  

I just plan to wear the same outfit home that I wear there. I also am going to wear my Crocs which look like a cute pair of slippers and can wear those in the hospital if I have to stay.

Sounds like alot but actually comes out to being just a small shoulder bag and my little tote.

Because I've worked in hospitals for years, I knew that most things I would need would be available at the hospital for a 1 night stay. Still, I brought more than I needed.

If you are using CPAP, you will need to bring that. I fit everything else into the bag that holds the CPAP. I didn't bring very much stuff and didn't miss anything. I wore a loose dress there so I could wear it home--nothing that buttons or constricts, slip on shoes. If you forget it or don't want to bring it, they can provide footies for walking (I agree, don't bring them home, you don't need hospital germs), a robe or another gown for walking, toothbrush and toothpaste, lotion, even earplugs if you are in a hospital with an MRI suite. (I sleep with earplugs every night, so they were necessary for me.)

The things I needed that they couldn't provide were:

-chapstick

-my glasses & contacts stuff

-my face lotion--just a little travel bottle

-a book

I brought more reading materiel than that but only ended up reading my book. I woke up around 5am and couldn't sleep anymore--the dilaudid PCA was making me itchy, so I stopped using it and just read for a few hours.

I guess it just depends on you--do you have to have your things with you, or would you rather not bring a bunch of stuff? Either way is fine, but just know that there isn't too much you will need if you stay a night that can't be provided. Also, the more stuff you bring with you, the more germs you can drag home with you.

I'll definitely agree with the lip balm or chapstick. I needed some so bad!

My own pajamas would have been nice, too. The lady who was banded right before me brought some, and I was jealous as I wandered the halls in my gigantic hospital gown. (we both stayed overnight)

It depends if you are having it done in the US or abroad. I had mine done in Mexico, so a 2 night stay in the hospital was included. For me, having my computer and DVDs was a lifesaver or I would have died of boredom. I wasn't able to concentrate all that well, so didn't read any of the books I brought with me. Also, slippers, toothbrush and paste, shampoo/conditioner, lotion were all lifesavers.