tips for hospital stay

[Linda66 0]

I am a 66 year old woman and I am scheduled to be sleeved on May 16. Does anyone have suggestions as to what to bring to the hospital ? Did anyone bring their own cpap machine? I have severe sleep apnea. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

[Dixies Mom 0]

I don't have sleep apnea but I would take your CPAP machine with you. I just got home yesterday and found I only used the following from home: robe, slippers, toiletries, and reading materials. Just wear the hospital gowns they give you. Be prepared to be utterly exhausted. I slept for about a day after my sleeve. Yesterday I felt like a new woman! I was up @ 6 am walking the halls and tolerated liquids very well! Hope this helps you.

[kellyw74 258]

i don't have a cpap, but was told if i did to bring it with me. you would think the hospital would supply you with one!

Kelly

[Middlesister57 14]

All hospitals are different about the CPAP, I don't have sleep apnea but my hospital stay instructions said not to bring yours they would supply one, so you should check, your surgeons office should let you know before your stay. All I used from home was slippers and clean underpants. I slept most of the time I was there, I was really tired. I'm 54. They get you up to walk a lot, but if I wasn't walking I was sleeping. Good luck.

Lisa

[Youngandwildresa93 1]

You should bring your own pillow so you are at least a litttttle more comfortable!!

[meggiep 57]

Definitely bring your cpap- I have been told to bring mine

(FYI Kelly my fellow Red Velvet Sistah- your mask is fitted to you personally and you wouldn't want to use someone elses!)

[Dixies Mom 0]

Oh yes! I took my own pillow, too! The staff at the hospital knew I was somehow in the medical field (I'm a family physician) when I showed up with my pillow! There is nothing better than smelling your pillow and home as your're falling asleep to all the bells and whistles of the hopsital.

[LCS 21]

I used very little of what I brought, because the hospital supplied toiletries. I had to wear those socks, so I didn't wear any slippers. I wore the hospital gown the entire stay. What I did use was a small firm pillow to hold over the incision spots when I was up and walking. It helped with the soreness. Also I brought a large safety pin to pin my drain to my gown. It worked very well. I had read it on one of these threads. Good luck! I'm 63 and I did just fine, and so will you.

Linda

[****** 12]

I am a 66 year old woman and I am scheduled to be sleeved on May 16. Does anyone have suggestions as to what to bring to the hospital ? Did anyone bring their own cpap machine? I have severe sleep apnea. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

I got home from the hospital last night (sleeved Tuesday). Here's what helped me: biotene mouth spray to moisten my mouth whenever it felt like cotton (used before I could drink anything or stomach ice chips); ear plugs (VERY important to be able to sleep soundly whenever possible), robe, pony tail holder (I have long hair). The hospital supplied the socks that keep you from slipping so you won't need your slippers. I wore the gown they gave me (just easier in my opinion). The hospital I was at provides a "Bari Bear" for all its bariatric patients and it was SO helpful. Just in case you don't get one bring a small pillow that you can hold against your stomach for moving and coughing. (Yes, you have to do both). Brought my CPAP with me, they provided the distilled Water.

My advice when you're in the hospital is to walk as much as you can and sleep whenever you feel like it. The earplugs came in extremely handy because the hospital does not have private rooms for bariatric patients. When I was tired, I popped them in and dozed off.

Finally, with any hospital stay, ask what you're getting before they give you anything; if it hurts tell them, if you want quiet tell them to keep the door shut. It's about YOU getting better so if something doesn't feel right, SPEAK UP. They won't take it personally (they're not mind readers) and sometimes they forget that not everyone heals, responds, acts the same way the last patient in that bed did. But they're there because they want to help so help them help you.

You're going to be very sore and wonder what the heck you did this to yourself for (on purpose no less), but it's normal. Rest and recuperate!

[BajaMedGroup 6]

books and magazines are a must!! A patient recently brought a knitting kit. I received a very nice scarf in return for the VSG!! Good deal no?

[Bryn 3]

i was told to bring mine, but they didn't put it on me. surgeon wasn't thrilled about it, but i don't think the nurses were too aware of it's purpose at the time. they somehow thought that if my pulse ox was at a good level, i didn't need it. but ya, my surgeon wanted it.

other things i brought that i used were:

robe, chapstick, phone and charger. didn't need anything else. i bought my slippers with me, but the socks they supplied me with were more than enough.

[1-4-Many 2]

I used basically nothing from the bag I packed and took. I wore the same clothes home that I wore in. And the wing I was in was specifically for people with sleep apnea and each room already has one or two machines. For that question, I'd just give the facility a call. Leaving is difficult. Even with keeping my experience on the down low,

I had all sorts of extra stuff to truck out (flowers, 2 stuffed animals and such. I would have been better to have taken far less. The less you take, the less you have to pack out.

The one thing that was excellent was my own "duster". I bought a short sleeved duster that snapped up the front. They are checking your boo-boo's every 2 hours or so and it was very nice to be able to just unsnapp then close it back up. And it was wonderful getting out of the gowns they have which are meant for people upwards of 500 pounds. It perfectly logical, but I felt they were almost dangerous on me as I was tripping over the hems.

[1-4-Many 2]

I am a 66 year old woman and I am scheduled to be sleeved on May 16. Does anyone have suggestions as to what to bring to the hospital ? Did anyone bring their own cpap machine? I have severe sleep apnea. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Oh, and I agree with the suggestion of Bioetin (sp?). I love that stuff for dry mouth. But my doctor said it was a no-no. I actually regretted asking. But he said a lot of things like that product get the stomach churning without even having to be something you swallow. Just fyi, if you ask they may say no.