Packing for overnight hospital stay

[sdrussell22 4]

My surgery is tomorrow and I am not sure of what all to pack. What is everyone bringing? For those who have had the surgery was there something you wish you had brought?

Thanks

[Snufflegus 80]

I packed very simple; phone charger, pillow (mainly for the ride home), toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, and some snack bars and magazines for my hubby. The hospital required me to wear their no slip socks and I requested an extra gown to wear as a robe so I didn't have to worry about my own. I was only there overnight. I know somewhere there is a sticky note with a huge list of what people thought was needed.

[Chele H 427]

Extension cord for your electronics.....otherwise not much besides what Snufflegus said except maybe chapstick. Some people bring Gas X strips, I could not find them so I brought chewables but did not need them. I was blessed with no gas pains whatsoever.

Bring comfy clothes to go home in......yoga pants, t-shirt, sports bra.

Good luck!

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Same as above, pack as light as possible. I brought my phone, charger, Kindle, extra undies, lip balm, and very basic toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, etc.). I made sure the clothes I wore to the hospital would be comfy on the way home (loose empire waist dress, cotton sports bra that fastens in front, no underwire). I also brought no-skid socks to wear while walking but as it turns out I didn't need them - the hospital provided them. I also only used my Kindle because my surgeon was running late so I had an extra 90 minutes to kill in pre-op - otherwise I would have never used it. I made sure my friend giving me a ride home from the hospital brought a pillow to use under the seat belt. There was nothing I wished I had -- the hospital provides everything you need.

[sdrussell22 4]

Thanks everyone I will work on this

[vinniej3 139]

My most important items were (i) my pillow, (ii) a pair of pajama pants (so I could get up and walk around) and (iii) my slippers (so I could get up and walk around). Good luck tomorrow! You're going to do great.

[Melissa1234 69]

I'm tomorrow too and packing as well! Good luck to you tomorrow!

[Arts137 1,811]

only things I ewally used was a robe and an iPOD.

[joatsaint 2,814]

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2115/entry-5594-quick-faqs-frequently-asked-questions/

[AvaFern 3,516]

A few people have posted other forums with this on it, so you may find advice with a search (I did that before I packed for mine).

I brought with me a giant suitcase of everything I could possibly need because I didn't have anyone with me. What I ended up using was a pajama top and pajama capris because it was really nice to walk around the halls without having to worry about a hospital gown. I also brought a sports bra because again, it's nice to be able to walk without the girls hanging loose. I was very happy I had brought my own pillow and my own blanket- it made it so much less miserable and for some reason I was freezing the whole time. On that note, the heating pad I brought with me was a lifesaver the entire time- it made the gas pains in my shoulder better and kept me warm. I brought with me an eye mask, which was amazing and I could sleep so much better. Deodorant, chapstick, contact solution, and Gas-X strips were all really nice to have as well. Oh- and grippy socks. Having your own socks is great and as long as they have the grips on the bottom the hospital doesn't mind if you don't use theirs. Don't forget your phone charger and if you have more than one thing to plug in, a powersaver strip is a good idea.

I also brought with me a robe, which I didn't use because the IV is annoying to undo to get your arms in the sleeves. I had slippers with me, but I ended up just using the flip flops I wore in to surgery to walk around. I thought I might get bored so I had my laptop and iPad with me. I used the computer to complete something for work that needed to be done (which given I don't remember writing it because I was fairly high at the moment ended up turning out decently), but past that I had no interest in anything other than sleeping and trying not to puke. This is apparently different from people who don't have a reaction to the IV narcotics, lol.

I was glad that I brought everything that I did because I didn't need anything the entire time I was in the hospital, but in reality you really end up only using a few things.

Good luck in surgery!