new here! any tips about what to take to hosp

i'm panicking about whether i'm taking the right things with me, but actually i'm terrified about the whole thing. my surgery is tommorrow.

i'm notoriously bad for taking my whole world with me wherever i go. but im wondering are there any things (besides pillows which i've gathered from reading are invaluable) that you wished you had taken or things you took that turned out to be great things to take. obviously i've got all the usual things, eeek i hope anyway.

this is probably a really dumb question, but i'm trying to take the focus off my terror i suppose and focussing on what i'm taking seemed like the least scary thing to worry about.

this is a great site, thanks to all those who run it, i just wish i had found it earlier.

gentle healing thoughts to all those who need them.

rainb

Welcome to the greatest women's site.

On the main page down at the bottom, there are several drop down menus. Check the drop down menu for :Ladies in Waiting." There is a list of things to take to the Castle.

Ask all your questions here. No topic is off limits or too graphic.

TC

rainb

It's not a dumb question at all. There is a pull down menu at the bottom of the H/S home page -- under pre-op, that lists what to take to the hospital. It is very lengthy however, and I didn't take even half the stuff that is listed. Basically, all I took to the hospital were my slippers, a robe, and a nice pair of pajamas. I wound up not wearing the pajamas at all, just the lovely hospital gown. I also took chapstick and my favorite shampoo. The thing about the hospital stay is that it is usually so short--they send you home as soon as you are peeing, passing gas, and up and walking. The main important "thing" I took with me to the hospital was my DH. He made sure I had all that I needed!
I know you are scared, I was too. When you go to the hospital tomorrow tell your nurses and the "A" man how scared you are--they are there to help you. It will be over before you know it and you will soon be on the better side. It really isn't as bad as your imagination makes it up to be.

's and blessings to you!

I packed like I was going to stay at a hotel. I took my basic toiletries. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deoterant, shampoo, conditioner (travel sizes), ultra-thin maxi pads (wore them everyday, so I had lots of them. and they sure beat those great big thick things they have at the hosptial), hair dryer, LOTS of underware (actually I just took a couple but sent my family home for more. My incision drained onto them constantly), slippers, robe, nightshirt (I couldn't wait to get that hosptial gown off and get into a nice, soft nightie), hand lotion, chap stick, and most importantly my own two bed pillows.

I wore a nice loose dress and slip on shoes to the hospital so that I could wear the same thing home.

Good luck with your surgery. And for furture note, the only dumb questions around here are the ones you don't ask!! Can't wait to hear your story when you get home!

One piece of advice: pack light. Whatever you take it seems to multiply. The day I went into the hospital everything I took fit into a backpack. Two days later my DH had to make 2 trips out to the car with stuff, plus I had to carry flowers on my lap during my wheelchair ride to the front door!

Seriously, all I used was:
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Shampoo, cream rinse, moisturizer
A brush
Slippers
Lip balm (moisturizing formula) try to make sure it has no petroleum in it as it will react with oxygen should you need it.
Don’t bother with books, etc. You won’t feel like reading and it’s just something you’ll have to carry home.
Some ladies take their own nighties, but for such a short period of time I didn't bother. I figured I'd let the hospital do the laundry! I went in on Tuesday and came home Thursday, since I had to wait for the IV and the cath to be out I would have only had one day for my own nightie. The hospital gowns really aren't as bad as they used to be. My hospital even supplied robes. Their pillows were fine also.

thankyou so much for all your help.

i leave in about an hour.

you are truly great people. good luck to all the other people going in on the same day as me and after of course.

ok now im seriously terrified. but i will try to remember that all of you wonderful people got through this so i suppose that means i can too.

rainb

Hi Rainb ! Ditto on what everyone else had said so far. Check the drop down menus first it's a great start. Personally, hubby made sure I had everything I needed. Once there all I really used was toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, shampoo, antibacterial body wash, slippers, robe, socks, facial moisturizer, cottonelle personal wipes, and chapstick. I took my pillow and blanket, but my husband used it for himself since he stayed with me. Their pillows and blankets were fine actually. I too stayed using their gowns - they're more roomy. I didn't worry about underwear. I figured I'd go 'a la naturale' plus it'll give my stiches a chance to breath and it's not like nurses/dr/hubby haven't seen before. I also took my own pads, 'cause theirs are bulky but I didn't use. They put 2 on me at the beginning for a little spotting, but I didn't need them after the second morning. I did take a roll of my own paper towels. The dinner napkin they give are too small plus I used it to dry my hands 'cause their paper towels were those ugly brown paper bag kind - yuk! Another thing I did take and my hubby knew to do this as soon as he knew where my room was is we took antibacterial wipes to clean phones, rails, doorknobs and stuff. I have a bit of a thing about germs and the fact that when my mom stayed at her hospital there was dried blood on the rail that wasn't hers and the phone was dirty - yuk! That grosses me out. Anyway, hope these tips help. Good Luck on your trip to the castle and an uneventful stay.