Tell me what I’ve missed. Surgery today

[ByeByeThyroid]

As the name suggests I’m having surgery today for Thyroidectomy. will be in hospital for 2 days all going well. So far in my bag I have;

long phone charger
book
crocs/ flip flops as I can’t decide which to wear
i’ll be wearing dungarees to the hospital
soft PJs
toothbrush
toothpaste
soap
flannel
Lip balm
V shaped pillow
socks
pants
period products because of course it’s fucking early!
deodorant
jumper instead of dressing gown
powerbank for phone?
current medications as last time it took 2 days to get my antidepressants
eye mask
ear plugs

what am I missing? I don’t live anywhere near the hospital so it needs to be packed before we leave in the morning and will stay in the car until I text DH for it

Personally, I’d take some snacks in case the food is not to your liking/timings. Download some programmes to your phone to watch offline as the hospital wifi is often rubbish An outfit to go home in.

A handheld fan? Hospitals can be so hot. But I’ve only experienced the maternity ward so unsure whether it’s usually like that. All the best for your surgery

Oh and headphones if you want to watch things on your phone

Sorry I should have added them on. I will 100% be taking headphones they’ll be used over the earplugs so I don’t have to hear any of my bay mates snoring !

Good shout on the snacks!

Do you need a towel or do they provide them?
Yy to headphones
clean clothes to come home in, and possibly for daytime in hospital if you want
squash?
wet wipes if you have them

I take squash with me too to add to the water . What about sweets to suck?

I mean the towels are like hand towel sized in hospital, I might see if I’ve got a beach towel (thin) hanging around. Squash is a great shout

Actually sweets are a great idea as it’s all in my throat after surgery. Might grab some mints or something! Thanks !

Baby wipes are handy to have a quick freshen up too!

A pashmina or scarf as I get cold and you may want to have your arms free for needles etc.

Best of luck for your surgery. Roll on Wednesday and being back in your own bed.

Just use the towel there, you don’t want to be carting wet towel home.

With PJ’s make sure what you take has a really low neckline or it could rub/irritate. For same reason I’d consider swapping jumper out for dressing gown or cardigan as jumper neckline may rub at the front, that area will be super sensitive.

That’s a good call actually. Might make DH bring it in with my over night bag after the op. Thank you!

I’d need more than one book.

Good list. No experience of thyroidectomy specifically sorry but I would practice some deep breathing exercises in case you get nervous at any point.
How long are you in for?

Honestly, you’ve listed so much stuff and I think you’re probably covered. I had surgery a few years ago and didn’t use half the things I came in with that I thought I would need (I took in a suitcase!)

It will go by really quickly and you might not have the energy to want to do much after the procedure. When I had surgery I pretty much spent the entire period afterwards trying to sleep/getting my head around having surgery, and then I went home. So even though I brought lots of toiletries, clothes, things to pass time etc I found myself not having the energy nor headspace to do much. Plus you’ll have the clinical staff popping in and monitoring you etc, like personally I felt really confused after the anaesthetic and those conversations with medics took loads of my energy and I was trying to wrap my head around what they were saying to the extent I would have been distracted from a show/book after they came around & left.

I’d actually recommend packing less, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything or unpacking afterwards. Good luck for today!

Shampoo? Def snacks. There’s usually plenty of plug sockets around the back of the bed to charge up. And a dressing gown is useful to put on the bed if you get chilly. Good luck.

I'd second someone's suggestion of snacks. When I was in for a few days, although I enjoyed the meals provided (usually had toast and cereal for brekkie and soup, a hot main course usually like stew and mash and a pudding for lunch and dinner), the portions were much smaller than I was used to having at home, and I was so peckish inbeteeen meals, especially the late evenings. I actually went on a walk in the early hours in my pyjamas to find a vending machine, my stomach was rumbling that much!

Those little sachets of hot chocolate, horlicks, etc. might be nice and then when they come round with the drinks trolley, you can ask for hot water and have a nice drink of your choice rather than the usual tea or coffee.

Lots of underwear, especially if your period is heavy. I leaked loads. I don't know if it was the stress of surgery, but the flow was heavy.

I took in a suitcase too! 😂

As the hospital room or ward will likely be very hot, I would recommend a nightie instead of pyjamas. My ward was so hot, as it was women only, we were all walking around in our nighties, some people's so short, knickers were on show, but no one cared, we were all in it together!

Bit of cash in case a nurse is going to the shop (for newspaper, sweets, don’t take too much).

A container eg plastic tub and lid or carrier bag to swipe all your stuff into instead of leaving it all out on the table so you don’t annoy the staff serving food so you don’t drip custard on something vital.

Pen and paper to get phone numbers in case of any neighbour bonding (friend of mine met someone in the next bed and they stayed in touch for over a decade).

Baby wipes? Hospital should have some for face and hands but you never know.

I had a thyroidectomy last year. Take buttoned pyjamas, not ones you pull over your head. It’s easier with the drain etc. Personally I wouldn’t take too many snacks as you might find eating painful. I only managed ice cream and a poached egg at the hospital

Just want to say good luck. It’s been 11 months since my surgery and I’m so pleased I had it. I feel so much better. Try and rest as much as possible in the next few weeks. Despite my incision looking horrible at the time, my scar is hardly visible anymore. After the stitches are removed/dissolved you should massage the scar regularly. You can also use bio oil etc, but I found Dermatix gel was the best. It’s expensive but worth it. They also do sheets you can cut into the right size and sleep with it on overnight.

Hope all goes well. I came into hospital with an infected foot and assumed I would be here overnight, two max. Twelve nights later I am still here (although hopefully going home tomorrow). I would have struggled without DH and DD being able to bring me things.

I like having dettol wipes and hand wipes to keep everything hygienic. Dry shampoo is a must. Hand cream.

Good luck op!