Tips for hospital stay

[PurpleDandelions]

I'm soon to be admitted to hospital for major abdo surgery and will be in for up to a week.
Any suggestions on what to take in with me to help make this easier ot manage?

• An extra long charging cord for your phone/tablet (so that you can put your devices on charge without getting out of bed, as well as use them while they’re charging. Wrap the cord round the bar of your bed so that you can always reach it).

• Noise cancelling headphones (a massively worthwhile investment - hospitals are such noisy places. When my father was last in hospital, there was a very selfish young man on his ward who insisted on playing his radio out loud, without headphones... Noise-cancelling headphones were a lifesaver for my dad).

• Eye mask (wards never get dark).

• Slippers (for when you’re able to get out of bed)

• I’d also recommend a little fabric bag for your valuables/electronics/headphones that you can keep in your bed, so you always have access to it.

All of the above plus...

• lip balm

• hand cream (your skin gets really dry)

• squash

• cosy socks

• eyemask so you can get some sleep

• make sure you have plenty of films/tv/music downloaded onto your tablet or phone

• face wipes

• puzzle books or similar to entertain you

• snacks because hospital food is terrible

• money (but not loads) so as soon as you are able you can buy food elsewhere

Definitely invest in an extra long power cord for your phone. Otherwise you'll be staring at the walls for hours while phone recharges.
Has the hospital got wifi? If not, download movies to watch on your phone now.
Loads of knickers. Body lotion.
Usual toiletries incl. conditioner.
I'm a smoker so for me, a priority is adequate tobacco for my stay (incl. tobacco papers and lighters).

Cash as well as card, though most vending machines now will take card.

Best of luck. I hate hospital.

Also, if you snack on chocolate, biscuits, crisps, bring some in with you or you'll pay a premium in vending machines.
A lightweight dressing gown (polyester or such), as the gowns they put you in expose your butt.
Flip flops rather than slippers.
Earphones for your mobile. Ear plugs for trying to sleep.

Something rare I needed on a recent hospital stay was canesten cream as I got vaginal thrush. They kept promising to prescribe it but never did.

Oh and a little notebook and pen so that you can write down what you need to ask for next ward round. I've found, the nurses will say they'll ask a doctor, but they never do. So best if you can make a note for when docs are in front of you (e.g. pain relief not adequate - can you prescribe additional).

Walk through a day in your life from waking to falling asleep, and make sure you have all you can think of to make life as comfortable as possible.

Prepare for a cold temp ward or a baking temp ward. So lightweight dressing gown, but also hoodies/fleeces to put on if cold.
Can't emphasise - about 14 pairs of knickers.

Other random things I've needed but haven't had are tweezers, nail clippers/nail files.

Also, bring adequate supply of usual meds or a repeat prescription, so that you're not missing out on your usual meds.

They'll put you in those ghastly white stockings too, hence the body lotion, as they used to itch like fuck.

Also, if you are on any medication, bring along paperwork showing what you take and when.

Hospital nurses are notorious for refusing to give out GP-prescribed medication, if it’s not on the hospital system.

My father took a blood thinner, which you can’t stop taking once you’ve started it because of the stroke risk.

We gave all his medication to the hospital nurses and assumed they’d give it to him when he needed it, but instead they locked it in the drugs cupboard and refused to! Luckily he had another box at home, so we quite literally had to smuggle the drug onto the ward each day and give it to him ourselves when the nurses weren’t looking...

Squash
Magazines
Dry shampoo
Wet wipes

Bendy straws

lydia - it's possible that he was on additional blood thinners in hospital, hence them stopping his usual one while he was in.

Lydia - just an e.g. on my last hospital stay, I was put on a daily blood thinner injection (it's the one they inject into your tummy that causes bruising). You could easily have double dosed your poor grandfather and he could have bled out in surgery for e.g. for your dabbling with his meds. Speak to a doctor in the hospital before dabbling in future please!!!

Sorry, father not grandfather!

My db is a doctor, and he checked my dad’s medication chart + made the matron let him look at my dad’s notes.

They weren’t giving him any blood thinners.

Ok Lydia. I believe you.

Cling film to wrap your cannula in so you can have a shower

Also bare in mind that you may not be allot leave the ward at all due to Covid.

@lydia7986 that was an incredibly dangerous thing to do!

Depending on the wound you will have I'd suggest either button up pyjamas that you don't have to stretch over your head or something loose. Same goes for hoodies and so on, a zippy one was easier than stretching to pull over head.

Peppermint tea.

Ear plugs good in theory but DH wasn't allowed to wear them as they kept taking his temperature with an ear thermometer.

I'd buy a little power pack so you have it for charging.

Shower cap. Hair bobbles if you have long hair they always seem to go astray!
A nice towel from home.
A water bottle to keep drinks cold.
Tissues, hospital ones not the softest.

Hope your surgery goes well 💐

Wow, I see that nurse bashing is back to normal now!

These lists are incredibly helpful. Thanks all.

I was recently in and had downloaded films, tv etc and books but couldn’t concentrate so I would say music too. Great ideas from others. Best of luck OP.

Mini bottles of shampoo, shower gel etc., Polo mints, hand cream.

Good luck OP.

Tie ribbon or string or elastic round the end of your charging cable so you can hook it on the bed.

Take some squash - the water tends to taste horrible. The little super concentrated stuff is good. A lidded mug is good too, especially if your mobility is likely to be impaired.