What should I pack for hospital for a hysterectomy stay?

[Happydays777]

What kind of things do I need to take to hospital for hysterectomy? Minimum 1 night stay. Pyjamas slippers dressing gown and slippers. Change of clothes? Tissues, wet wipes, towel, pads and phone charger but no idea what else? What do I put it all in as don't have a hold all.
Will have to travel 50 miles to hospital as I live remotely. DF will be driving me there and collecting as DH will be going to the football he says its nothing major! None of my friends have had one but I am as I have large ovarian cysts and very HMB that caused severe anaemia and Hb of 40. Now after treatment and txa its Hb140.
Put over a stone in weight and gone from 8st6lb to 9st 8lb and not eating more? Nothing fits so will be stretchy loose trousers and top for journey home. Anything I need for drive home? Will it be painful?

That may determine your time in if you have a full incision . They should know by the size and sometimes they want things out whole to test.

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This is the one I used. I could drink laying sort of on my side.

If you fancied a change, these are really nice. Often cheaper on amazon
https://morenutrition.co.uk/products/zerup-zero-sirup

Your husband is awful.

You need to ask both of them a.s.a.p. (by whatever means possible) to support you with a prescription for a decent amount of gel (1-1.5 mg gel, 2-3 pumps Oestrogel, or 50-75 patch), especially if there is a possibility that you are having your ovaries removed. Do you know if you are? Is it a ‘BSO’ hysterectomy?

It really hacks me off that women aren’t given this information and the clear options as a matter of course, when facing a hysterectomy. Best of luck, OP.

Good grief, do people really take all this stuff to hospital with them? I recently ended up in a hospital in another city for 8 days, all I took with me were what I was wearing, pjs, dressing gown, ugg boots, and my phone charger (I thought I would be going home from the local hospital after a few hours). Everything else I needed was provided by the hospital, other than a toothbrush and deodorant, which a friend brought me.

I'm not suggesting OP take nothing with her, but it's a short hospital stay, not a holiday!

Pre-hysterectomy I was once in the MAU with a pulmonary embolism (I have all the luck!) and they couldn’t even find me a sanitary towel! It was midnight, no visitors, the shop was closed … awful. And they forgot my saline drip. It was quite the experience. I’m glad yours was better.

I think also post-hysterectomy your temperature regulation can be very erratic and it’s best to be prepared for hot/cold. And the mask / ear plugs are essential in a ward because you need to sleep, and NHS wards in England can be noisy and have too much light at night coming in from the corridor.

It’s a bit of a lottery I suppose.

Yes. Hospitals will provide toothbrush, paste, soup, gown(s) and even a form of knickers and slippers (although if you think these last 2 are anything like you'd find in a cheap hotel you're in for a surprise) but you'd be dependent on the health care assistants remembering and not getting distracted- which can be a big ask on a very busy, understaffed ward.

Some wards can be peaceful and comfortable, but others very hot and stuffy with little fresh air. Having experienced a few of these, I'd never go without sleep mask and ear plugs now.

Or a fan, having been stuck in hot, stuffy ward on the middle of summer. Have had better luck temperature wise asking for an extra blanket but you'll need to do this everytime the bed is changed and I've known wards to run out.

Wearing hospital gowns can be really convenient and for an overnight stay I'd be happy with just that but being on a ward, especially post surgery, can be a really dehumanising experience and it can help to wear your own clothes. I suggested extra because the op clearly isn't going to get whinge-free help from her husband!

All I suggested in addition to your list were a few small items and the ops own toiletries - I'd hard call that overpacking!

• that should have said soap, not soup!

I've just had a full hysterectomy with incision from belly button down. I went online to Google what to take to hospital, but a couple of things I couldn't have done without were fizzy sweets for the gas (Love Hearts work a treat) and eat plugs/headphones. Also a nightie and not pyjamas as you won't want anything round your stomach. It was extremely (sorry) painful getting home from the hospital and 50 miles sounds like a very long way! Your husband does need to be with you and he'll need to look after you for at least a week afterwards. I couldn't get out of bed on my own. You'll also have a catheter fitted, try to have this removed before you go home but you'll need to prove you can wee before they'll let you home without one fitted. Snacks (plenty of fruit), slippers, face wipes, lactose, towel, very loose clothes to travel home in. Good luck!

This with bells on
get the girls round to pack his stuff for him

on a practical note my sister had hers last year and I bought her some maternity leggings she said best gift ever as she could pull them over her tummy and they didn’t dig in.

Mine was laparoscopic and I’d bought those massive M&S pants but in the end my own bikini ones fitted ok sitting below my incisions.

The surgeon did such a neat job. After a year or so I had no traces at all.