Question:
If you could only take 2 items with you to the hospital, what would they be?
Okay post-opie's knowing what you know now. What 2 things would you take with you to the hospital? Thanks in advance for the suggestions..... — Maggie M. (posted on May 3, 2003)
May 3, 2003
Chapstick and a fan. Good luck!
— plsmom
May 3, 2003
I would have to say my own slippers and vaseline- lips get so cracked and
dry! Goodluck to you!
— Lezlie Y.
May 3, 2003
Here's another vote for some kind of lip balm and a small fan. Everything
else I brought I didn't need!
— Suzy C.
May 3, 2003
Tooth brush and tooth paste.
— Tawnda C.
May 3, 2003
own pillow and fan. rest hospital will provide.
— Angela S.
May 3, 2003
My husband, and pain medicine ( if they didn't already have it at the
hospital!!)
— tatterpuddin
May 3, 2003
I'm gonna have to go with the lip stuff and my own pillow. These are things
I always have to have when I know I won't be sleeping in my own bed. =)
— sochilly
May 3, 2003
Socks and a long wooden spoon (so you can wipe yourself).
— Sharon H.
May 3, 2003
Toothpaste and Chapstick!!! My mouth was like a dried up outhouse. LOL, hey
I did brush my teeth and all, but just so much sleeping and nothing in my
mouth, UGH I can still remember it. Lovely cracked lips and cotton mouth
lol. I feel these are the 2 best things to take :o)
— Sandy M.
May 3, 2003
I hate to get all sentimental but I will anyway... If I could only bring 2
things it would be a family picture and a hair scrunchie. I have a 3 year
old daughter at the time of my surgery she was 2 and I would not let her
see me like that. So for 3 days she saw me 2 times. I really needed her
picture their. It helped so much!!
— Heather B.
May 3, 2003
I would take my cough pillow and lotion
— wildbrat
May 3, 2003
Lip balm and a fan.
— Kimberly L.
May 3, 2003
Chapstick is a must, and a hair brush always feel better if i can brush my
hair
— Tammy N.
May 3, 2003
Phone card so I could make all the phone calls I wanted without worry and
flavored chapstick.. Hospital provides all the toothpaste, toothbrushes,
etc you want.
— Margaret S.
May 3, 2003
walkman and shower clogs. Hospital provided everything else, but I didn't
like walking into the bathroom/shower barefooted (it was basically all on
the same tiles!)when I got to that stage, anyway!
— Terry R.
May 3, 2003
This is a hard one --- but I would say that a squirt bottle (for cleaning
between the legs after surgery - I could always wipe myself but my muscles
were so sore for a few days afterwards and it could get kind of messy!). I
asked for a squirt bottle but couldn't find one (even a sports top water
bottle would do)! It's really the best way to stay fresh and clean
immediately post-op! :):) All the best, Teresa (lap bpd/ds, Jan. 01,
Emergency open internal hernia repair, Nov. 2002)(preop: 307 lbs/bmi 43
now: 155ish/bmi 21ish/22 - 5 9 1/2")
— Teresa N.
May 3, 2003
A spouse or good friend to spend the nite and help out for stuff the nurses
are too busy to handle and provide some companionship.
— bob-haller
May 3, 2003
Definitely chap stick. Your lips get sooooooooo dry. The second would
probably be.....yah, a hairbrush.
— Kim L.
May 3, 2003
My own room and my own phone line:) O.K. seriously Q-tips and deodorant.
These are things the hospital most likely won't provide....or at least not
good deodorant.
— Sarahlicious
May 3, 2003
I brought everything I could think of, and only endded up using my chap
stick, and my over stuffed monkey slippers. Heck, I didn't even use the
change of clothes I brought, went home in the hospital gown. wls 09-18-02
— Melody D.
May 3, 2003
Hair scrunchie and hair band to put it up with and lip balm (moistener).
— Mylou52
May 3, 2003
I didn't take much, but didn't use most of what I took. The one thing I
was glad I had was a pair of sandals that I could just slide my feet into.
Most hospitals will give you socks with some non-skid stuff on the bottom,
but I couldn't put them on by myself and didn't want them on if I wasn't up
walking around. Your own pillow wouldn't be a bad idea either. Most
hospitals supply things like a comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and other
personal hygiene items. They aren't something I'd want to use forever, but
for a few days, they were just fine.
— garw
May 3, 2003
Definitely my own pillow ... I didn't, and my neck hurt for DAYS! I took
it when I had my tummy tuck, and life was so much better ... and flat
slippers, even though I felt much steadier walking barefoot, something
about doing that freaked the nurses out (so I made sure I only did it when
they weren't looking) ... Good luck!
— Cheryl Denomy
May 3, 2003
Definitely those little listerine breath freshener sheets (in the little
green pack) and some baby wipes for freshening up between visitors, after
naps, before you strolls around the hall... If you have "adult"
wipes, that would be even better. Everything else, everyone mentioned. But
those little listerine things saved me many times - brushing just didn't
seem to keep my mouth feeling fresh and you know everyone who visits just
HAS to kiss you on the cheek!! Who wants dragon breath??!!
— Judy N.
May 3, 2003
Two things..hmmm..my pillow and my fan. Definetly. Of course, my husband
was a must have. He was wonderful. Taking someone you feel completely
comfortable with and can depend on is a MUST. If you do not have someone,
try and get an ANGEL that can help you out. Good luck!!!
— rpoepke
May 3, 2003
Hi there, Diane! 2 things, huh? I would take a backpack full of stuff,
which I did, and a phone card. My husband carried the backpack out when I
was discharged. Vi open RNY 9/23/02 down 129 lbs.
— Vi F.
May 3, 2003
I used my lip balm and face lotion the most!
— Shannan B.
May 3, 2003
walkman radio to drown out hospital noises and my own tissues. The ones in
the hospital are thin and rough.
— [Deactivated Member]
May 3, 2003
My own pillow & slippers Everything else can be supplied by the
hospital upon request. =)
— Denise W.
May 3, 2003
Flushable wipes and bottled water! I couldn't stand the taste of the
hospital water. And using the wipes made it so much easier to take care of
"me", all by myself.
— j D.
May 3, 2003
chapstick (I used mine all the time) and a small pillow or stuffed animal
for hugging/coughing and walking the halls. I had a friend that brought me
a silly stuffed animal pillow and it really cheered me up esp. when I tried
to walk. AND a walkman! I had a roommate that had the TV on all night and
talked to me all the time. It was nice to drown out the noise! :)
— CrystalBroj
May 3, 2003
chapstick & a hair scrunchy. Those were the 2 things that I couldn't
have lived without! Granted if you don't have hair you can put in a
ponytail, then the hair scrunchy won't do you much good...but without it,
my hair was a MESS!
— Ilene M.
May 5, 2003
Lip balm and my personal fan
— Cindy R.
May 5, 2003
This question depends on 2 things... the type of surgery you're having and
the level of care you get from the hospital.
My bag contained shampoo & rinse, toothpaste & toothbrush (I can't
stand the hospital's ...too hard), hairbrush, chapstick.
If I had to choose 2...chapstick & a combination shampoo/rinse. The
hospital had everything else that I could manage with.
You're in such a short time and you spend a LOT of time sleeping.
— Diane S.
May 5, 2003
I had some complications combined with less than stellar nursing care while
I was in the hospital. Because of that, two things that I really needed and
didn't have were 1) a paperback drug reference to help me double-check the
various meds they kept bringing me (the hospital made several serious
medication mistakes while I was there) and 2) a thermometer to check my own
temperature. I know it sounds strange, but those were the items that
friends had to run out and get for me. Some other items I was glad to
have: lip balm, pre-moistened facial cleansing cloths (Biore brand), my own
stash of sugar-free popsicles (stored in the nurse's freezer down the
hall), my own prescription medications (with surgeon's okay), a notebook
& pen (for keeping track of med changes, vital signs, etc.), and a
lightweight bathrobe for walking the halls. Hope this helps... good luck.
:-)
— Tally
May 5, 2003
First, I would make sure I had my little orange moldable ear plugs. They
SAVED my life in noisy Westchester Medical Center, with my noisy roommate.
Second, I would take my little cotton housecoat/robe. I wore it over my
hospital gown for walking, and it was great.
— Kathy J.
May 5, 2003
Toothbrush and favorite pillow
— Deanna Wise
May 6, 2003
Since my WLS I have been taken to the hospital by those nice young men in
their nice blue suits four different times. For me the two things to take
were my prepaid phone card and my daughters' phone numbers. The hospital
provided whatever else I needed. Nina in Maine
— [Deactivated Member]
May 8, 2003
Toothbrush and biore face wipes.
— Dana W.
Click Here to Return