Hospital bag must haves

Clinical Advisor

From A Bigger Life

Now that you have a date planned for your surgery you may be wondering what to bring to the hospital. Below is a few hints and tips to help you with your packing list.

• Short sleeve pyjamas or a nightdress.
• Take a notepad and pen for recording any thoughts, queries or concerns that you have. This means when the nurse visits you can talk to them about your concerns or questions.
• Music and books will help you relax and keep you entertained during your stay.
• Take all your normal toiletries but another little extra thing to add would be lip balm. The atmosphere in hospitals is very dry and can make your lips cracked and uncomfortable.
• Take a list of your medications and past medical history.
• Take a list of your contact numbers for family and friends.
• Bring extra underwear, maybe even a size bigger so they are comfortable. After surgery your stomach will be a bit more swollen than what it would normally be, so you don’t want anything restricting around your abdomen.
• Take earplugs and an eye mask. Hospitals are really busy noisy places. If you can get a good night’s sleep it will help you recover and recuperate much easier.

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• Telling your child about your stoma