what to take to the hospital - a checklist

[hensylee]

MitralMan

MitralMan

"Hensylee, I kept thinking how I'd use a bra... "

I had no idea you are a buxom beauty!

 

[Adrienne]

I used my earplugs every night!! I'm envious of Susan BAV with a private room. I hate having a roommate in the hospital. Unfortunately, I was told that they keep the private rooms for the really bad cases (I would have been willing to pay for one). After 2 or 3 days I was able to read a book I had started. My husband, who had a list of people he e-mailed every evening about my progress, printed the replies and best wishes from people and brought them to the hospital.

 

[ruth]

What wonderful ideas!

OK, here's my 'final' list.

First, my dear husband who is fabulous at being there when I need him and advocating for me with the doctors and remembering all those things I mean to ask but can't remember in the moment. I realize now that may be all I need to bring.

The rest:
toothbrush/paste
glasses, contacts
nail file
book to read
dulcolax/prescriptions
undies/boxers
robe
hairbrush/scrunchies/baby shampoo
socks/slippers
hand cream/shea butter
deoderant
cough pillow
earplugs/chapstick
loose clothes to wear home
gum - for my DH, not me
small amount of pocket $
phone, charger
ipod, charger, headphones
clie, charger

Since I'm blind without my contacts and allergic to toothpaste, probably all I really need to bring is my glasses and special toothpaste. There's no harm in packing up the bag on the chance something is needed.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[michellep]

I think I'll bring a small container of baby powder. My hair gets oily quickly and a shake of baby powder seems to buy me an extra day without a wash.
Thanks for the list everyone!

 

[ruth]

Michelle - good point! Boy, I'd forgotton that 'ole trick, yes, you're most right. Just don't breathe any of it in, could be real bad timing...

RobHol - Yes, I think checking in the day before for the cath is a brilliant move on their part, I really do appreciate that. Arriving in D.C. traffic and walking right into surgery doesn't sound like much fun at all. I really feel for you having to do the hotel routine, yet it was likely the best move on your part. Ya gotta respect the traffic we have here! Some semi trailer tips over on the beltway dumping his load of ho-ho's all over the roadway and that's it, finished, deadlock everywhere. Washington Hospital Center where I'm going is just a few miles north of the Capital, not somewhere you want to be going in traffic.

 

[michellep]

Hey Ruth,
where did you get your wedge pillow?

 

[ruth]

Overstock.com

put the phrase "Read and Relax 2-in-One Bed Pillow" in the search box.

49.99 w/ free shipping.

I looked at one for less at Linen's & Things but it was ony 7 inches tall and wasn't a substantial enough wedge for me and had no extra pillow topper like this one at overstock does which is almost 12 inches tall with the pillow giving a little more for your head. Flipped over it looks cool too for sitting up in bed or on the couch. I also looked on amazon.com where there are several decent choices too, none quite as nice as this one in my opinion.

 

[the art den lady]

Dry Shampoo

Dry Shampoo

Hi there. Approx. 3 weeks pre-op. (Will be calling the surgeon in 2 days.)

I plan on bringing some corn starch and a big make-up brush. The smell of baby powder, doesn't suit me. I use this technique when camping, because I have fine hair and it gets oily!

I have corn starch in an old make-up container with a removable lid w/holes. I put the brush on top, flip over the cornstarch and shake some corn starch in the brush. I then tap the brush on the vanity (so I don't get a big glob of white) and apply to my hair. I keep doing that until I feel I've got most of the oil. Then I shake a towel all over my hair and brush. Works great!

 

[michellep]

What I actually used...

What I actually used...

two weeks post op...here is what I actually used and was grateful to have.
a large stuffed dog (very flat dog) that I used as a cough pillow (many a moment I clutched that dog as I moved around)
earplugs
boxers (saved embarassment among family members)


I didn't care about my hair. I didn't care about slippers. I used two hospital nightgowns. Everything else sat in my bag.

 

[ruth]

I packed a lot of things but I actually used very few:
- glasses
- contacts (put them in day 3 or so)
- toothpaste (hospital provided but I'm allergic to most every brand so I brought my own)
- fluffy pink robe (my comfort item used as an extra blanket in bed and to hide tubes when my kids came to visit, also nice when walking the halls)

I was pretty amazed at how few things I actually used. The hospital gave me a cough pillow shaped like a big red heart and I clutched that continuously until at least 2 weeks post op.

Ruth

 

[marciemarine]

The hospital where I was had no shower or shampoo available, so my hair got pretty grubby, but the did supply a kit with lotions, powder, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, comb, mouthwash and plenty of linens. They didn't supply deodorant, so I had my husband bring some from home. My feet get cold, so I wore slipper socks and I brought undies for comfort and modesty since my roommate had her family over and I needed to gat past them to get to the bathroom. Also, I wouldn't have felt comfortable walking in the hallways without them because there were visitors passing through as well as the medical and cleaning staff. Marcie

 

[jane v]

The best 3 things I brought was my husband and my parents. Yes, I was very fortunate. They were the gatekeppers of the phone and the door, and looked out for me during the 10 days. My own pillow and nonwhite pillowcase, were comforting in the hospital and on the ride home. A few small games and drawing items to keep my kids occupied while they visited. Own toothbrush, paste, deoderant,lotion and shampoo were heavenly. Only wore the hospital clothes and issued slipper socks. Didn't care too much who saw my body at that point, they are professionals, right?? Packed way too much, I guess I thought it was going to be a relaxing time. Great attitude and determination also helps get through and onto bigger and better times.
jane v

Mitral Valve Replacement
May 16, 2006 St. Jude's

 

[Susan BAV]

Pre-op, I had read here about a product that you can comb through your hair to clean it in lieu of a shampoo. I sent my husband all over the hospital in search of it, which he was finally able to locate. But be warned: IT DOES NOT WORK ON LONG HAIR!

 

[ruth]

Susan,

It's interesting to hear that you had such trouble with losing hair after surgery. I don't think I've lost any. Just goes to show that everyone's different. My hair isn't as long yet as I normally wear it but I'm lucky and it's real dry so it wasn't too bad.

The very worst part was the night before surgery they gave me this horrible antibacterial wash stuff to shower with and told me to even wash my hair with it. My hair didn't appreciate it and felt like straw. Then the next morning as they wheeled me into the OR the poor anesthesiologist's assistant was trying to shove my hair (it's long and thick) into this little green bonnet. I felt so sorry for him. After he struggled for a few minutes I had to take the hat away from him and do it myself.

On about post-op day 4 or so they let me shower. Boy that was wonderful. I would have really appreciated having real shampoo, they had some OK body wash stuff they gave me but it didn't restore my hair. Of all the stuff I packed I would have loved a hotel-sized bottle of decent shampoo for that first post-op shower.

Ruth

 

[Susan BAV]

Hi Ruth - I wasn't sure if the hair loss was connected to the surgery and all the things that went with that, or some of the meds I had to take afterward, including Coumadin and Sotalol. I lost some hair when I had each of my children and when I had my first heart surgery but this was very different in that it was a lot of hair and nothing like I'd ever experienced before. I was really beginning to get worried. Happily, it's all back to normal now.

 

[ruth]

Susan,

I did lose hair with each pregnancy and didn't care for it very much. It always grew back though.

Sorry you had that trouble again with OHS. With all the meds/anesthesia/etc it's impossible to know what could be the root cause. I'm glad for you that it's back to normal now.

Ruth

 

[Lynlw]

Pre-op, I had read here about a product that you can comb through your hair to clean it in lieu of a shampoo. I sent my husband all over the hospital in search of it, which he was finally able to locate. But be warned: IT DOES NOT WORK ON LONG HAIR! Post-op, I kept my hair pulled up in a valley girl explosion on top of my head with a scrunchee for most of the time but the dirty hair was one of the things that bugged me the most post-op (aside from the pain of course). That's when I found out that other stuff does not work well for long hair. If/when I have another AVR, I'm going to cut my hair much shorter, because post-op I lost LOTS of it anyway (either from the surgery or the post-op meds) and it had to grow back in anyway.

you know it is funny you mention that, There is a product "Redo" that Jonathan (he had a tv show on bravo, a little 'out there" lol) makes that is a liquid spray that
"Revitalizing and conditioning Cucumber/Rose Essential Water refreshes slightly dirty, oily hair, and vegetable enzyme neutralizes odors and leaves hair smelling clean. Natural extracts like white tea, almond, aloe and pomegranate condition and add shine. Also can be used to refresh, hydrate, and condition skin. 100 percent vegan and alcohol-free."
I got a small bottle in a travel set and it worked pretty well, One day Justin put tooooo much hair stuff in his hair so i gave him the bottle to use and he said i wish we found this when I had my last heart surgery and friends wre vsiting. So we wrote to Jonathan and told him about it and that we take things to hospitals for kids having heart surgery and this would be great for the teens, and asked if he would give us some of the trial size bottles,so he sent a case of the full size bottles. I thought that was so nice, because from his show, he didn't look that nice.

editted to add, this was just a thing our family does, not thru a NP, so it wasn't because it was a good tax deduction

 

[Lynlw]

I just remeberred, Justin always likes to take a nice fleece blanket, those thin hospital blankets don't keep you very warm. I actually had one for me (friends made us both new blankets) when I stayed with him, since they keep the room freezing, so a hoodie type jacket for your care gooder (even in the middle of July I lived in it) might be good to have.

 

[TammyM]

The next time around (if and when), I probably will take very little. I think all I used that the hospital did not provide was lip balm and slippers. I would also take a little microfiber pillow to put between the seatbelt and my chest for the ride home.
The person who needs to pack heavy is your caregiver! Someone brought a huge gift basket on the day of my surgery to my husband, not to me. It contained all kinds of snacks, magazines, gift cards to local fast food, puzzle books, etc. It also had a roll of quarters in it for the vending machines. It was well used and very much appreciated.

 

[Isis]

My suggestion would be two pairs of pajamas; long pants with pockets and short sleeve top with buttons. Much more comfortable than a robe; in my opinion.

At Florida hospital each heart patient had his own portable EKG system. It had an approximately 1 pound transmitter that you kept with you all the time. It was nice to put the transmitter in the pants pocket and forget it.
The EKG data was sent to a nurses station where they monitored everyone on the floor 24/7.