If your surgery is coming up and you’re wanting to be as prepared as you can including having all the essentials in your hospital bag – then this one’s for you! With the help of my LWAS community I have collated a list of all the hospital bag essentials to make this process easier and give you peace of mind that you have everything you need.
- Long phone charging cable is a must!
- Perfume or spray deodorant – for obvious reasons however they also come in handy to cover the post-surgery gas elimination (don’t worry this is completely normal!)
- Non-slip bed socks or slippers – you will have to walk around the hospital and it’s important to have stable footwear
- Loose pants – you won’t want to wear anything tight around the waist
- Lip balm
- The usual toiletries – toothbrush, toothpaste, hair ties & hair brush
- Sanitary products like pads in case you experience vaginal bleeding – surgery is a massive stress on the body and combined with the pre-op rapid weight loss this can result in hormonal imbalances which affects menstruation even if you have gone through menopause already
- Diet cordial – often after surgery plain water can be difficult to get down. Bring some diet cordial in a small bottle in case your hospital doesn’t have any
- Body or face wipes – if you aren’t up for a shower or need to freshen up these will come in handy
Not essential but you might consider packing:
- Your own pillow
- Ear plugs and/or eye mask if you are a light sleeper
- Biotene mouth spray – the combination of reduced fluids and pain medication can cause dry mouth right after surgery. Focusing on sipping fluids often will be the best prevention and remedy however if needed this spray can help soothe and moisturise your mouth.
- Reading material – however many sleevers have mentioned they didn’t get time or feel up to using the magazines or books they brought
I hope this helps and leave a comment if you would like to add to this list!
2 Comments
The one thing that really helped me was peppermint tea or peppermint water. This helps hugely with the abdominal pain caused by the gas left inside from the op. Better than analgesics. Many hospitals have peppermint water or you can take food grade peppermint oil ( from health food shops) and make your own in warm water. I still use this if I get bloated and I’m 4.5 years post-op.
The other thing I can’t stress strongly enough is walk, walk walk from the time you’re allowed out of bed. Helps with the pain as well as preventing DVTs.
Fabulous tips Stephanie – thank you!