When you are disabled or chronically ill sometimes you have to go to the doctor or hospital more often than non-disabled people to manage your health. Some disabled people spend a lot of time at the hospital but not everyone with a disability has a lot of hospitalization and it depends on what disability you have because some disabled people have more health challenges than others. Most people with Spina Bifida had at least one surgery because a lot of the time a spinal closure is necessary within the first twenty-four of birth but not everyone with Spina Bifida requires a lot of hospital visits and depends on the individual. I have the most severe type of Spina Bifida and have had more hospital stays than most people because surgery sometimes is required to improve my health. When you have had a lot of hospital stays you learn what you need to bring to the hospital to be better prepared. What is in my hospital bag? In this post, I am going to talk about a few things that you should bring to the hospital when you have a longer stay.
A list of all your surgeries- When you go to the hospital the first thing that you will be asked is for a list of every surgery you have had. If you have only had one two surgeries, it won’t be hard to list all of your surgeries but when you have had as many surgeries there is no way you will ever remember every single surgery. A list of every surgery you have had should in their computer but sometimes there is a computer glitch, and it is not there. It can be helpful to make a list of every surgery you have had so when there is a computer glitch you have something to give to your doctor. My mom keeps a list of my surgeries that doesn’t necessarily have all of my surgeries because sometimes we forget to add one but it has most of the important ones. Doctors often want to know how many surgeries you had and the specific dates of them which can be difficult to remember when you have so many.
Electronics to keep yourself entertained– When am spending the night at the hospital l I always like to have my iPad because although hospitals have TV sets to keep you entertained sometimes their selection is limited. I bring my electronic devices with me to the hospital because it allows me to connect with friends and family who want to know how I am doing and entertain myself when I get bored. I never spend the night at the hospital without bringing my iPad because there is so much more to do than you are ever going to get from hospital cable which is often not great. I am able to download movies from Netflix and play games that I would be able to do if I didn’t have it. When I have had a painful surgery, I don’t usually write a blog post immediately because pain sometimes affects the quality of it but if I get bored enough, I will write. Electronic devices are a must-have for hospital stays to avoid getting so bored you don’t know what to do with yourself. If you can, I wouldn’t bring your new iPad you bought last week just in case something happens to you and you forget
Comfy change of clothes- When you are in the hospital, it is likely that you will have to wear their hospital gown but will need a change of clothes for when you are discharged. Before I go to the hospital for surgery I think carefully about my outfit because you always have to take into consideration that it is possible you’ll be in a lot of pain and may not want to wear tight jeans. When I go to the hospital, I usually try to pick loose-fitting clothing like dresses, but my outfit choice depends on what type of surgery I am having because what I wear after an abdominal surgery may be different than what I’d wear after a shunt surgery. Make sure you dress appropriately because if you pick something that is too tight you will regret that choice. Hospitals do not give you a change of clothes so make sure you have one for when you leave!
Personal hygiene products– Hospitals will supply you with personal hygiene products such as a toothbrush, but I like to bring my own because usually, theirs is not the best quality. If you are spending the night at the hospital, do not forget your personal hygiene products, such as a toothbrush and deodorant, because I promise, you’ll want them. When I am in the hospital for a few days, a lot of the time I will be given a sponge bath, but if I didn’t bring my deodorant, I would still smell because that only lasts so long, and eventually, I do start sweating, and I don’t want to smell my bad BO for three days.
Throat lozenges or a sore throat– When you have surgery sometimes the breathing tube that they put in while you are under gives you a sore throat. In my experience, shorter surgeries do not cause as much of an issue but when you have a longer one sometimes you will have a sore throat for days. I always bring cough drops or throat lozenges for after I have surgery because sometimes my throat is very scratchy and it feels like I should have the flu. Your sore throat should improve and completely go away within a few days but until that happens cough drops can help give you some relief. Most times I have throat lozenges in my hospital bag and the only time I might not have them is if I know I won’t be able to eat afterward.
Warm blankets and blankets– If you are the patient a lot of the time you can request warm blankets and more pillows, and they will bring them to you because they want you to be comfortable but when you are not the patient the blankets they give you will not be as warm. If you are staying the night at the hospital with a loved one, I would bring a couple of extra blankets because hospitals can be cold, and pillows to help make the uncomfortable cot you have to sleep on a little more bearable.
List of all your medications– When you go to the hospital, you won’t need to bring your medication with you because they have a pharmacy and will administer all your meds to you but it is important to know the dosage of your medication and any allergies you may have so that way you can be safe and be getting everything you need.
A couple of snacks– When you are in the hospital and are able to eat usually you will be able to get food from the hospital cafeteria. Hospital food keeps you nourished but if you have ever spent the night at the hospital, you would know that it’s great and sometimes disgusting. Some hospitals have better food than others but I do like to buy myself a couple of pre-packed snacks to take with me for all those times they bring me something that can’t be edible because the worst-case scenario is you don’t eat them and have them another day.
Hospital stays often can be very stressful, boring, and sometimes unpredictable but you can eliminate some of that stress by preparing ahead of time. When you go to the hospital the things you will need will vary and it depends on why you are there because what you will bring to have a baby will be different than what you would want after hip replacement surgery. Most of my surgeries are planned and I know weeks or even months in advance that I am having one, but it is always good to have a hospital go bag if you go to the hospital a lot because all you will have to do is grab it when you need it. These are things that I sometimes bring to the hospital, but some people may need to bring more because of a medical condition, or depending on where you are staying some of these things may not be allowed. What do you bring when you have a long hospital stay? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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