Packing list for Hospital.

This is not really about what is happening to me now but more advice on what to take to hospital. Of course, your mileage may vary, the EOC does things differently to other hospitals and I am bit younger than most hip replacement patients.

When I was packing for the hospital, the EOC had provided a pretty good list I have added some bits to the list with additional notes:

• Walking Aids (Be prepared not to be using your old one when you leave.)
• Slippers and/or trainers. Nothing open backed BUT slip on with a good grip on slippy floors is the best. I had a pair of slippers and pair of sketchers that are slip on, Additionally your feet are likely to swell the size of small melons, so have some shoes are a little too big or stretchy unless you want leave in socks! 
• Nightwear – loose is good but also if you intend to wear a night gown, long enough to go over your knees when sitting. I am not the most modest woman but frankly flashing the people opposite you is a little carefree.  If you are going to get a catheter, consider a nightshirt of very loose, short pyjama bottoms. Also, I took a light dressing gown, it was handy at various points.
• Loose day clothing – stuff that will stretch over your swollen leg, I swear by yoga pants, minimal waistband and enough stretch to accommodate a leg at least twice is normal size and looking like it belongs to elephant. Also the high waist of yoga pants are a little easy to deal with when having to deal with limited mobility. 
• Big knickers! Not grandma knickers but something without tight elastic around the leg and with a reasonable amount of fabric across your butt and not to narrow at the side. I wore girl boxers, that have no elastic in the leg and covered most of the incision site, this minimised the amount of rubbing and were easy to get on!
•  I took enough clothes for five days and that was a little much but better than having to ask Mr Gin find a black t-shirt in a drawer of black t-shirts.
• Personal Towels (not white) – I could have got away with not taking a towel but for me it was nice to have one of my own. Also if you like big fluffy towels, this is something hospitals don’t have! Also take a flannel, scrubber or such like. Orthopaedic surgeons love a permeant maker and mine liked a bit of ball point pen. When you finally get to have shower you are going to want scrub that graffiti off.
• Toiletries – If you don’t normally use soap, you will need a bit because of the graffiti loving surgeon. (I don’t use much soap due to it making me itch if I use too much and didn't pack it.) If you are female and have not been through the menopause route be aware that major surgery upsets lots of things and my hormone cycle was upset. I was caught unprepared and I cursed my body at that point.
• Helping Hand, long arm grabber, reacher. I did not have one of these. Get one before you go in if you don’t have one and if you want to be able to put on your own underwear you are going to need this. Amazon provided mine. (Some councils and hospitals will also provide them.)
• ALL YOUR DRUGS! In their boxes! No doesette boxes. Also any other aides – splints, braces!
• Glasses, hearing aids, contact lens and dentures. I wouldn't bother with contact lens, mainly as putting them in when taking opiates is bloody difficult.
• Fruit juice, ready to eat prunes, apricots. Now I did not really understand this but opiates are evil for giving you the worst constipation. If you have some food you know helps get things moving take it with you. I also got bored of drinking all the water, and had Mr Gin bring in some diet lemonade for me. If you thingy about your tea and coffee, I suggest you take in a small supply too. E, 80 hip lady had a china mug and her own tea and that made her very happy.
• Coat and keys for the house. Self explanatory, especially if the hospital take you home.
• A  Cushion. I have carried around a chair pad a fair bit because being a little higher is easier and if you have to get in a car being high is a blessing!
• No valuables including jewellery. Don’t wear anything into theatre but if you, like me feel naked without your rings take some non-important ones with you.

Added to the list by me!

• Something to do with visitors – if you are having visitors, a game, we had dominoes is something that is helpful so you are not discussing bodily fluids all the time.
• Sleep mask and ear plugs – sharing a ward with strangers is entertaining up until they snore like the stream train from Whitby to Pickering without the wonderful views. Additionally hospitals are not the quiet places and sometimes getting the lights turned off is not a battle you want to take on.
• Something to do. I took a book, as did the other ladies on the ward but we all struggled to concentrate. So, I spent a lot of time on my phone, I got extra data because I knew that Wi-Fi in the hospital was pricey. I also had a small deck of cards and I played Patience because that is all I could concentrate on. I also had my laptop and played games (Minecraft of course). If you have a tablet that would be a good thing, but of course keep an eye on the expensive technology. I also had pencils and a colouring book.