I honestly have no idea how many times I’ve been admitted to the hospital. It’s safe to say that after 17 years of living with a chronic illness I know exactly what to pack for those unfortunate hospital stays.
Essential items to help ease you through an unfortunate hospital admission:
- Clean underwear
- Sweatpants: Hospital gowns are pretty revealing, sometimes throwing a pair of comfy sweatpants on underneath makes you feel a little less exposed.
- Tablet/Laptop: I love my iPad and can’t imagine a hospital stay without it. Thankfully the hospitals I’ve been to have free Wifi. I plug in my headphones and stream whatever I want. The headphones also block out any noise from pesky neighbors and other annoying hospital noises.
- Toiletries: A lot of hospitals will give you the essentials (toothpaste, mouthwash, lotion, etc.). However, they may not be the best quality and sometimes it’s better and comforting to have your preferred products.
- Eye mask: I can’t make it without this. Nurses are constantly doing rounds and checking on you through the night. Techs come in super early to do blood work so the doctors will have your latest lab results when they do their rounds in the morning. This means all the bright lights come on. Wearing an eye mask really helps me get some sleep. You’re never going to be able to get a full night’s rest at a hospital, it’s just not going to happen, but wearing an eye-mask will help.
- Chargers: Between streaming Netflix and Hulu on my iPad to texting on my phone I drain my battery pretty quick. Outlets aren’t always readily available in convenient locations, so make sure you buy an extra long cable. I have a 6-foot cable and I can’t live without it. I won’t go back to the standard 3-foot cable.
- Chapstick: My lips are always dry, especially in the hospital. Not to mention that I’m usually dehydrated during a flare-up.
- Rinse Free Shampoo: This stuff is a miracle. You can wash your hair without water and no, I’m not talking about dry shampoo. You just apply, lather, and towel dry. It’s great for when you’re recovering from surgery or just don’t have the energy to stand in the shower.
