WHAT TO BRING TO THE HOSPITAL?

 So my surgery is coming up in 8 days.. and i was wondering what i should pack...

Is it worth bringing a laptop? 

I need to start packing and get ready for it.. and would LOVe any advice :)

Thank you :)

Some people love the laptop.  I was too groggy to use one or even concentrate enough to read.  Bring your cell phone and charger, anybody spending all day with you should bring a charger too.  I wore the same clothes home that I wore to the hospital.  comfy elastic waist pants.  I brought slip on slippers and a robe and pajamas, but didn't use the pajamas.  For me lip balm and hand lotion were really important.  I felt really dry in the hospital.  I brought shampoo samples for my shower before discharge, and was really glad to have it.  I also loved having my own pillow.  Good luck!

so I dont knoe yet about this particular surgery ...but a hospital stay is a hospital stay....

lip moisturizer (a good one...that really hydrates)
phone/laptop or pad
charger/extension cord
throat spray (like chloraseptic-gets soooo dry!)
hand and face lotion (they will have some but I gotta have mine)
pillow
gas X strips
comfy loose clothing going there and use same ones on way home cuz you will be put in a gown as soon as you get there.
under clothing/socks
headbands or something to pull hair back with
toothbrush/paste/deoderant etc (they give you this but I like my own)

I played with a relative's Kindle. But Be careful- things do get stolen from hospitals, sadly. Lip stuff. I liked word searches. Myt mother in law bought me one in the gift shop. I didn't need to use my brain to do them, just stare at a page for a really long time. LOL. Okay, about panties...take however many pairs you think you need and double it. That is something I wish I had done. A robe and non-skid slippers. I didn't have a robe before the surgery, so I treated myself to a new LL Bean flannel robe and new slippers for the occasion. It felt like a nice new fresh beginning to put on a new soft robe and slippers after my surgery. It gave me a sense of starting new, being taken care of, etc. If the hospital doesn't give you one, a firm throw/toss pillow to brace yourself against when you cough. Mine didn't give me one, and I brought one of my own. But some do. Toiletries. Brush. Magazines. Those are good for medication-induced short attention spans.

 I was so excited to have some time to read in the hospital but no that wasn't the case. I am addicted to Twitter and didn't have the energy to tweet. 

I did bring my iPad and it helped because I had an issue getting into a room so I spent 3.5 hours in recovery and They wouldn't let me have my phone or see my family. So I just got onto the hospital wifi and started messaging my husband updates that way. It was hard to concentrate but I was grateful I had a source I could communicate with him with. That whole "cell phones mess up medical equipment thing."

I agree with the robe though. I'm in Florida and would have loved a lightweight robe to wear. 

 I'm 5 days post-op I brought more than I needed and it really wasn't much... All I used while I was there was:  Toothbrush/paste, Mouth wash, Socks, Under ware, TAKE PADS OR TAMPONS  so needed those and I had already had that for the mo. of April  let see what else did I use: the clothes I wore to hosp I wore home, My cell and charger chap stick and eye drops that's about it.  I didn't take a shower til I got home it was just easier that way... I know kind of gross but hey I needed to make sure I was ready. Good Luck (don't over pack b/c you wont use all that stuff)

I wore sweats to the hospital and wore the same ones home.
Plenty of underwear, I had a bout of diarhhea while there and sometimes didn't make it to the bathroom. 
I took shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush, lotion, but they gave me a kit with toiletries in it.
Chapstick.
I took a robe and one pair of pajamas.  I used both of them, but you can always wear hospital gowns.
Socks. I took slippers, but wore my socks.
Cell phone and charger and the hospital staff told me the number 1 thing people forget in their room is their charger, so don't forget.

Wear the clothes to the hospital that you're planning to wear home.  Stretchy loose waist pants.  I ended up rolling down my sweats because i had 3 incisions right where my waistband went plus the drain.  I only took my phone and a couple of magazines and a book.  I posted to FB a couple of times but couldn't concentrate to read.  I didn't even get through both magazines looking at the pictures. Between the walking, meds, more walking, napping, nurse interruptions for vitals, trying to sip (on day 2) and just getting a feel for everything you won't have much time to do fun relaxing stuff.  Lip stuff definitely.  Expect dry mouth for the first couple of weeks.  You won't be able to shower for 2 days.  I was in the hospital for 2 days and once the IVs came out I got to shower before going home.  Slippers are a good thing unless you like the booties they give you. 

If you don't feel like going home after 1 day you don't have too.  I was talking to Dr. Gluck when he came in and he said staying another day isn't a bad thing.  You do feel alot better at home though.  I'm still glad I did stay an extra day.

Clean Underwear
Lip Balm
Hair Brush
Toothbrush/Toothpaste

Don't take a bunch of stuff.  You're not going to feel good.  You will have enough energy to go for a walk, sip some fluids and stare at the tv in a post-anesthesia haze for a while, then you'll go back to sleep.

Wear the hospital gown.  You will have IVs and things that make putting on pajamas difficult. 

Don't pack like you're going on vacation.  Don't pack valuables -- if you leave your room to walk, you will be leaving all your valuables behind, and things do get stolen from hospital rooms.

Less is better, really!