What to Bring to the Hospital

Was wanting suggestions on what to bring to the hospital when I have my surgery.  Did anyone bring their own pj's and if so what style (gown or pant set)?  I also would like to know what to have handy at home the first week.  Thanks in advance for any advice.  I have learned the best stuff from ya'll!

I brought very little...I wore comfy clothes and put them back on when I went home.  I brought lip balm, my ipad, a pillow for the car to put on my tummy, and toiletries.  You really don't need much!

I brought a ton of stuff, and the only thing I used was my own night gown.  I was very relieved to get out of the hospital johnny.  I slept most of the time, so didn't need books, puzzles, etc.  The hospital supplied all toiletries.  I was released the day after surgery, so if my stay was longer, I might have needed more.

Best of luck with your weight-loss journey.  It's not easy, but it is so worth it!

Carol

Very very little.  I walked in wearing extremely loose fitting clothes and had a set ready in my bag for changing into to leave.  Plus my ipad for reading and games to kill time.

 

Bring as little as you can get away with. I just wore hospital gowns while there. Your own nightgown is going to make it hard to deal with IV lines and awkward when people need to inspect your belly. PJ sets -- no, you won't want elastic around your waist. 

I wore a loose-fitting empire waist dress to the hospital and wore the same thing home. Assuming you are a woman -- I would recommend that your bra(s) be a front-closing cloth "leisure bra" type deal -- most people end up with an incision right where the band of your bra hits and it would be uncomfortable to have a regular bra pressing up against it.

A small pillow to hold against your tummy while getting in and out of bed, sitting down, standing up, etc. is good.

I brought some minor toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm -- no make up), my phone, a charger (I was in the hospital for two nights) and my Kindle. I don't think I ever used my Kindle. I brought some no-skid slipper socks to use while walking the halls but didn't end up needing them as the hospital provided them.

Stuff you may want to have on hand at home: good blender (mine is a Cuisinart immersion blender) for making protein shakes, mini ice cube trays (perfect size ice cubes to grind up in your protein shakes), large insulated drink holder (I used a 32 oz. Bubba Keg, filled it with ice and ice water every morning and worked on sipping it throughout the day), body pillow or pregnancy pillow for sleep support (if you have a recliner you may end up sleeping in that though), all your prescriptions -- get them filled and in your house before you go to the hospital, range of drinks that meet your plan's specifications, nail polish remover pads (you use them to scrub off the adhesive gunk where monitoring leads were attached to your skin -- NOT to scrub off the surgical adhesive on the incisions themselves!), digital thermometer, wrist blood pressure cuff (if you currently take HBP medicine), food thermometer to make sure your hot protein drinks don't curdle, heating pad.

ETA: while you are in the hospital, stay out of bed as much as possible. Your room will likely have a big chair, glider, love seat, or something similar in it. During the day sit up in one of those, don't lie down in bed. Particularly if you have a glider or rocker, sit in that and move as much as possible. This will help you heal faster and get rid of gas faster.

I wore the hospital gowns as I couldn't figure out how to get my iv in the sleeve of my gown. I took some spray mouth moistener which helped a lot. My throat was very raw from all of the surgical tubes inserted. I did like having my own pillow. Also, I needed to have my hair combed frequently as it was always in my face. I recovered at my daughter's home so I had my lap top computer in the bed with me in order to watch movies or check my emails. My son in law ( the chef) made some awesome broths for me. It was a blessing. My recovery was very easy. I wish you the best.

You'll stay in their gown and even the 'scuffs' AKA socks that they put on you prior to wheeling you into the OR. Take a toothbrush, your own pillow if you need it. Phone and charger. I took a small thing of my shampoo, blow dryer and make up. Hey, I'm in Dallas, girls don't go anywhere without this stuff. LoL

I wore home the same, comfy, loose clothes I put on to wear to the hospital.

At home have a nice, soft, flat pillow to prop under your tummy if you sleep on your side. Liquid Tylenol, heating pad.

you will need comfy clothes and lip balm/chap stick

My surgery was in Mexico. I did bring loose fitting capri PJs with a matching top. They were really soft and comfortable. My IV was removed after 24 hours, so it was easy to put them on. They did leave a heparin lock in case I needed anything else IV. I got some soft, fuzzy socks from Walmart that had treads on the bottom (Dr Scholl's). Definitely helped as I walked the halls the day after surgery. Other must haves were my Burt's Bees lip balm (your mouth will be dry after surgery) and my Kindle. I didn't read much, but I had internet access and I listened to some music while in my room. I packed wet ones, Olay cleansing cloths and some preloaded disposable tooth brushes. I brought portable protein for my trip home (Unjury chicken soup packets, muscle gel and protein shots). TSA did not give them a second look.

At home, I had a cannister of Unjury Chicken, Isopure Plus ready to drink (clear) protein, and a cannister of Nectar. I had to be on clear liquids for 7 days. Lite V8 Fusion and popsicles also helped me get through. I am now on full liquids and couldn't live without my immersion blender.

Good luck on your journey!