More about stuff to take to the hospital??

Okay, time to pack. Anything you wished you would have taken with you? Did you need slippers? Did you take a robe? Where can a fat girl buy a robe except Lane Bryant?? What did yo wear home, did you need loose clothes so your tummy didnt hurt? I hate hospital gowns.

Thanks
Kelly

 Hi Kelly ;o) I took a robe and never needed it because when you get up to walk the halls you will be hot and they put an extra gown covering the back of you. Atleast they did for me. And I packed slippers and didnt need those either because they gave me hospital slippers ;o) I needed chapstick because my lips got soooooooooooooooo dry! I also needed a pillow and water bottle for the ride home. When you go over bumps in the road you will want the pillow across your tummy honey. And it is a good idea to take something to read if you cant sleep. I was up a lot in the middle of the night even with a morphine pump. But for the most part I so over packed and didnt need 95% of what I took in to the hospital. :o) I did take my small pill crusher and needed it when I was being discharged because the nurse had to crush my pain pills. I took that thing in my purse everwhere I went ;o) IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!! GOOD LUCK HONEY!!!!!

Thanks Jilly. I did some searches and it seems like everyone says chapstick! I'm kinda funny about dry lips and dry skin so I will definately be prepared for those :) I so can't wait!

Kelly

 Your so welcome honey I am excited for you because I can recall me right before surgery...I had to almost pinch myself. (((Hugs))) You will do GREAT! You will be on here next Jan showing off all your new pix of your sexy size 6 jeans ;o) WOO HOO!!!! If you need anything big or small you let me know okay? Good luck honey!!!

I packed like I was going away for a weekend and I honestly didn't use a thing except my pillow and slippers. I didn't use a robe. My hospital gown kept me covered. The pillow was the best and most useful thing that I packed...I used it in the car on the way home and at the hospital. And I definitely recommend having something loose/stretchy to wear home. Good luck! I know you have to be so excited. We'll be here rooting for you!!! :)

Kelly......
    I packed very light. Yes, I took a robe with me because I hate the fact that hospital gowns usually expose your tushy! And yes, I did use it! I also took my own slippers, and I used them as well! Chapstick, yes that is a given! I also took a pillow for the ride home, which I do "think" I used, but I was sooo high from the pain meds the injected me with I dont know if I actually used it or not! Loose comfy clothes.....sweats or pj's.....they were my ride home attire! I also liked Jilly's suggestion of a water bottle.....however, I had surgery at Bayview & they gave me one....luckily because I didnt take one! But like I said, they doped me up pretty good since I had a 2hour ride home!
As far as where you can buy a robe, Catherines has some nice ones.....and down here they were on sale! I also think WalMart may carry them in larger sizes too.
I hope this helps ya out!
Are you excited yet?!?!?!?!?!?!

I packed light and still didn't use half the stuff I brought.  Chapstick is a good thing, although the thing that brought the most relief to me was a toothbrush they provided me to dip into cold water on the day of surgery.  I told the nurse who got me that that I loved her.  Right in front of my wife, lol.  I brought a book and an Ipod and didn't use either.  Although on some of those 3 AM walks aroound the floor it would have come in handy.  They double gowned me - front and back and that took care of any modesty issues.  Loose clothes on the way home and a pillow all great ideas.

Good luck I trust it will go well

Heather, i am oh so excited! I absolutely can not wait. I had to take off Monday because I thought my head would not be in my work at all. I'm going to get a pedicure and lunch with my mom and maybe do some shopping. I still need a scale and my protein powder.

Anyone have a suggestion on protein powder? should I do plain or vanilla?? Chocolate seemed so sweet.

Kelly

Hi Kelly....

You'll be on clear liquids for a while, so I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to buy the protein powder.  When I got home, I drank IsoPure ready-to-drink protein, it's like adult koolaid, and comes in lots of great flavors, but my favorites were Grape Frost and Pineapple Orange Banana.  I also drank herbal tea with the New Whey protein "bullets" in it.... half a bullet to a big cup of tea (orange bullet in the Tangerine Orange Zinger tea, blue raspberry bullet or tropical punch bullet in the Wild Berry Zinger tea, etc).  I loved the Oh Yeah vanilla ready to drink protein when I got to that point, but they're pretty high in both calories and fat (although right at the beginning you won't be concerned about either).  My absolute favorite protein powder is Peanut Butter Cookie from BariatricEating.com... but it's pricey and only had 16 servings per bag.  So, my next favorite it Syntrax Nectar Sweets Chocolate Truffle.  A lot of people I know find a vanilla protein powder they like (Syntrax has one that's good) and then they buy the sugar free DaVinci syrups to add to it to make it just about any flavor they want.  The syrups are also available from the BariatricEating.com website.  But, I'll bet you can Google them and get them almost anywhere.

As far as packing for the hospital.... I found a short, snap-front seersucker robe at Walmart for about $18.  And I was glad that I had it.  I could have worn a hospital gown backwards, but they just never feel right when I do that.  Chapstick and lotion are a MUST have.  And you want to pack your toiletries, of course (I don't know about your hospital, but they had me in the shower the next day, and I needed my liquid shower soap because I don't like bar soap, and I needed my shampoo and conditioner, and my oral care stuff).  I brought a book but never did end up reading it.... I would have enjoyed a People Magazine though, because I could have read an article, then napped, then read another one...etc.  I brought a pretty picture of the Goddess to hang up on my bulletin board - because spiritually, it gave me comfort.  Same with a small traveling altar.  I just felt connected to my version of divinity, and that's always a nice feeling.  I also brought my own pillow, because there is no way I can sleep with the foam pillows that hospitals use.  And, it was suggested that we bring a personal fan.... which I didn't do, but really wished I had.  Eventually, they found a fan for me, but it was really too big, and other people in the room to visit were uncomfortably cool when I had it on.

I'm so excited for you!  You'll be back online in no time at all, and I can't wait to hear from you about how you feel and how things are going!

Hugs,
Erica

i wore soft yoga pants (sweat pants would work) to the hospital and home as well.  If you must wear a bra wear a soft one like a sports bra... I didn't even bother with a bra

  I took my laptop and my cell phone. 

I took clean underwear to wear home.  (we only stay overnight with our doctor).  that was it.   no slippers (i got slipper socks at the hospital),  no robe, you can wear two gowns if you feel weird but if you are at at COE hospital you will have a gown that's big enough...