Hospital Visits 101

[Moondoggie22]

After my many recent visits to the hospital, I've started coming up with a little checklist of things that I make sure happen when I get admitted. Since we have a few folks with scheduled hospital stays and will probably unfortunately have quite a few with unscheduled stays, I figured we should start up a list of things to do/have for a hospital stay. Here's my typical rundown:

<ul type="square">[*]List of your drugs. Keep a list of your commonly needed drugs with you and have the admitting doc include them all in your admitting orders. This includes both what you have to take every day as well as things you might need in an emergency. Make sure that the doc knows you don't want them right now, but rather you're planning for when you need them at 3 in the morning so the nurses won't have to wake him up to get a prescription for Tylenol. Even if you don't think you'll need the drug for the stay, have him write orders for it. My list includes my inhaler, Tylenol, zofran, compazine, dilaudid, oxycodone, valtrex and mepron. Remember to include anything you take, both prescription AND over the counter. You don't want to wait three hours just to get some Maalox.[*]Your pillow. Hospital pillows are horrible. Bring your own pillow from home for comfort and homesmells. Just be sure to wash the pillowcase when you get home - hospitals are gross.[*]A notepad and pen. While you're in the hospital, you'll meet many different nurses and PCAs, and possibly many different doctors. Don't even kid yourself that you'll keep everyone straight in your head - write 'em down![*]Universal remote. This applies to the old rooms at Yale New Haven Hospital, but could creep up elsewhere around the country. The remote control/speaker setup for the TV is in a single unit, and in the older ones there is only a "channel up" button. This will drive you insane. If you run into such antiquated hardware, have someone go to an electronics store and buy a universal remote for you and your problem's solved.[*]Light reading materials. I don't know how your concentration works, but mine is quite spotty. There's so much stuff going on in a hospital and so many people coming in and out of the room that I can't focus on heavier, more serious reading. I stick to magazines and funny fiction.[*]Portable DVD player. If you don't have a laptop, this is a cheap substitute for sanity making. At my hospital, the speaker for the TV is the same as the one the front desk uses to page the nurses. When they page, it mutes the TV until they're done. This drives me insane. Bring one of these and some funny movies. Television DVDs work especially well for hospital stays. Netflix is your friend...[*]Games or cards. Your significant other and family and friends may be willing to spend hours upon hours staying with you, but if you're not the one in the hospital bed, pretty much all you get to do is look at the person in the bed. So bring a deck of cards or some small easy-to-pack games for two players. If you have more than one visitor at a time, they can entertain themselves.[*]Hobby/craft stuff. Like to knit? Sew? Cross-stitch? Solve puzzles? Guess what you're going to have plenty of time to be doing. I would advise against bringing the woodworking equipment with you, though.[*]Slippers/houseshoes. Sure, the little slippersocks my hospital gives me are just adorable, but here's the deal: If you walk to the bathroom or wander around your floor in your slippersocks, then get back into your bed, you've just brought the gross stuff from the floor into your bed. I keep my slippers close by for bathroom trips and my laps around the hospital floor and save the slippersocks for out-of-room exams (x-rays, MRIs, CTs, etc). That way when I'm getting in and out of the stretcher and hopping up on tables and the like, I don't have to worry about my slippers falling off.[*]Rubber sandals. My hospital has a dinky semi-shower in each room. There's not a chance in hell I'm taking a shower in there in my bare feet. So, I bring some flipflops for just such an occasion.[*]Robe. You need to get up and walk around the floor and, while I'm sure all the nurses are dying to get a look at your backside, they shouldn't get the show for free.[*]Underwear. After you use whatever they have to get yourself hosed off, it sure sucks to have to put old underwear back on. Don't forget spares![*]Soap & shampoo. For many of us, the shampoo's not a requirement, but be sure and bring your own soap. The stuff they have at my hospital is horrid. If you use a bath scrubby or something similar, bring it along too - just buy a new one when you get home.[*]Toothbrush & toothpaste. Sure, you might want to get revenge on that fiftieth resident who makes you stick out your tongue and say "Ahhhh," but the rest of us would appreciate some brushing, dragonbreath.[*]Lotions and Cremes. Does your skin need a lot of help? If you have some kind of lotion you regularly use, don't forget to bring it. Since I'm a guy, I'm including Chapstick as a lotion.[*]Snacks. Assuming you're not on a neutropenic diet or something else special, bring a bag of your favorite snacks. Just make sure you've got plenty for the doctors and nurses if you happen to leave them sitting out. I'm a greedy little piggy, so I keep mine in the bedside table.[/list]Well, that about does it for my list. Anyone have anything else to add?

[ag2006]

Great list by the way! I will print it out. Thanks! I'll add a few things below. For those who tend to frequent the hospital more than usual, consider an overnight bag already packed (my twin's idea!) That way, you are prepared for those emergencies. I had three emergencies, so sis and I learned our lesson. In addition to Brian's list, here are my suggestions:

- a laptop for those staying at the hospital longer than expected

- sleeping caps or comfortable knit caps & hats - I did not bring my wig to the hospital (no time for glamour when you're ill)

- bring sweats or your own PJs - it gets cold in the hospital and the hospital thin-material PJs with the open back truly invades my privacy

- lots of cotton low v-neck shirts (why v-neck? for easy port access...got tired of them pulling or tugging at my shirt)

- assorted comedies - this is not the time to watch sad dramas or end of the world movies

- pictures of loved ones that keep you going strong

- heating pads (disposable) so you don't have to wait 30 minutes for one when your back is aching

- iPod or a CD player - music is therapy to my soul

- reminders of home - to keep your sanity (for me, my bible, inspirational reading material, etc.)

- a soft blanket (the hospital ones are not soft)

- magazines - I could not read a novel if my life depended on it

- anti-bacterial wipes (sis used them to clean the phones and door knobs - she is overly careful)

- sugar free candy so when the nurses flush out your port, so you don't taste the dreaded heparin

- having my room decorated made it seem less like a hospital and more like a spa. Sis brought silk flowers and silk plants. I was spoiled and it made it easier to stay focused and kept my sanity level to a norm. The down side to this is nobody wanted to leave my room!

EXTRAS: Sis keeps an ice chest in the car...you guessed it hospital food isn't good...she stocks up on water, juices, sodas, assorted sandwiches, healthy food, etc. It also gets expensive to buy meals from the hospital cafeteria and fast food makes my whole family fat, so this works better, taste better and saves money. For me, of course, bland meals are covered at the hospital and welcomed right now. Also ensure you have a temporary disability placard...you'll need it...forms can be printed from your state DMV site.

By the way, my TV was also hooked to the hand held speakers/pager system. I had the tech guys disconnect the TV only from the pager and bring me a remote control, so that I could listen to the TV from the TV itself. They also gave me a remote for the DVD player...ask and sometimes you do receive! ;-)

Thanks for the Hospital Visits 101 list. It's priceless.

God Bless,

[dtbruin83]

Great idea for a list, Brian. Comprehensive and witty from you, of course. Number one on your list is the meds. I now keep a little list of meds in my wallet, as each doc asks "what meds are you taking" - the list keeps me from forgetting one or two, and includes some I've stopped taking and when.
I can add a few items to your list:
Portable music - a small radio, an iPod or similiar. TV can get boring and music in the background seems more relaxing.
Extra socks - I went through plenty of socks during a 5 day stay.
A good attitude - all techs and nurses appreciate a patient with a good attitude, and one who remembers their names.

Hard to add much more to your list, but I'm sure others will have a few gems.
-Dave

[ChrisRyan7]

The only thing I'd add for myself would be a small fan, both for temperature control and for white noise to drown out other sounds.

[AMD45]

Great idea, Brian. I'd add a few things to your list:

<ul type="square">[*]This is especially true if you're in the hospital for a long period of time (like for an SCT), most hospitals won't let you use cell phones so bring a pre-paid long distance card if you'll be calling people out of the local calling area.[*]For my longer stays in the hospital I liked to have a little money with me. As I recovered, I started to have cravings for "real" coffee or McDondald's when my caregiver wasn't around to go get it for me. I found the nurses and aides to be more than willing to make a Starbucks run for me -- especially if I told them to get something for themselves.[*]At the suggestion of a friend who was diagnosed -- and cured -- with HD more than 25 years ago, I keep not only an up-to-date list of my medications but also a runny chronology of my health issues (surgeries, scans, chemo, etc.) and take it with me each time I go to the hospital (I've had 2 ER visits in the last 2 weeks alone) or visit a new doctor.[/list]

[Sandy_T]

Brian,
You've damned near covered it all, and what you may have left out, everyone else has added. I'm going to add my two cents worth relative to my recent hospital stay for my SCT -and that would be to bring some Depends or some kind of pads. With all of the fluids, and being tethered to the IV pole 24/7 for three weeks, I couln't get to the bathroom as quickly as I normally would be able to.

I hope this isn't too offensive to anyone, but it really did help me. And then I finally got smart and asked for a portable toliet by my bed.

-Sandy

[ag2006]

Sandy, thank you for mentioning such an important but yes, a little bit of an embarrassing problem that many have when they are hooked up to an IV machine with all those dangling IVs and connections. Believe me, you can get twisted around the IV machines with all the dangling IVs. After an SCT, you cannot be shy about these things or be offended. Only someone who has been through something like this, truly emphathizes and understands. I opted for the portable toilet next to me only at night. The hospital did provide Depends and such.

Nowadays, I count my lucky stars that I am still here and in spite of all this, l can still find humor in this -- even in recalling my getting stuck around the IV machine with all the long IVs. Takes a while to get used to it, but live and learn!

--Anne

Brian,
You've damned near covered it all, and what you may have left out, everyone else has added. I'm going to add my two cents worth relative to my recent hospital stay for my SCT -and that would be to bring some Depends or some kind of pads. With all of the fluids, and being tethered to the IV pole 24/7 for three weeks, I couln't get to the bathroom as quickly as I normally would be able to.

I hope this isn't too offensive to anyone, but it really did help me. And then I finally got smart and asked for a portable toliet by my bed.

-Sandy

[jess_march]

Great, great, great!! Some of these are also good for Chemo 101 as my personal chemo treatment is nearly a full day affair. I love these great ideas and I especially agree about the loose V-Neck t-shirts. That is an essential for ALL hospital visits. Something I plan to stock up on.

The only other thing that I don't think was mentioned was towels. Definitely a hand towel if you don't like paper or overstarched hospital ones. Ditto on the idea of your own soap (for hands and body). Since I wash my hands all the time these days, I'm getting picky about the quality and fragrance.

Thanks for the tips, especially great for us newbies!

Jessica

[BioProf]

Great list Brian. I always had a list of phone numbers of friends and family. With speed dial on my cell phone and at home I have no idea what anyone's phone number is anymore. plus, everyone has a home number and a cell number. Even without chemo brain there's just no way to remember them all. Plus, talking to them is a great way to pass away some of the boredom.

[JudyK]

Good list and great advice. I always needed chapstick and hardcandies because my mouth would be so dry. Where else but on this board would so many people share about not making the toilet in time (including me) Gotta love it!! Judy K