What To Pack for Your Hospital Stay
Checking into the hospital for my heart transplant!
One of the advantages you have when you are a heart transplant patient waiting on The List is that you know the surgery is coming and can therefore plan ahead to give yourself a running start on your recovery.
Whether you live in the hospital before your transplant or complete your wait at home, and whether your stay is 10 days post-transplant or two months… one thing is certain: For the most comfortable hospital stay, you will need to pack a bag. In the time of Covid, this is even more crucial as it is difficult to forecast when visitors and deliveries may be restricted.
I was one of the lucky ones who was able to complete my wait at home, but due to unforeseen complications, I was in the hospital for almost a month post-transplant. I was really glad I prepared a complete “Bug Out Bag” and didn’t regret packing a single item on this list.
The list below may sound like a lot— but this is everything!
Clothing
Yes, the hospital will provide you with a gown, maybe a robe and definitely some slipper socks. But one of the keys to a successful recovery is movement and your team will want you to be up and walking around the hospital multiple times per day. Many of us end up walking multiple miles per day around the hospital!
Having your own pajamas or soft casual clothes and your own hard-soled slippers provides you with a level of comfort and dignity that the hospital-provided items will not. In addition, wearing your slipper socks around on the dirty hospital floor is ill-advised as you will either then place those same dirty socks in your hospital bed or you will touch them to remove them from your feet while seated on your bed. Either way, you have now introduced any number of germs into your immediate surroundings, and when you are immune-suppressed, that’s a bad idea.
Here are the clothing items I packed:
Multiple pajama bottoms
Multiple pajama tops (short sleeve, button-front as they will need access to your abdomen and arms)
Robe
Hard/rubber-soled slippers (get a hospital pair and throw them away when you go home)
Socks (if you are a cold feet person)
Hoodie/cardigan (be sure it zips up the front for access and because you won’t be able to raise your arms over your head post-transplant
Soft pants, like sweatpants or loose-fitting cargo pants
T-shirt(s) to wear when you’re staying longer and are not in a pj mood
For women: Two clasp-in-front bras with no underwire. Regardless of bust size, bras are recommended to prevent infection and to help your scar heal evenly. The weight of your breasts will pull on your incision if your breasts are not supported. My hospital provided the initial bra (they put it on me after the surgery), but it got very soiled with blood and other fluids. When packing two of these bras:
One should be your regular size.
One should be larger because you will be pumped full of fluids initially and your regular size will be too small (I gained 30 lbs overnight with my transplant).
Toiletries
Yes, the hospital will provide you with some of these. I prefer to have my own brands and not rely on whatever is available. Here is what I packed:
Chapsticks (your lips will be very dry)
Small bottle of shampoo
Small bottle of conditioner
Comb/brush
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental floss
Hand lotion (hospital air will make your skin very dry)
Q-tips
For men: Shaving kit
For women or men with longer hair: Hair accessories like rubber bands, headbands, hair ties— stuff to keep your hair in control/out of your face/untangled. While I have shampoo and conditioner listed above, please note you won’t get a really good shower OR have your hair washed for quite some time.
Electronics/Room Necessities:
Watching conventional TV in your hospital room is a losing proposition because you are constantly interrupted. I found that relying on my own electronics gave me much more flexibility and exponentially more choices for passing the time. Here is what I packed:
Laptop & power cord (and/or iPad) loaded with Netflix
Amazon Fire Stick & remote to plug into hospital TV (if the TV is compatible)
Soft ear buds
Noise-cancelling headphones (for reading, crosswords, etc)
Power strip/extension cord (you plug this into the wall, loop it around the rails of your bed and then plug your electronics into it)
Mobile phone & power cord
Two USB cables
Clip to headboard reading light, so you don’t have to have the overhead on all the time
Small desktop organizer, to keep small things organized/not rolling everywhere on your hospital tray because reaching/pulling will be very painful post-transplant and your bedside table will be out of reach.
Pens
Notebook for taking notes when doctors/nurses tell you something, because you often can’t remember these things later
Framed photos of family
Sleeping Aids
Conventional wisdom says that you sleep horribly in the hospital. That was not always the case for me because of the things I packed— sometimes I actually slept through vitals checks in the middle of the night! Here’s my list— also, do NOT hesitate to ask for medication to help you sleep. Drugs like Trazodone is non-habit forming and does not leave you groggy the next day. Your body needs rest in order to heal, so do all you can to give it that.
Down pillow (hospital pillows are awful)
Soft blanket
Ear plugs (do NOT skip this— your room will be LOUD)
Eye/sleeping mask (do NOT skip this— your room will be BRIGHT)
Busy Work
This is a bit different for everyone as hobbies vary. I found that post-transplant I had a lot of difficulty reading, but some don’t. Some people craft, some people do crosswords, some people play video games, etc. I wrote a lot while I was in the hospital and spent a lot of time on social media. Here is what I packed to do when I wasn’t doing those things:
Books to read (if you can)
Coloring books
Colored pencils
Pencil sharpener
I hope that this list helped you to prepare for your hospital stay and in doing so, helped with some of the anxiety you are feeling as well. If you can think of anything I forgot above, please leave it in the comments!
Best to you as you begin your journey!