What's in my Hospital Bag?

So now that I have my surgically placed feeding tube life has got a tiny bit more difficult. Well I’ve had a few mishaps with it anyway, my original G/J dangler fell out, two buttons didn’t fit and then recently one got pulled out by a dog. So with all these impromptu trips to the hospital and being unprepared, I made a hospital bag and it has some items that I usually need when I’m in the hospital. That way it’s easier on my parents and they don’t have to run around and gather up my stuff from a list.

So I have two pairs of pj pants and two lower cut shirts because I hate wearing hospital gowns unless I absolutely have to. And since the shirts are a bit lower cut it won’t be a pain for the nurses to see my port and give me meds.

Then to pass the time I have my Ipad and headphones to watch Netflix. But just in case, I also have an actual book and a book of word searches just I case my ipad dies or something. And besides in the hospital you can never have too many forms of entertainment especially if there isn’t anything on tv. And I have my external battery and charging cable in case I need to charge two devices at once.

Then last I have my bathroom stuff in the clear pouch, pads and tampons in the other pouch, a split gauze and deodorant. I also have a bottle of Zyrtec because the hospital never provides me with it, which means I get awful headaches and my allergies get really bad after I leave the hospital. I also keep a Heparin flush in there too, because often times it takes the pharmacy forever to send it up so I can deaccess my port and leave.

Then in my bathroom pouch I have dry shampoo, mouthwash, a toothbrush with a cover so it won’t pick up any germs, hair ties, contact lens case and chap stick. I also have an extra birth control packet, because they don’t give me it in the hospital either. I’m also going to put an extra extension set for my feeding tube in there too because you never know at this point.    

If I’m allowed to run feeds my mom will also bring me my formula that I need. Strangely my hospital doesn’t stock my formula and the “equivalent” formula they do have makes me sick.

There may be a few odds and ends I’m forgetting, but these are usually the things I need most in the hospital. I plan on taking this with me if I go out on longer outings like to my grandma’s house. I’ve learned you can never be too prepared when you’re chronically ill.

I thought I’d make a checklist just in case you guys are making your own hospital bag.

• Shirts
• Pj pants
• Tablet
• Headphones
• Book or other entertainment
• Charging cable/external battery
• Tubie pads/gauze
• Period supplies

Bathroom Items

• OTC medicines
• Birth control
• Chap stick
• Contact case/glasses
• Toothbrush
• Hair ties
• Mouthwash
• Dry shampoo