Considering how much time my family spends in the Royal Free (such a shame you can’t get frequent flyer miles on the NHS), I should have known better than to turn up at A&E last week with just my laptop, a book and a bag of snacks from M&S (conveniently next door to the hospital).
Seven hours later I had eaten all my snacks, finished Grazia, & Private Eye, written 2000 words before my battery died, and was steaming towards the final chapter of the slab-like Marian Keyes
What I should have done was brought a little overnight bag just in case. Thing is, I was playing that stupid game –the ‘if I don’t come prepared then I’m not really ill & they won’t need to admit me’ game. Hah. More fool me.
Anyway, they did admit me, and lil’sis brought me a bag of stuff for my stay on a glam NHS ward.
First off you need at least 2 x nightwear. Most practical are PJs, but I get too hot on the ward, so I bring a nightshirt. Shirt not nightie. There aren’t enough hot doctors about to justify flashing your chest at the rest of the long-suffering ward each time you wriggle about in bed. And you need a change because you will spill food down your front at some point if you take three meals a day in bed. (Or is that just me?)
Clean underwear. Lots of it.
Flips flops not slippers. You aren’t going anywhere except the bathroom, and hospitals are germ ridden places. You don’t want your pretty slippers harbouring all manner of nasties. And you can shower in flip flops – if you are being treated on the NHS, then you will be on a ward and sharing a bathroom.
A shawl is great for wrapping around your shoulders if you get cold at night, it hides your modesty if you have visitors, and I also use it as a top blanket to cheer up my NHS regulation linen.
More reading matter then you could possibly need. You will read it all. And more.
Headphones
Washbag with whatever you usually use. Most important: toothbrush & hairbrush.
Heavy duty moisturiser: it’s always too hot on the wards and your skin dries out.
Lots of snacks: they feed you at really odd times, the food is often revolting and they always run out of the one edible-sounding dish. And when you are ill, food becomes very important psychologically.
Phone charger: it costs a fortune to use the bedside ward phones, and no one seems to mind you using a cell these days
A pen for filling in your lunch forms and doing the crossword
Small amount of cash to buy TV cards, newspapers from the trolley etc
And that’s it. Anything else is a bonus. (iPod, laptop, notepad, nice things to drink. More snacks.)
Photo credits:
Washbag: ESPA
Book: lovely present from MTFF
Hairbrush: Mason Pearson
Skincare: NUDE
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that garrison keillor book is terrific and definitely makes you forget, even for a moment, that you’re in such a mundane place.
love this post, llg!
xo,
sylvie of silver lining
Good luck with your short stay at the hospital. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Steve
@Steve Tang Thank you very, very much xx
@Sylvie I can’t wait to read it! @mtff sent it to me as a get well gift, so lovely of her. xx
Bugger. I too was hoping they’d just say you had a nasty sniffle and that you could go home. Thank you for the twitup by the way! Much appreciated. Have you got enough books? If you want me to send you something let me know which ward you are on, if they keep you for a few days and I will send something.xx
@katyboo I’m at home now — I wrote this after last week, but still on bed rest etc which is v dull. Fortunately I went to Mama’s at the weekend and stole lots of her books! Thank you so much for offering darling. xx
@charlie Such a lovely part of London! My flat’s near there too. xx
@enc I hope not! xx
or you bettrer re-read Nancy Mitford.(Great washbag)
@Laura Nancy Mitford is always suitable reading! Isn’t the bag great? I love it too x
Thank you for this — so sorry to hear you’ve been unwell. I’m about to embark on a week’s stay in St Guys for an operation soon so this list has come in very handy — have started to prepare my bag now so I’m ready to run when they call!
Get well soon
x
@Kirsty Good luck w/ your operation my dear! I shld have added tissues to the list too xx
I feel your pain and well remember a 5-day hospital stay of my own with the NHS. The psychological importance of being able to wash your hair and clean your teeth cannot be overstated. My darling ma would bring me cheese, marmite and cress sandwiches each day, lovingly made because she’d convinced herself I loved this combination. After a few days I had to ask her to stop with the cress! But I’ll never forget her washing my hair for me when I was finally able to get out of bed, as I sat on a stool in the shower cubicle. It was probably one of the most important mother-daughter bonding sessions of my life. Get better soon and stay strong. Thanks for such a considerate post.
Great idea to wear flip flops in the shared shower hope you are on the mend
Thank you for the object lesson in preparedness. I hope I never need it.
Dear LLG, sorry to learn you have been ill, this list is great, very well thought out, hope you won’t need to be prepared in this way again. Best wishes Blighty
What a fab list. Am def. filing away for my next hospital stay! Get well soon! FFF x
I definitely agree with “nice things to drink”. From my own experience of time spent in hospital (13 years ago, but I was very sick, and missed a term of school), the one thing that helped was having a massive selection of squash, fizzy drinks and juices to choose from (provided by my mum, not the hospital). Oftentimes, medication alters your appetite and sense of taste, so things you usually enjoy taste/feel nasty, so having a range of different drinks is a real treat. If you find something you fancy and enjoy, it makes you feel so much better.
How funny — I just finished reading that same Marian Keyes last week, whilst convalescing. Must be the ultimate sick-bed reading matter. Hope you are starting to perk up x
I invariably end up in hospital via an ambulance so generally have to live in a hideous hospital gown until the Calvary arrives! Even then I have yet to get it right. Your list is perfect although I would add some very loose night clothes to slip over the bloody drip can help.
Get well soon.
Oh I am so glad you mentioned flip flops. They are a necessity.
Anything that you can wriggle out of quickly is a plus.
Great post and I hope you’re feeling better now.
I spent three weeks in hospital while pregnant and thoroughly agree with your list. Other things I really appreciated were my own supply of teas and coffee, lots of lip balm and hand cream (for the dryness) and a DVD boxset of Green Wing, so that I could have a laugh about hospitals while in one.
Great list! Glad youre all better and fixxed now
What wonderful advice. So sorry that you had to spend time in the hospital. I had to spend 2 days in one at the end of May. I had my make up bag, that is all, my fiancé was kind enough to bring me a tote bag full of books, lap top, clothing. Ugh, I may be getting an ulcer back; they just don’t know. On my second morning I woke up feeling much better and felt as though I were in Prison!! Oh how I hate hospitals! I hope you are well and healthy now! In CA, they will not practice herbal remedies, which I believe in, how about the UK?
Inspired! Going to pack my hospital bag now ready for the big day.…!
)
I love this post. It’s so important to pamper yourself when feeling lousy — particularly when a hospital stay is involved.
Are you feeling any better?
Miss B xx
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Nice blog and great list to have during your hospitalisation. I did that the last time I was hospitalised for blood transfusion. Hope you feel better!
Ear Plugs! These are vital at night especially if you are in a ward with a lovely very little old lady who is quiet as a mouse during the day but sounds like Chuwbacca at night!