Planning for a Medical Procedure: Packing

To the surprise of very few, it turns out I was overly ambitious (what an understatement!) about what I would be up for doing during my recovery. One of the first things to get nixed, as I am sure you have gathered, was writing my blog. But I have returned!

Despite the fact that I am well along my recovery road, I am still going to write the posts I had planned about preparing for surgery. They may actually be even better than originally planned, since I now have the benefit of hindsight!

Packing for surgery recovery is kind of like packing for a long vacation except then dividing by ten. I seriously overpacked. I lived with my parents for a month and I probably ended up using about a quarter (if that) of all of the things I took with me. Of course, the location of your convalescence makes a big difference in what you need to pack, but below I will divulge the items that were most useful and the most useless for me. Maybe it will even help you think about packing for vacation differently!

Super Useful:

• A good neck supporting pillow - When you’re sitting around most of the time, it’s invaluable to be able to lean your head back comfortably.

• Portable table - This was the biggest single item I packed, but having a table I could use from the couch for my computer and food was necessary.

• Body pillow - I already had one, but having a body pillow was actually doctor recommended for post surgery.

• Spill proof cups - I’m clumsy to begin with, but it was exacerbated when on strong painkillers.

• Slippers - When you’re not stable (due to surgery and/or painkillers), and falling would be extra bad, walking around in socks or even just barefoot is far from ideal. I bought a pair of slippers that are easy to slip on, don’t flop around, and have a solid base.

• Comfy pants and shorts - I have yet to put on normal pants since my surgery. I should have packed more shorts, but it was still cold when I had my surgery and I didn’t think about how drastically the weather could change in May. (Shocking Twist: Think about the weather when you pack!)

• Medications - I made sure to pack extra of each of my meds, since I wasn’t sure exactly how long I would be staying with my parents. It also was necessary for me to adjust some of my dosages due to the way my body reacted during my recovery, so having extras on hand was crucial.

For the Hospital:

• iPhone, charger, headphones - This seems self explanatory. If it doesn't seem self explanatory for you, then I don't know what to tell you.

• Chapstick - Everything is extra dry in the hospital. Seriously. I think I put on chapstick every ten minutes (or I would have if I felt up to moving my arm far enough to grab it).

• Face cleansing wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste - I couldn’t get in or out of bed by myself and I only spent one night in the hospital, but it was nice to be able to brush my teeth and clean my face before leaving so that I felt a little more human.

• Wallet and medical paperwork - I needed at least my insurance card, ID, and a credit card when checking into the hospital. I also brought all of the paperwork I had gathered in the process leading up to the surgery, just in case. I didn’t end up needing it, but in this case, I think it was better to be prepared! I sent my wallet and paperwork home with my parents, as I was discouraged from keeping unnecessary valuables at the hospital.

• An outfit to wear leaving the hospital - Again with the feeling human aspect. It was nice to be able to put on clean clothes before leaving the hospital, even if I had only the worn the clothes I arrived in for a few hours.

• Glasses case + cleaning cloth - Gotta keep those glasses safe and clean!

• Medications - The nurses will ask for a full list of the medications you have been taking and will determine with your doctor which of them you should continue to take while hospitalized.

Useful, but Way Overpacked:

• Charger cords - I basically packed all of my chargers. If you are like me, that is a LOT of chargers. Not sure why I thought I would need that many! One per device would have been PLENTY.

• Portable keyboard - I have a keyboard that links to my iPad, but as I took my work computer with me (for personal use), the iPad keyboard was just superfluous.

• Shoes - I packed my normal chucks, a pair of running shoes, and flip flops. Don’t ask me why I thought I would be wearing flip flops. I do not have an answer. I really only needed my chucks.

• Glasses - Yes, I obviously needed to pack my glasses, but for some reason I decided to take four different pairs of glasses (plus sunglasses), when I only really wear two of them. One pair, plus my sunglasses, was all I used!

• Hoodies - I did pack way more hoodies than I needed, but I don’t regret that. Never underestimate the power of a good comfy hoodie!

• T-shirts - I packed way more shirts than I even thought about wearing, particularly as my mom did laundry regularly. I should have put more thought into which shirts I would be most comfortable in, as I ended up with a number of shirts I had no interest in wearing while fairly immobile and in pain.

• Toiletries - I WAY overpacked here. Obviously, there are things that are non-negotiable, but I totally overestimated what level of body care I would be interested in maintaining. For example, I was not up for doing my nails or a facemask. If I had just packed the basics, I would have been more than covered.

Totally Useless:

I can’t help but laugh at myself when I read the following list. I was so ambitious about how much I planned to do while recovering from a major surgery!

• Notebook with a list of things to do - I had so much planned that I actually made a list. Not that me making a list is surprising, but that there were enough items to make a list necessary is hilarious in retrospect.

• Jewelry - I don’t know where I thought I was going that I would want my jewelry. Spoiler alert: I didn't go anywhere.

• Jeans - As I said above, I still haven’t put on a normal pair of pants.

• Leggings - While comfy pants and shorts were a must, leggings were impossible to get on until the last couple of weeks. Loose pants were way easier!

• Washcloths - Don’t ask me why I thought my mom wouldn’t have enough of these. I think I was just in a panic at the end of my packing spree and thought, "Clearly I will need four washcloths a day. I will pack them all!"

• Makeup - Why? Just, why?

• Books - I literally took a box of THIRTY books. Do you know how many of them I read? ZERO.

Do you have any good stories of a time when you grossly overpacked for something?

My goal is to get back into a routine of posting, but I have decided to post every other week for the foreseeable future, as I continue to take things slow while I recover.

(Disclaimer: Every individual, surgery, and recovery has its own quirks. This post is not intended to be a definitive list.)