The go-bag is essential so you have everything you need for the hospital. Having one ready will make an extended trip to the hospital a little more comfortable.
If you haven’t figured it out already, I am a planner. If you were to look at my desk right now, you would see lots of lists. Not one or two, mind you, but four different lists or planners. A list of blogs I want to write, a list of terminology, a daily planner, and an ongoing to-do list. Overkill? Maybe a tiny, itsy, bitsy bit. But we won’t judge one another, right?
It’s All Part of the Plan
Pre-transplant was no exception. The only bonus was that sometimes I would have HE, which means I couldn’t keep track of anything. At all. Period. I had everything I would need because my go-bag was already packed.
It was much easier to have things packed in a bag ready that could then be thrown in the car. I had more than a few trips to the emergency room. Several turned into hospital stays ranging from 3-24 days, so having my bag ready was awesome. Besides, if Murphy’s Law were true, having the bag in the car would ensure I wouldn’t be admitted. Right? Not so much, as it turned out.
I also discovered that being able to wear something other than a hospital gown was quite nice. Drawstring pants and tee shirts beat the heck out of a gown where your hind end hangs out. Assuming of course your doctors are OK with that. You should ask to be sure.
What to Pack in the Go-Bag
Here’s a quick rundown of what I had packed in my go-bag:
- A spare charger for my phone
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Face cleansing wipes
- Baby wipes (spend three days in an ER with no shower and you’ll understand the importance of baby wipes)
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush, hair ties, headbands, and hair clips
- An electric razor (here’s what I used)
- Shampoo/conditioner or dry shampoo if you don’t want to use what the hospital provides
- Comfortable undergarments
- Drawstring pants or shorts and tee shirts
- Small bags to send dirty clothes home for laundering (personal item bags given to you at the hospital work great)
- Lotion (if you are on diuretics you will be dry and the hospital doesn’t always provide them)
- Laptop or tablet with cord (so you can access your streaming services or social media on a larger screen)
- A good book
- Lip balm (again, diuretics dry you out like crazy)
- A blanket or other small comfort from home
- A picture or two to inspire you (not in a frame or anything, just a printout)…mine was of my kids
- Paperwork and notebooks (see my blog post here about that)…I would just grab my little organizer and stick it in the bag on the way out the door
- Your purse or wallet (I kept a small purse so it could just be thrown in the bag)
Other Tips
Don’t worry about packing your meds. Hospitals will provide you with your meds and will administer them. You don’t need to bring all of that with you. Hospitals will most likely require any meds you do bring with you to go back home anyway.
I used a toiletry organizer like this one to keep everything in. I also only packed travel-sized items.
Once you get home, you can wash everything and get it all loaded up so you’re ready to go. My shortest stay at home was just three days, so it’s good to do this right away just in case.
Many people will go their entire time waiting without a single overnight stay in the hospital. To them, I say, “Hooray to you!” However, even the ones who manage that will still have a hospital stay after their transplant.
Do I NEED a Go-Bag?
There may be times where you don’t give a rat’s patootie about your go-bag because you are too sick. However, I always preferred to have everything with me anyway. I’d rather have it, and not need it than need it, and not have it.
Going to the hospital is far from a beach vacation. But with a little preparation, you can make an extended stay at least a little more tolerable. As tolerable as being in the hospital can be anyway.
