What I do in order to keep sane
Being admitted to the hospital is rough, especially when you are stuck there for long periods of time. It's emotional, the treatments are physically taxing, and you feel like complete crap. Unfortunately, hospital admissions are a huge part of life when you have a chronic illness. They are unavoidable, highly anticipated, and pretty much the last thing you want. Here are 10 things I do/ bring with me to the hospital that help me cope with being admitted. Although they don't actually fix anything, they do make things easier to deal with.
Bring your own socks- Lets be real, hospital socks are ugly and uncomfortable. Bringing your own soft, fuzzy socks helps you feel a little less crappy. Just make sure they have grips on the bottom.
Bring a soft blanket- Hospital blankets are rough and scratchy. Bringing a soft blanket helps you feel more comfortable and a little less like you are trapped in a hospital.
Bring your laptop- Because Netflix. You need the distraction. And let's be honest, we all need a little binge watching in our lives.
Bring an activity that you can do in bed- Distractions from all the hard things going on are essential for your mental health. I like to bring a deck of cards and an adult coloring book with me. It helps get my mind off of all the bad things.
Bring toiletries- When you are in the hospital, you feel pretty gross. Especially if you can't shower because you can't be unattached from medical devices. You start to feel more like a lab rat than a human. I find that using toiletries such as face wipes, dry shampoo, and deodorant help me feel more human.
Bring comfortable clothing- If you are like me, you hate hospital gowns. Bring sweatpants and a lose shirt that still allows nurses to access your port. Also, make sure you pack plenty of clean underwear, and ladies, bring sports bras without any metal on it so you can wear them during imaging.
Bring your cellphone and charger- There is nothing worse than being stuck in the hospital without your phone, or remembering your phone but you forgot your charger and now your phone is dead. It is your lifeline, a great distraction, and your security blanket. Tip: If you forget to bring your charger, ask the nurses. Sometimes they have a box of chargers that patients accidentally left behind.
Bring snacks- Hospital food usually sucks. I know it. You know it. And the hospital staff knows it. Make sure you bring some good snacks so you know that you are taking in enough calories and not losing weight when you are admitted.
Have a support system in place- Tell your close friends and family that you were admitted. Talk to them on the phone, and if you can have visitors, ask them to visit.
Remember, you are in charge- I know it doesn't always seem like it, but you are in charge of your own body. If you don't like something, speak up. Doctors and nurses don't want to see you suffer. If there is something they can do, they will do it if you ask!
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