A little drama in the last 3-4 days has made me think about making hospital kits. Many hospitals warn against valuables and carrying a lot of personal info/items while staying. But then they turn around and charge you for a number of toiletries, etc.

So, do any of you have kits ready for a hospital stay? Keep in mind, they should serve two purposes:

1) Carry items for a patient. Also think about spending time there.

2) Be a decent bag for a family member who may decide to stay with the patient (on that hard-as-all-hell chair!).

OK so...obvious items, not so obvious...let's have them. Basic list follows:

1) soap
2) shampoo
3) lotion
4) toothbrush & toothpaste
5) Q-tips
6) a couple of small flashlights - couple photons or handful of fauxtons
7) deodorant
8) fleece pants, jacket and/or shirt - hospital patients seem to be frequently cold
9) my SO (who works in a hospital) said maybe a thin fleece blanket...queen or king sized. Hospital blankets aren't very good.
10) changes of clothing (even if you don't wear them while there, you'll need to leave sometime)
11) several underwear & socks (several more than your change(s) of clothes above)
12) If your diet isn't restrictive and you feel like hitting the snack machine for a candy bar...maybe some change.
13) Deck of cards, or maybe some small game(s) like boggle, etc.
14) Extra cell phone charging cord. You may already have the phone, but people usually don't have a cord handy.
15) shower shoes???
16) ALWAYS gotta have a SAK (swiss army knife).
17) razor and extra blades
18) shaving cream

I'd like to think I would be able to use a laptop, but since valuables are a no-no, well...

So...that's a good start. Thoughts on the perfect hospital kit?

I have had a few (too many) hospital stays in the past, and each time I just took my usual toilet kit, which happens to be of the roll-up variety. It had everything I needed to keep clean and happy (at least as happy as you can be in a hospital getting cut on). Being a reader, I also took enough pocket books to last me thru the stay. As I was a full time LEO when all of this went on, a couple of times I took a scanner, with earphone, so that I could keep up with what my buddies were doing. That caused a little bit of a problem, as the staff was afraid that this RECEIVER was going to interfere with their telemetry gear. Once that was straightened out there was no problem. I usually wear shower shoes, aka flipflops, when in a strange shower, but the nature of my "visit" (back surgery) told me that I wanted something more stable on my feet, so I showered (when I had recovered enough to bypass the spit bath, given by a 75 year old, 300 pound lady, darn it), barefoot, and staggered around the floor wearing the one-size-fits-none slip on thingies. Other than that, I watched some TV, and slept a lot. Providing goodies for visitors was waayyyy down on my list of things to bring, they should have the sense to take care of themselves...

Some kind of reading material
Pen and small tablet
Wipes of some kind, you may be in bed longer than you expect
My sister wasn't allowed underwear, but she was in the ICU
Mouthwash if you don't feel up to brushing
Inflatable travel pillow (for the family member)
Cell phone cord? the roommate might want some rest
An SAK? they might confiscate it as a weapon
Otherwise your list looks extremely good, just include several rolls of quarter for the vending machines-it's not possible to have too much change, in my experience.

Just remember if you're bringing things that hospitals normally provide (like soap), you'll probably be billed for them anyway. Like the $7 box of tissue and the $25 bar of soap.

Just for fun, if you're billed for stuff your insurance didn't cover, ask for an ITEMIZED bill with code explanations. You may find that you were charged for all kinds of things you didn't use. Some gentlemen get a bit testy when they discover that they were charged for a baby bassinette, mobile and breast pump.

Sue

"...breast pump..."

Could be dual purpose, but I won't to there...

BLANKETS - Ask for the hospitals. When you throw up on them, they bring you clean ones. If it is bad, they will preheat them.

CROCKS - After throwing up on a pair of $180 cross trainers, I took in CROCKS and several pair of socks. Throw up all over them, take a shower, the socks will dry.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - If you are on enough antibiotics to get THRUSH in your mouth, you will want it to gargle.

BIG BAD BOOKS ("BEARS" AND BEARS II) - I was too near death to run the lap top.

S&W 360 - I don't trust any place that I am forced to drive to at midnight in Boise.

HANKIES - Lots of big farm hankies.

NOTEBOOK - There are lots of notes you want to take and messages to leave.

EAR PLUGS - If you are on the pre-mortuary ward, they help keep out the sounds.

"...EAR PLUGS..."

Now that is a great idea. I was lucky most of the time, and went to a hospital that had all private rooms, but if you have a roomate, he/she will ALWAYS be near death, hacking and throwing up green stuff, with family hovering, crying, wailing, etc. Earplugs could be the most important thing of all...

Some great suggestions, ESPECIALLY the ear plugs!!!!

I would only carry that which is able to fit into a shoulder/messenger bag. Those are easy to carry with you, wherever you wander.

Thus far (touch wood) I have avoided hospital stays. However, speaking from a visitors point of view:

A good friend of mine has the misfortune to loose his wife to cancer. I, along with various other people, spent quite a lot of time visiting her during "the terminal phase."

Quick rant: I hate that bloody phrase! Why can't they say dying like everyone else? Rant over


To complicate matters: It's a N.H.S. hospital. The ward is right next to A&E and she has a 16 year old son + a 12 year old daughter. That means that there are all sorts of "characters" about. That mean that certain individuals, along with myself, spent a lot of time doing the close escort bit. I was specifically warned by a couple of the staff that things can get "interesting."

So:

Body armour if you have it.
Knife (legal).
Multi tool.
Baton (if legal) or something innoculess that can be used as a baton. like a magazine or newspaper.
Good book.
Surefire torch.
L.E.D. torch.
Small amount of money + change.
Shave kit, poncho liner, towel etc.

Charming pleasant professional manner (think fireman, police officer, N.C.O. Paramedic) for when dealing with the staff. Works wonders. Also tells the lower forms of life that messing with you is A Bad Career Move.

I found chapstick or some sort of lip baum to be very handy. Especially when they won't let you drink anything. Right after anathesia I was completely dry.

A radio or CD player with headphones is nice too. The hospital TV cable is often very limited or is monopolized by a roommate or their visitors.

Having good friends who will play falcon for you is crucial particularly when you hospital stay is unplanned.