it’s the little things

nick & nora cow slippers

Originally uploaded by l@in.
After my second overnight stay in the hospital this year, I think I’ve figured out what I need to make myself comfortable without over packing the way I did for the first mastectomy. I thought I’d share just in case someone else needed to make similar plans.

• trash magazines. – lots of pictures and and little written content is best. this time i think i took curve, the fall fashion issue of elle, northern virginia magazine, venus zine (for the MIA article), and bust. i just wanted something to glossy flip through. as the time went on, i was able to do a little reading, but very little.
• ipod – i didn’t end up actually listening to it this time, but last stay when i was overwhelmingly sick, i don’t think i could have done without the distraction. the important thing is to attach it to something since they’re so small so they don’t get lost in the sheets, fall on the floor, etc. i used an athletic strap to attach it to a stuffed animal which also served as an arm prop. it worked rather well.
• lip balm – being intubated left my lips incredibly dry. one kind nurse even applied vaseline to my lips in recovery. i used the lip balm a lot while i was in the hospital.
• slippers with treading – the hospital usually provides slipper socks with plastic treading, but i usually find them ill fitting and scratchy. this time around i got cute little slipper sock things kinda like these with rubber tread that were nice and soft and warm and made me really comfortable. the nurses all loved them too.
• snacks from home – last time i was so sick i didn’t eat anything until the next morning which, i think, was some sherbet. this time i actually felt like eating, at least a little but was never given any menu selections so every entree was meat, meat, meat, which just made me feel ill, especially the smell of it. i think i ended up eating sherbet and squash one night and some frightening wonder-like wheat bread for breakfast. i had packed joanna some snacks – nuts, seeds, dried figs and crackers and ended up eating some of those, which made me feel much better. pete also brought me a 2 liter of diet ginger ale, the contents of which i drank almost all of before checking out the next morning.
• This may be mastectomy specific, but for the trip home, a button or zip-up shirt to wear as well as pull-on pants and slip on shoes were invaluable. For the car ride a pillow was essential to put between the seatbelt and the foob (fake boob). it still hurt, but certainly lessened the impact, especially over bumps, around sharp turns, and at abrupt stops.

It should go without saying that it’s important to develop a nice rapport with your nurses and nurse technicians if possible. That said one shouldn’t be afraid to ask for things that you need – that’s why the nurses are there. I will say that most of my nurses were kind and attentive, especially the night nurses who happily untangled my IVs from my pole when I returned from late night bathroom trips, poured me endless cups of ginger ale over cups of ice they supplied, and brought me extra blankets.

Just a little food for thought for making it through a hospital stay without losing your mind.