Laparoscopy - What's In My Overnight Bag?
I've had 2 laparoscopies now, one in 2018 and one in 2019 - all the fun, ey! The first lap I had, I really didn't have a clue what to bring with me. Bar the obvious (myself, a toothbrush and some pants), what do you actually need?
Well! If you're due to have a laparoscopy soon, here is my ride or die list of things to bring for an overnight stay.
Just a lil heads up - not everyone requires an overnight stay after a laparoscopy, but I think it's wayyyy better to be prepared and come with the bits and bobs you'll need, just in case. Plus, most of these things you're going to want regardless!
So get a cute bag at the ready, and start packing!
Nightie/Night dress - the laparoscopy holy grail; you'll be bloated and sore after surgery - bring loose clothing!
Portable charger/powerpack - so there's no need to be reaching for plug sockets
Headphones - you may be on a busy ward and don't want to disturb others with your cracking choice of Netflix show - OR - the ward may be super loud in which case you'll want to block them out, no offence to your fellow patients (p.s. download something to watch - you can't be relying on that hospital wifi - they're fab for many things but not reliable when it comes to phone coverage)
Peppermint tea - this is a wonderful natural remedy for gas pains which you'll almost definitely experience after your surgery - stock up!
Lip balm - your lips tend to get very dry after surgery, so this is a must
Water bottle - I can't stress enough how important it is so stay hydrated. It'll help your bladder, your bowel, basically everything! If you're stretching and lifting jugs you may hurt your incisions, so can't go too far wrong with a bottle. Maybe even buy yourself a new one as a little pre-surgery treat
Pads/Sanitary towels - there's usually some bleeding after surgery (make sure to ask your consultant what's normal for you if ever you're concerned) and hospitals will have pads, but it's probably nice to have your own ones, especially if you're like me and have skin reactions to certain materials
Stool Softener - oooo la la. Please ask your doctor/surgeon/consultant to recommend one, honestly these were a life saver after my second lap. I'm not going to go into toooo much detail (you can put 2 and 2 together), just please trust me when I say they'll REALLY help
Toothbrush & toothpaste - whether you're staying overnight or not, it'll be really nice to freshen up your mouth
List of medications you're on for the anaesthetist - this one is so important and easily forgotten! If you're on a lot of meds, bring a list of those and your dosage amounts to show your doctors. They'll need to know and in the stress of the moment, it's so easy to forget exact names and/or numbers
Pillow - as well as being a good shout for if you're staying overnight, this is actually most important for the car journey home! When you do your seatbelt up, pop the pillow between you and the belt - it'll act as a buffer so the belt doesn't rub on your incisions and if you have to emergency stop there's a supportive cushion between you and the taut belt
Slippers - for walking down to theatre in
Bed socks - keep those tootsies warm in bed! You'll most likely have compression socks on and although these are great at their job, they aren't very good at keeping your feet warm
Dressing gown - again, you'll need it for walking down to theatre
Pants - some reallyyyy sexy, baggy granny style ones! The looser the better. You don't want anything rubbing on you after surgery and I swore by my M&S granny pants. Still wear them now from time to time! Long live the granny pant
I hope this was helpful! You can find me on instagram where I'm always talking all things endometriosis, plus I also made a video if you fancy watching that. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR LAP!!
Peace, love & gentle hugs x x x
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