As you prepare for gastric sleeve surgery, don’t forget to pack carefully for your hospital stay. And we’ve got you covered! This list of essential items will keep you comfortable as you recover.
The Absolute Essentials to Pack
ID and Insurance Card
Don’t forget to pack any and all documentation you’ll need for surgery.
A complete medication list
Even if your doctor has instructed you to stop taking some medications in preparation for gastric sleeve, pack a list of everything you take. Include dosage and instructions on when and how you take it. You will want to have a discussion with your surgical team about if, when, and how to take your medications after gastric sleeve.
Comfortable Clothes for Gastric Sleeve Recovery
Comfortable bottoms
You’ll likely be provided with a gown to wear throughout your hospital stay, but those jokes about hospital gowns exist for a reason! Unless you’re comfortable with your hindquarters open to the breeze as you take laps around the hospital floor, you’ll want comfy pants of some kind to wear. Leggings, pajama bottoms, and sweats are all great options.
Grippy socks, slippers, or slip on shoes
Surprisingly, your nurses will urge you to be up and walking within hours of surgery. Though you’ll likely wake up from surgery in a moderate degree of pain, walking is the best cure. The surgery team pumps your abdomen full of gas to perform a bariatric procedure, and the gas has a hard time escaping afterward, causing most of the pain you’ll experience. Walking, and walking, and walking some more is the very best way to move the gas (and the pain) out of your body. And you won’t want to be barefoot in those hotel hallways. Try these grippy socks. Or, if you’re prone to foot pain and plantar fasciitis, like I am, Vionic has supportive slippers and slip ons designed especially for those problems:
Comfortable cotton underwear
Pack a pair for each day in the hospital, plus one extra. Embarrassing as it might be, accidents are not unheard of as you recover from gastric sleeve surgery.
A soft, easy to put on bra
I didn’t wear a bra during my hospital stay (thanks, hospital gown!), but i was glad to have a comfortable one to wear when I left the hospital. Unfortunately, you might find an over-the-head sports bra a little difficult to put on while you’re recovering from gastric sleeve, so pack a soft, wireless, clasp style bra instead.
Toiletries You’ll Need in the Hospital
Even with IVs, you’ll be dehydrated the first couple of days after surgery. Bring some high quality lip balm to counteract the dryness that is bound to ensue. I especially like aquaphor to seal in moisture.
Again, don’t let the dehydration leave you with itchy, uncomfortable skin. I recommend Cerave moisturizing cream, since it works well on your face, hands, or anywhere else you need it. I’ll often put a little on my lips before my aquaphor as an added hydration boost. Looking for more information about gastric sleeve skin care? Check out these tips.
Literally the first thing I said when I was coming to after surgery was, “Can I have some water to rinse out my mouth?” (They told me no haha). Sure, I was in a lot of pain for the first 30 minutes or so, but I was way more distressed about my bone dry mouth and how disgusting it tasted. When I got to my room, they gave me some ice cubes to suck on, but I wish so much that I had brought mouthwash with me too.
This probably goes without explanation, but you’ll feel more human once you’ve cleaned your teeth after surgery.
Brush
Unless you have short hair, your hair will be a rat’s nest from laying in a hospital bed. You’ll want your usual brush and comb, though the IV can make the logistics of brushing difficult. If you have a companion with you, don’t be shy about asking for help with your hair.
Hair ties
This is important: wear your hair up in a secure, but comfortable hairstyle for surgery. A braid or a topknot would work well. I forgot to put mine up, and it definitely contributed to the rat’s nest phenomenon I just mentioned.
The hospital will provide you with soap, but bring your own body wash if you want something familiar, better smelling, and gentler.
Tech Items to Bring
Your phone
Your phone will be your best friend during the boredom of recovering from gastric sleeve surgery. Packing a tablet is even better if you have one. I don’t recommend a laptop, however – they’re too bulky and you won’t have much room to set one up.
Since every hospital room is different, a long phone cord (I’m talking 6-10 feet) will help keep your phone running through movies, texts with family and friends, and ebooks galore.
For peace of mind, a lightweight extension cord isn’t a bad idea in addition to your longest phone cord.
Downloaded movies and shows
You can’t guess how good the wifi will be in your area of the hospital. Given that you don’t want to lose your mind of boredom, download a few movies or show episodes on your home wifi. Then you’ll be able to watch what you’d like regardless of the internet situation.
Downloaded audiobooks
While I watched a few movies in the hospital, I was so glad to have audiobooks too. Having a book to listen to from a favorite author kept me motivated to keep walking laps to work out the gas pains. Here’s what I was listening to.
Headphones are a packing essential if you want to listen to an audiobook as you walk laps after gastric sleeve. I strongly suggest airpods or another form of wireless headphones, because you’ll already be tangled up in the cords of your IV. More cords = more frustration. In addition, you might be sharing a hospital room with someone, or you could find that the hotel has thin walls. Respect others who are recovering and working in the hospital, and use headphones to keep noise to a minimum
Online support
You may feel isolated or scared after surgery, especially if you’re doing it on your own. I’ve found online support groups through Facebook and Reddit invaluable in providing information, reassurance, and inspiration all throughout the surgery process. I especially loved reading success stories from patients a year or two out from surgery. They were a great reminder of what I was going through the pain for.
Gastric Sleeve Medical Supplies
Hospitals are noisy, busy places. I was tired enough to zonk out constantly in the hospital. But if you’re a light sleeper, ear plugs can help.
CPAP
If you use a CPAP, pack it for the hospital. DO NOT LEAVE IT AT HOME. Your body will need the breathing support and extra oxygen after surgery more than ever before. The days right after gastric sleeve surgery are a dangerous time to try to skip out on it, and your surgical team will expect you to pack it.
Your hospital may provide you with compression stockings before gastric sleeve surgery, but if not pack your own. Along with walking, they will help prevent blood clots.
A warm heating pad on the tummy feels amazing right after surgery, and it may even help with gas pains. This is the one I bought for surgery, and I liked that it was big enough to wrap across my entire belly.
Thyroid medications
Though your doctor may advise you to stop taking some of your medications before surgery, they will probably have you continue taking thyroid medications. Bring them with you to the hospital and give them to your nurse, since they may need to be ground up for your first couple of doses after gastric sleeve.
Optional Items to Pack
I packed a cute robe for surgery and then never wore it because I couldn’t figure out how to put it on with my IV in. It would have been nice to not worry about the open back of my hospital gown, though. So if you’d like to wear a robe after surgery, ask a nurse to help you put it on and to figure out the IV logistics with you.
Your favorite pillow or blanket
Check with the hospital first, but if it’s allowed, your coziest pillow or blanket can make your hospital stay much more comfortable. If you can’t or don’t want to bring them, though, don’t worry. Hospital beds are surprisingly comfortable, and the nurses were so helpful in bringing me anything I needed.
Packing for Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Preparing for gastric sleeve surgery can feel daunting. After all, you’re making a major medical decision and committing to change your habits for life. So don’t let packing add to the stress.
Is there anything I’ve forgotten? What would you recommend packing for gastric sleeve surgery?
Want to Succeed After Gastric Sleeve? Make These 6 Habits Before Surgery