Packing for a procedure at the hospital can feel intimidating, particularly when you’ll be staying there for an extended period of time. Hospitals can feel sterile, foreign, and uncomfortable. If you’re there for an inpatient stay, especially for a longer one, it might feel comforting and soothing to pack some personal touches, in addition to the necessities.
Being hospitalized for an extended period of time can lead to feeling disconnected from your home, normal routines, friends and family, and even your sense of self, says Julie Larson, a psychotherapist who specializes in supporting people around the emotional and mental impact of a cancer diagnosis. What you bring with you can help you retain these important connections and a degree of stability amid the uncertainty that being in the hospital brings.
While your routine will be different while you’re in the hospital, Larson recommends that you still maintain one, as much as possible within the obvious limitations. Creating a daily schedule that includes dedicated time for self-care, a consistent bedtime, and designated periods for email, for example, can help provide structure to formless inpatient days, she says. In addition to packing items to make yourself and your surroundings more comfortable, think about what you might want your daily routine to look like and what you’ll need to bring with you to make that happen, advises Larson.
Keep in mind that for security reasons, you should not bring money, jewelry, or other valuables with you to the hospital.
For Your Room
Framed Photos and Artwork to Hang
Bringing framed pictures of people, pets, and places you love will keep you from scrolling through your phone so much — and it’s comforting to look up and catch a glimpse of your favorite people’s faces. You can also hang up posters and small art prints, as long as you attach them with a temporary adhesive that won’t damage hospital walls. (We like using tacky mounting putty or painter’s tape — for a more personal touch, try it in this fun assortment of pastel colors for a more muted palette.) For any parents, Larson suggests packing a few pieces of your children’s artwork.
Soft Lighting
The constant, bright glare of hospital lighting can be harsh and agitating. Dim, soft lighting is a lot more soothing. This set of flameless candles comes with a remote so you don’t even have to move to adjust the lighting, and you can set the timer so they turn on and off at certain times every day. They’re also safe for a hospital-room setting; made of plastic, they can withstand getting knocked over without shattering.
Fresh, Lively, Colorful Bedding
You can bring your favorite blankets and pillows for homey comforts; or get some new ones. If you want to bring your own sheets, hospital beds are often a Twin or Twin XL. Chelsey Gomez, 35, an artist who had Hodgkin lymphoma and was hospitalized for close to a month for a stem cell transplant, suggests including new bedding to make your hospital room more cheerful and inviting. “It makes it feel more like home and less like a hospital,” she says. Chelsey, who’s also an artist who creates products for people impacted by cancer and other chronic illnesses, prefers fun patterns and recommends this whimsical sheet set from Target that will literally wrap you in rainbows during your stay. Jadey also loves Company Store sheets (which get softer and softer after washes); we’re partial to the set in this delicate floral pattern.
And for a blanket, we like Target's collaborations with Studio McGee for well-designed home essentials, and their comforter set has soft, reversible florals for a little mix-and-match moment. For something a little more unique — that’s also very lightweight if you’re sleeping hot these days — Olivia Wendel’s animal-print woven blankets (especially her swans) are a Jadey favorite.
Some Practical Essentials to Make You Comfortable
We recommend packing a few items to help make your room easier to navigate, like a really, really long phone charger; Command hooks to hang things; additional storage for your bathroom, like a shower caddy; and some of these extras:
A Portable Fan
Many, many people find that hospital rooms have temperature issues — sometimes freezing, sometimes way too warm. Jen Johnson, 44, who had ovarian cancer, recommends bringing a small portable fan to help you stay cool. “I was very hot in the hospital, despite keeping my room at 67 degrees,” she says. “So [having a] fan was a lifesaver for me, especially at night.” This fan’s quirky little bendy legs are great for gripping onto all sorts of places, like the bars of a hospital bed.
A White Noise Machine
The constant beeping from various machines and other irritating noises drifting in from the hallway can make it impossible to get any shut-eye while you're hospitalized. “I don’t know what I’d do without my white-noise machine, it’s literally the only way I get sleep [in the hospital],” says Julie Mason Groob, 40, who had cervical and vaginal cancers. “It drowns out the noise from the hallways and hums me to sleep.”
Nice, Effective Earplugs
For times when the white-noise machine isn’t quite enough or you’re craving peace and quiet immediately, it’s helpful to have earplugs with you. This popular pair is reusable and comes with a convenient carrying case, so when your hospital stay is over you can pop them in your tote bag and bring them with you to chemo appointments.
A Cooler to Bring Your Favorite Snacks
Hospitals are not known for their cuisine, and you can quickly get sick of mashed potatoes and pudding. Mikaela de Leon, 25, who’s in treatment for metastatic breast cancer, found a solution. “I had a giant Yeti cooler in my room. I live close to my hospital, so my family was able to switch out my snacks as needed,” she says. “When you get tired of hospital food, you can snack on your favorite foods; my favorites were grapes, bananas, and cucumbers.” Note: This cooler is BIG, but it’s also available in smaller sizes. Another Note: This cooler is PRICEY and there are plenty of great coolers that aren't as expensive as YETIs, but YETI is a fantastically effective cooler, and will last for a long time after a hospital stay is done.
A General Tip About Food: If you have any dietary restrictions and/or are neutropenic from chemotherapy and at risk for food-borne illness, ask your hospital if there’s an oncology nutritionist on staff. Some cancer centers offer nutritional counseling as a free service and an oncology nutritionist may be able to recommend safe, appropriate snacks tailored to your particular needs to bring with you for an extended hospital stay.
Comfortable Clothing
An Upgrade to a Hospital Gown
Nothing strips you of your identity and relegates you to ‘patient’ status like living in a standard-issue hospital gown for days or weeks at a time. But you have options to bring more comfortable selections with you to the hospital. Julie packs a hospital robe by KickIt Pajamas, a cult-classic brand among people in cancer treatment for making comfortable, medically accessible clothing. She loves how soft the robe is and that it has all the access points needed for IVs, as well as interior pockets for surgical drains. This style even boasts snaps on the sleeves for additional ease and accessibility. “I live in these when I’m at the hospital and I get lots of compliments!” Julie says.
A Fresh Pajama Set
Another clothing essential, particularly for lengthy stays, is comfortable, accessible pajamas. “This will depend on if someone has a central line or port, but I found button-up pajamas to be very helpful so the nurses can easily access your IV,” says Chelsey, who recommends this pair from Target.
Washable, Supportive, Slip-On Slippers
Those non-skid hospital socks we’re all familiar with have some drawbacks — getting into bed with the same socks that have touched the floor in the hospital hallway, your room, and the bathroom can make you cringe, to say the least. “I like to have slippers with me so I’m not walking around in socks,” says Julie. “These are great supportive slippers and they’re incredibly comfortable.” The slip-on design means they’re easy to get in and out of and the soft interior material makes them extra cozy. They’re machine-washable, and a breeze to clean at the end of your stay.
Personal Care
Body Wipes
Not being able to shower is no fun. Cleansing wipes help clean your body without showering, but Julie points out that the wipes provided by the hospital aren’t always the best. They tend to smell antiseptic and clinical, and aren’t very refreshing. “These scented wipes help me feel clean and fresh,” she says of YUNI's Shower Sheets. For those with skin sensitivities, we recommend opting for a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free selection; Jadey loves these super-soft, gentle baby wipes from Coterie.
Hard-Working Moisturizers
Harsh hospital soap and hand sanitizer can easily parch your skin. Jen plans to bring this moisturizing hand cream and lotion stick to her upcoming surgery and hospital stay to keep her face and hands hydrated.
Entertainment
Something Digital…
Being hospitalized is often painfully boring, and people who have had inpatient stays agree: it really helps to pack items that can pass the time and keep you entertained. “I loved having this Roku Stick while I was in the hospital because I got to watch my [favorite] shows and play movies at night when I was winding down for bed,” Mikalea says.
… and Something Analog
We recommend bringing something tactile to occupy your attention. Larson, who’s worked with many clients who have had inpatient stays for cancer treatment, suggests packing an activity or project you enjoy, like knitting, crotchet, coloring, or crossword puzzles. “These types of activities require focusing, which helps keep your mind from spinning, but can still be relaxing and calming because they don’t require much effort,” she explains. You can try a hand lettering book with some nice drawing pens, if you’d like to do something a little artistic, or a Tarot deck, which can be a social or introspective activity, as silly or serious as you like. In addition to promoting relaxation, simple activities like this can provide inspiration and a welcome distraction.
