| Makeover Tool | Share Slow-Cooker Recipes | Subscribe
|

Breast Cancer Facts

Hospital Stay Checklist

Illustration of suitcases

Whether you’re going for one night or more, here’s what you’ll need.

  • Bathrobe
  • Slippers with sticky soles to grip the slick hospital floors (flip-flops or sneakers also work)
  • Clean underwear
  • Pillow, marked with your name in indelible ink or with a distinctive pillowcase
  • List of phone numbers of family and friends
  • Pen and pad for noting questions or to keep a log of your medical care
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Lotion
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Essential toiletries (if you’re a contact-lens wearer, you may have to wear your glasses)
  • Portable CD or MP3 player with relaxing music
  • Books
  • Crossword puzzles
  • Deck of cards
  • Eye mask
  • Earplugs
  • $10 in cash (leave your jewelry and credit cards at home; theft is a risk in any public place, and hospitals are no exception)
  • Insurance card
  • Lab results or X-rays your doctor may have asked for

Did we forget anything on this checklist? What would you add?

View Earlier Comments

Check It Off!

Get Real Simple's easy-to-follow monthly to-do list (see a sample).
Advertisement