what to take to the hospital - toiletries

Waking up from surgery, I felt absolutely disgusting. I had all sorts of weird goo on my face and in my hair and my mouth felt like something had died inside of it. My nurse brought me a wet washcloth and some lip balm and it was AMAZING. Seriously - wiping my face was one of the best feelings I've ever experienced. Think I also used the cloth to scrub some of the scum off my teeth. And then my lips were so dry and chapped from the breathing tube and those ice chips did nothing to help.

But I didn't know that I would want my toiletries immediately after surgery. And who knows - you might be different. But just in case, have your family bring them up to ICU when they visit for the first time. If you're following my advice, it should all be in your makeup/Dopp bag. The bag will also will be great because you'll be hooked up to machines and a catheter and not able to get out of bed or even reach all that far.

For that first night, you should have:

* extra-moisturizing lip balm
* Kleenex (the stuff they give you at the hospital is like sandpaper)
* Brush-Ups or other teeth-cleansing wipe sort of thing since it's hard to actually brush your teeth when strapped to the bed & on limited water
* facial cleansing cloths
* face moisturizer
* mouthguard if you use one

Once you're able to get out of bed, you'll want even more stuff:

* face wash
* toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, dental floss
* fine-toothed comb (to get the gunk out of your hair)
* shampoo (for when you're able to shower)
* head scarf/bandana
* barrettes or bobby pins (until you can shower, your hair will be gross, even if you get someone to pick out the goo and even after using the no-rinse shampoo stuff the hospital may give you, and you'll want it off your face)

It's not a ton of stuff, but man, it's a total game-changer. I finally started to feel like myself again once I was able to wash my face and brush my teeth with the products I use at home. I smelled like myself again, you know?

And don't forget your cell phone and charger! Even if you're not sure that you'll be up for using your phone, bring it just in case.