The following items are useful to bring to the hospital or for the stay in the hotel:
- Smart Phone (with WhatsApp installed to get in touch with family, at least if they live in Germany, where WhatsApp is popular)
- iPad Pro with pencil to take notes during appointments (App: Notability) and then later to stay in touch via Facebook or email, listen to music, read E-books, write, draw,…
- headphones for listening to music or watching Netflix
- A charger for cell phone/iPad. J
- Clothes/Pyjamas that are two sizes larger than the usual clothing size and that button or zip in front. (It will be painful to get dressed with limited range of motion)
- Peppermint oil. Smells good and helps with nausea. The hospital had such things, but not very strong or mixed with vanilla. A few drops of my own peppermint oil improved it.
- Lip balm, deodorant spray
- A small bag with shoulder strap (e.g. a laptop bag) to store the various papers one gets during appointments. The shoulder strap comes in handy after surgery, when your helper needs the hands to push the wheel chair.
- A wedge pillow for the bed is handy for the first few nights to sleep and for the next few days (weeks?) to comfortably recline during the day.
- Crocs are non-slip and easy to get in and out.
- A woolen shawl for cool weather, so that there is no need putting on a heavy coat.
- Warm socks J
- Smooth Move tea (e.g. Traditional Medicinals Brand) to help return to normal bowel movements after anesthesia.
- A refillable water bottle with a straw.
- A post mastectomy camisole with pouches for the postsurgical drains (one size larger than my usual clothes size). The health insurance covers this, and the hospital has a mastectomy store where one can buy it after getting the prescription during the first appointment.
- A small pillow to put between chest and seat belt for the car ride home, and a neck pillow for longer car rides.
- An extra long backscratcher J
- Apple sauce with rolled oats, flax seeds, chia seeds was the staple of my postop diet postop and lots of water.
- Wash cloth and baby wipes until ready to take showers again. There are always salons for a hair wash treat.
- Soft paper tissues, since I don’t like the ones that a hotel typically provides.
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