My packing list (how organised am I?!)

You probably really don't care what I am taking to hospital, but failing to secure the Chippendales to keep me occupied and a full make up bag to keep me beautiful, I thought I'd concentrate on practicalities. I am basing my list on various lists I've found on blogs, forums and various web pages like this one at http://scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm and I'm sure most of it will be useful. I thought I'd list my one here just in case you too need to pack for a hospital stay. If not, have fun reading through the list and my reasons.

Things I will take:

• A nice new nightie which buttons up the front - yes I know they will give me a highly sexy hospital gown, but I have no desire to show my bottom off around the hospital for any longer than I have to. I have also heard that raising your arms above your head is very painful so a button up front sounds good.
• A nice new dressing gown - I really don't want anyone to see my old one!
• A sports bottle or bendy straws - well seriously, have you ever tried drinking whilst lying down - what else are you going to use?
• My Archos - OK, OK I'm too poor to buy an I-pod. Still it has all my favourite music on it and I can really annoy the old lady in the next bed by letting her overhear the tinny noises from my cheap headphones.
• Chewy tooth thingies sound good - unfortunately I don't know where to get them from apart from motorway service stations. I shall just have to settle for foul breath until I can walk to the bathroom and try to avoid eating garlic for the whole of my hospital stay.
• Some mints or fruit sweets to suck - sugar free of course. After all if I'm not going to be brushing my teeth (eeew!) then I don't want tooth decay too...
• Some magazines and puzzle books - for all the hanging around before the operation. I'm sure I will be too spaced out on morphine after the operation to even do join the dots.
• No polite way to put this, but some sanitary supplies - don't ask me why, but one of the side effects of an anaesthetic seems to be to bring your monthly period forward - having just finished one means nothing in anaesthetic land. Oh yes and the things they have in hospitals would have been old fashioned when your granny was little - you have been warned! I shall take my own - just in case.
• My cuddly dog (aahhh) that hubby bought me for Christmas - I'm gonna need some serious hugs I think.
• My slip on slippers - which slip off easily and I will no doubt lose under the bed within minutes of arriving (and then I'll probably never find them again!)
• Lip balm - apparently is a life saver according to some people. Even though I don't expect to be kissing too many people this sounds a good idea - I really hate dry, cracked lips.

Things I won't take:

Well apart from the obvious - like War and Peace, I shan't bother with squash or fruit juice - I quite like water (it's my favourite drink after coffee, wine, whisky, beer etc etc!). Also I will let hubby bring suitable clothes to go home in at the appropriate time (any sooner and I might try and escape!). I thought of grapes too, but without a Chippendale to peel them for me it wouldn't quite be the same...