How To Create a Hospital Go Bag.
My dad lost his hearing shortly after his cancer diagnosis. One night, pretty late he Facetimed me totally panicked to tell me that an ambulance was at the house taking my mom and I needed to come down. He had no idea why they were there, or what was happening.
I live on top of a mountain about 35 minutes away, and when I tell you I flew down that mountain, with the most terrifying thoughts running through my head…Let’s just say, I’m just really glad God was watching over all of us that night.
I had no idea what happened. If she was okay. And my dad who couldn’t hear me was sending me a slew of text messages which was a great way for us to communicate, just not right then.
After that, I realized I needed a better plan to be prepared for emergencies.
These uncertain times create a ton of anxiety about visiting the hospital and being prepared. This hospital go bag is a quick and easy way to always be prepared.
The world has changed tremendously in the last year. I never imagined that we would see anything like this, yet here we are. With no idea when things are going to go back to normal and what that’s even going to look like once it happens.
Update: What if we could take away some of your cancer-related stress? What if we could show you a quick and easy way to organize important medical information so you can actually find what you’re looking for?
No hassle, no stress, with a quick and easy set up that takes minutes to maintain. And the best part… It’s 100% Free.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
Being a cancer caregiver, has prepared me for just about anything.
“Don’t worry, avoid germs and sick people, wash your hands frequently, and stay safe” is pretty much the way we live life.
That being said, all of this craziness is not a new experience for someone who has dealt with cancer.
When emergencies happen they can be really scary and leave you totally frazzled. There is no time to figure out what you need, find it, pack it and do it quickly.
I don’t know about you, but those moments are not the moments when I am able to think clearly and pull everything together…
And especially in these current times, when family and visitors are often banned from entering, you want to make sure you have everything you need ready to grab and go.
Planning ahead is the only way to do that…
If you’re worried about everything going on out there and you want to be as prepared as possible, throw together a hospital go bag already packed that you can grab on your way out the door.
Hospital Go Bag Contents
- Phone charger: so you can stay in contact with the people you love.
- Ear Phones: It helps with the incessant beeping of the machines.
- Book(s) to read: choose something you would LOVE to read and grab a back up in case it’s a bust.
- Glasses, case, and lens cleaners: If you wear glasses pack anything you need to take care of them.
- 1 pair of socks: To go home in, hospitals usually make you wear the socks with the tread on the bottom to reduce the chance of slipping.
- 3 pairs of underwear: I grab a few extra pairs in case I have to stay a few days.
- 2 pairs of yoga pants or pajama pants: A nice addition to the hospital gown.
- Toothbrush/toothpaste or, denture cup (if needed): I prefer my own.
- Deodorant: I prefer my own.
- A t-shirt: To go home in.
- Notebook and a pen: For notes, journaling, and “screaming” in writing!
- Facial cleansing towelettes: Nothing like the feeling of a clean face when you can’t take a shower.
- Slippers or slip-on shoes: Easy to get into shoes so you can walk around a little if you get the chance.
- Hair ties: Because you can literally never find them when you need them.
Leave a sticky note on top of the bag so you remember to grab…
- Ipad or a Kindle: Read, play games, or catch up on social media.
- Wallet: Money, credit cards, insurance cards.
- Emergency equipment: Like a CPAP machine (don’t forget to pre-pack distilled water and cleaning detergent) Note: we have had a hard time finding that stuff during hospital visits.
Hospital Go Bag Documents
You’ll definitely want to include the “frequently asked” medical questions in your hospital go bag.
Doctor/Insurance Information
Keep a list of the name, phone number, fax number, and address of your primary care physician, and any relevant specialists (Cardiology, Endocrinology, Oncology, Pulmonology, etc.)
Make a copy of the back and front of your insurance card and any supplemental insurance cards.
In the event, you forget your wallet, these copies can give the hospital the information they need to contact the insurance copy.
You can just write it on a plain piece of paper, or you can use the form included in the free Cancer Binder Pack.
It’s a simple way to organize important medical information, so you can actually find what you’re looking for…
No hassle, no stress, and a quick and easy set up that takes minutes to maintain. And the best part… It’s 100% Free.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
Previous Medical History
Anything and everything having to do with prior medical history should be compiled on an easy-to-read document.
Do you have Diabetes, Congestive Heart Failure, or even high blood pressure? Include any past or current diagnoses, any past surgeries, major illnesses, etc.
Keep this info as up-to-date as possible.
Every time something changes, this document should be updated. It’s imperative that the Dr’s are able to factor in all of the information when making treatment decisions.
You can just write it on a plain piece of paper, or you can use the Cancer Binder Pack.
It’s a simple way to organize important medical information, so you can actually find what you’re looking for…
No hassle, no stress, and a quick and easy set up that takes minutes to maintain. And the best part… It’s 100% Free.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
Medication and Allergy List
A complete and updated medication list is non-negotiable.
You need to have that information available quickly and easily. EVERY TIME you go to the Dr. it’s the first question they ask, “do you have any changes to your medications?”
I recently watched a woman present a large bag full of medicine bottles, so the nurse could go through each medication, one-by-one. It was overwhelming for the woman (who was distraught) and the nurse who was trying to make sure everything was accurate.
Keep a list that includes…
- The name of the medication.
- Why you take it.
- The dosage.
- How often it needs to be taken.
Again, you can just write it on a plain piece of paper, or you can grab the Cancer Binder Pack for free.
It’s a simple way to organize important medical information, so you can actually find what you’re looking for…
No hassle, no stress, and a quick and easy set up that takes minutes to maintain. And the best part… It’s 100% Free.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
Health Care Proxy
What do you want to be done if the unthinkable happens? What are your wishes and who should make medical decisions if you can’t?
Health Care Proxy documents should be on-file for everyone. Even you.
My husband and I now have a will, a healthcare proxy, and living wills, all drawn up and filed.
Hey, you never know.
You can grab a free Health Care Proxy here…
And there you have it, this hospital go bag has saved me a number of times and it takes less than a half an hour to throw it together and leave it near the door.
Planning ahead lets you get the things you need together when you’re clear-headed. Because when you’re frazzled, panicked, and freaking out, is not the time to be trying to make good or clear decisions about when you might need.
Thankfully after that incredibly scary emergency at my parents house, I safely arrived and picked up my dad and we headed over to the hospital. My mom was being kept overnight (actually for days after that) because she was in A-Fib and her heart rate was over 230 beats per minute.
She’s fine now, but she couldn’t tell my dad what was happening because she was seconds away from passing out, so she just called 9-1-1.
I wish we had known it then, but Lively is a smart phone for seniors that’s easy to use (even if you’re not techy) and it has a built in emergency response system for a really reasonable price.
You can learn more about Lively here…
There is never a dull moment with this disease and this is just one example of many. There is always something to deal with, fight with, figure out, worry about, struggle with, and stress about.
Setting up a hospital go bag for all of us, helped us become as prepared as possible for whatever this disease decided to throw at us.
Whats in your hospital go bag? Let me know in the comments…
P.S. If you’re overwhelmed by all this cancer business, we can relate!
The Cancer Binder Pack will walk you through the quick and easy system we used to organize our medical information. Step-by-step instructions, printable forms, and monthly calendar pages so you can ALWAYS find what you need when you need it. And, the best part it’s FREE…
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack here…
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