Things to take
(This is based on the surgery being in Bruges)

Getting everything prepared for your trip to hospital can be a nightmare, at least it was for me. I had no idea what I might need but I asked a lot of questions on the forum and got loads of good advice. So, here is my list that I packed. Hope it helps !!

Several spare pairs of Knickers - My drain leaked and it was good to have a spare pair to put on

Loose fitting trousers - My drain site was right on the trouser waist band line and loose trousers were my saving grace.

Warm tops - ( although this will depend on when you go. In Bruges the climate is roughly the same as here )

4-5 nighties - You wear a theatre gown for the day and night of the operation but thereafter until the day you leave hospital it's easier and more comfortable to wear nighties. Take a few so you have a fresh one to wear each day.

Dressing Gown - I took a light one with me, but the only time I ever used it was when I went for a walk to the front entrance of the hospital. It's a heavy item to carry, and can be bulky. Not something that I would recommend you take because you can always slip your coat on over your nightie to go to the front door.

Slippers - would not go anywhere without them !! You never know what is on the floor either !!

Fizzy paracetamol - handy to have your own supply for post op back at the hotel. They give you some to take with you but really there is only about 2 days supply if you are needing them 4 hourly.

MP3 player / pocket PC - it's nice to carry your own entertainment with you. There is no internet access in the hospital but I downloaded films onto my PPC and watched a couple of them while the Belgian lady in my room monopolised the TV !! The MP3 player was nice to have and put on when I was just resting but not sleeping and fancied taking my mind off the hospital noises around me.

Mobile phone and charger -Store the hospital phone number, and Marc's mobile number on it so that if you have any problems you can contact someone straight away. Marc's is handy for when you are going to be discharged so he can come and get you. Look out for the mobile network being unable to send your texts though because each time it tries to sent, it charges you about 50p. Our call credit went into the floor in the first couple of days !! Use the hospital phone and get the family to call you.

Visa / Mastercard/Euro - just to cover any unexpected eventuality. Eating out in a restaurant cost us about 20-30 euro for the two of us. The Belgian Choccies in a gift box cost anything from 4euro to 20euro but they are beautiful !! There are a lot of really beautiful shops selling nick nacs and at the moment, Christmas things which are totally irresistible. The horse and cart ride is 30 euro plus a tip, the bus tour is 12 euro, the boat tour is about 5 euro I think. There is a hole in the wall at the post office on the other side of the market square.

Passport - for obvious reasons ! Take it to the hospital with you too so they can verify you are who you say you are

E111 card - order this on line well in advance of your trip. It's not like the old post office forms you used to fill in. It's like a credit card thing now that you take with you. It will get posted out to you so don't leave it too late. Get one for each person that is travelling, not just you.                                 

Click here for the link to get an E111 card

Magazines /book - I didn't feel like reading too much in hospital so I took some magazines, and puzzle books to pass the time. I took a book for back at the hotel. The hospital shop doesn't seem to sell anything in English so take it with you !!

Toiletries - of course. You don't want to be that unsociable do you !?

Sanitary wear - occasionally the operation can bring on an unexpected menstrual bleed, so if you are of an age where you are still having them, or the gender to be having them (!!) then go prepared, just in case.

Lip balm - when you are nil by mouth your lips get really dry. They give you evian spray for your mouth, but it's nice to have some lip balm to keep your pecker kissable !!

Contact numbers - write down the telephone numbers of friends and family even if you know them by heart. Your brain turns to mush for a little while post op and it's sometimes necessary to refer to something that is written down. Put the hotel contact number in it, as well as the telephone number for the hospital, Marc, and your airline, just in case.

Wet wipes - you might wonder what planet I am on here, but when you have to use the bedpan, they really don't bring you any toilet roll to use, so take a small packet of wet wipes and you will be thanking me for it in the future !!

Sports bottle - Once you are out of hospital, get yourself a bottle of water or get your friend to get a sports drink in a bottle with a pop up spout, (and drink it !) and then never go anywhere without a bottle of water to sip on every so often. You need to get 1 1/2 Litres in a day, and this makes it much much easier. I was able to take mine on the plane too and nobody so much as battered an eyelid at me. So much for security measures !

A hospital bag - a medium sized grip served my purpose rather than bringing my entire suitcase with me to the ward. If your travelling companion is staying at the hotel then there is no need to take everything with you. Just take the things you need. My hospital bag fitted in my suitcase when we were going there, but Ellen needed to fill it with all her choccie presents on the way home !! Gives you an idea of how much she bought !! lol

Camera - The city of Brugge is really magical and there are sights there that you will want to capture on camera to keep the memory of your trip there. It is also a fantastic record to have some photos of you pre and just post op so that you can look back at them and think of how brave you were, and how BIG you were !! I love my camera, if something stands still long enough it will