Hi Dee, 

Please do not worry about this, the nurses are brilliant and trained to deal with these kind of situations.  

Assuming you will be on the ICU to start with, the nurses will clean you and change your pads accordingly, the hospital supplies everything you need. To be honest, you are likely to be on drugs and personally I barely registered what they were doing. 

Once on on the ward you can choose to either use your own supplies or use hospital ones. I found the step from ICU to the ward immense but please ask for help if needed (over and over again!). 

Please don’t worry about these “little things”, they might play on your mind now but I promise you that it will not be an issue when you are in hospital. 

I am sending you lots of strength and positive vibes for your operation to come. You have got this!!! 

X Bibi 

Hi Dee, 

I am 4 weeks post surgery (lung resection). I also had to travel a long distance (Devon to London) for my surgery and packed a huge suitcase that my husband kept in a hotel nearby, with the intention that he would bring in anything I needed when I needed it. I only took in with me what I needed for two nights. My suitcase was full of pyjamas that I didn’t wear as I’d worn the gowns that were given by the hospital. I also packed books to read, but didn’t get round to reading as I was so out of it after I’d had the operation. 

The things I did use were toiletries, hair brush, hair band to keep hair off my face (I was sick due to the morphine), I packed jumpers to hide the fact I couldn’t wear a bra when I left the hospital - and still can’t now! I also packed lose fitting clothes so you can get dressed easily and be comfortable. 

Depending on how much they take and how long you have your chest drain in for you might not be in hospital for long! I was expecting to be in for about a week and was discharged the day after surgery and another lady on my ward had her operation the day before me and went home the same day!  I ended up staying with my husband in the hotel he’d booked for himself for two nights before we caught the train home.

I hope your surgery goes well! 

Laura x 

Thanks Laura and Bibi,  

Your advice is really helpful to me.

Spoke to the surgeon yesterday who said it is likely that I will have the whole of the left lung removed and this will involve opening up my chest. He was pleased with my tests and said I am very healthy amd strong so I should recover well.  I'm seeing my specialist nurse this week so I will ask her any remaining questions - although I always forget to ask something so I'll be back on here with something else no doubt.

Thanks guys x