Packing

I am starting to pack my case, plus I will have other bags ready for Nick to bring up if I need them – have I mentioned I like to be organised?

Clothing - what will I wear and why can’t I find information on this?  There are apps for packing a suitcase for a holiday but no information on packing for a ketamine stay. I don’t know much about hospital stays nowadays but I think the days of getting into your P.Js the day before your operation are over and now you’re encouraged to wear normal, casual clothes during the day if you aren’t really unwell.

I am inspired by my friend Penny. When she was going though chemotherapy, she got up every day and dressed, put on her make up as if going to work and then lay on the couch for the day. My plan is to get up every morning and get dressed as normal, but I am expecting hospital to be hot. I also know I will have a drip in my arm so I am choosing T–shirts that expose my elbow and casual pants. I do not want to be in P.Js throughout the day, I am not sick. Every morning I will have a shower and put on basic make-up, that’s how I present to the world normally so I intend to continue.

I need to plan my medication, giving this over to someone else to control is not easy for me. I am always responsible for my medication and I follow all prescribed guidelines, however in hospital this will be taken away from me so this is a bit tricky. I understand why I will no longer be responsible but the lack of personal control is an issue for me. When the ketamine infusion is happening under no circumstances would I self-administer any form of medication as this is well outside my normal treatment. However, I am being admitted at 3pm on Thursday and the ketamine infusion doesn’t start until Saturday – I will not be relying on busy nurses who don’t understand my pain needs to give me my pain medication during this time.

As well as the pain from the car accident I also suffer with migraines and use Imigran nasal spray when needed, which is usually between 4am to 7am once or twice a month. In the days before the ketamine infusion I will not ask/beg for my Imigran or Pandeine Forte, I will take them as required. When you have managed your own pain relief for a long time it is unrealistic to hand it over completely to someone else who has little understanding of your situation.

The lack of a private room is still worrying me, thinking of having to share, and maybe with someone of the opposite sex is stressing me. I fill out the hospital admission forms and write on them that I am anxious about this.