Handbag Essentials

After only a few day's I soon came to learn what you should always have in a handbag or man bag.

To cover every eventuality:

Water is a must as not all wards have water coolers and the heat can become uncomfortable, and the more water you drink the less likely you are to have a headache at the end of the day.  Although been warned the more you drink the more you pee.

A bag of mints.  Not only will they keep you feeling fresh but also help to take away any after taste from what ever lunch(not sure if the word food can be used) you have had in the canteen. Although should you drink the coffee in the canteen then I am yet to find a mint or chewing gum strong enough to take that after taste away.(do be careful how many you eat as you may find they don't agree with your stomach, lee found that out)

Book/kindle/ Magazine.  Yes there is a lot of waiting about and I made the mistake very early on not to have either at hand and ended up reading every leaflet that was in the waiting rooms and the wards.  You may not think you will be able to take anything in but you would be surprised that you do, even if  you just stare at the pages it's still better than what you could be reading.

Deodorant is a MUST.  Please people we are all in a hot hospital for the same reason this is not the time or the place to let hygiene slip, and we all have to share the lifts. There is nothing worse than getting in a lift and having to hold your breath. I am not saying this to be vain I am saying for the good of those who you will come into close contact with. It doesn't matter how many times a day you shower or how clean you think you are you will still end up at some point in your day smelling of body odour, sweat and hand gel.

Lip balm for men and women.  For some reason the air in a hospital seems to not only be hot but dry and there is nothing worse than trying to be upset and cry about what you are going through and thinking my lips are really dry and starting to pick at the dry skin that wasn't there yesterday. Don't do this as it makes it all far worse..Please do not do what I did and put the hand gel on them OUCH is all I can say about that..It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Do not buy the stick lip balms as they will melt with the heat, and if like me you automatically put it in your pocket the out come will not be a pretty one.  Use tubes or little tubes.

Sandals/flip flops. There is nothing more un-comfy than sitting at a bedside for 8 to 10 hours a day in a pair of boots and thick socks.  Yes it may be winter outside but inside not so much. It is worth having a pair at hand so that you can at least try and be comfy for some of the day.

Foot Spray, if you are going to take a change of feet then please spray the ones you take out of boots and socks.  It's a bit like the deodorant thing.Not everyone is a fan of cheese.

Pocket Tissues (soft ones) You will probably already know to have these at hand as you will spend a lot of time crying and blowing your nose.  Also have an emergency pack, there are a lot of people using the toilets in a hospital and especially weekends you may find there is a slight toilet roll shortage, and you have enough going on without being caught short.

Wet Ones these are great should you get caught short in the loo, but also as the day goes on it you start to feel like all the dirt and germs are making a home in your skin.  They do freshen you up a bit.

A Cereal Bar just for the sugar hit as come late afternoon you will start to wilt.

A Jumper/socks you will need this when you leave and also it may be hot in the ward's one minute but with a flick of a switch by a maintenance man who has decided it's too warm it will be Arctic conditions.

A phone charger, there is always a plug somewhere you can use. You will want to keep everyone up dated on what is going on throughout your day and maybe just even to get out for some fresh air or to get decent food but you will almost certainly want to ring someone or text someone and there is nothing worse than having a phone with no life in it.  This will be your life line to your family and friends or just the key to keeping you sane.  This would be the one item that I would say is a must.  I knew that if I wanted to talk to my little girl and just to say hi and love you that I could do that.  No-one uses pay phones and lets be honest you don't know who has breathed on them...

Pen and Paper, should you think of something you want to ask but the right person is not about write it down.  I was great at thinking about all things I wanted to ask after the event and wished I had written things down. "No question is a silly one if your thinking it" is what you will no doubt hear a lot.

This may seem a lot for a day at the hospital but trust me you will use all of the above and you will also add your own additions.  For those who already have children you will be masters at getting as much as you can into a handbag so as not to take a nappy bag with you any more, it almost becomes a competition with yourself to see if you can get that little bit more in without having everything burst out.  For those of you who are not used to this it may be wise to buy a ruck sack or small suit case on wheels...It's all worth it.

For me the best thing is travel size accessories they are the best and don't take up much room.